From Seoul to Chicago, their voices soar,
Nine stars lit up the summer floor,
TWICE made history, and left us wanting more.

TWICE has made history once again. On August 2 local time, the JYP Entertainment girl group became the first K-pop girl group to headline the main stage of Lollapalooza Chicago—one of America’s largest and oldest music festivals. Held at Grant Park, this was more than just a concert; it was a monumental performance that captivated global media and left an unforgettable mark on the tens of thousands of fans in attendance.

The group performed a total of 21 songs, starting with the upbeat “The Feels” and closing with the emotional “Feel Special.” Iconic hits like “Dance the Night Away,” “What is Love?,” “FANCY,” and “MORE & MORE” also made it into the setlist. One of the night’s biggest highlights was the live debut of “Takedown,” an OST from the animated Netflix film K-Pop Demon Hunters, performed by Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung. The track had previously charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and is now the highest-charting Korean OST of 2025.

In the film, TWICE plays fictional characters called Huntrix, a K-pop vocal group who secretly protect the world from evil spirits through music. That fantasy concept spilled into the real world at Lollapalooza: at the end of the concert, the Chicago night sky lit up with drones spelling out “THE HONMOON IS SEALED”—a reference to the magical ritual from the movie, now symbolically completed by TWICE. Netflix shared the moment on their official account with the caption: “TWICE completed their honmoon at Lollapalooza.”

American media couldn’t get enough. Rolling Stone called it one of TWICE’s most breathtaking performances in their 10-year career, praising their tight harmonies and synchronized choreography. They described the sea of light sticks as “a living neon garden dancing with the music.”

The Chicago Sun-Times, via reporter Selena Pragash, emphasized not only that TWICE is the first K-pop girl group to headline Lollapalooza, but also that they embodied female power dominating the weekend. She praised their flawless choreography, strong visuals, and emotional connection with ONCEs—the group’s fandom—who sang and danced along with every beat.

Comments from Reddit’s live stream thread captured the electrifying energy of the night:

“I am speechless rn lol. The NaMo dance break, Takedown live debut, Chae runway strut on ICON’s iconic rap…”.

“Nayeon looks BREATHTAKING. Get this girl an American record deal.”

“They are absolutely killing it tonight.”

“I know I’ll never be disappointed by TWICE but I’m always nervous for these huge events for them. And what do you know. They destroy it every single time.”

Even the official Lollapalooza X (Twitter) account posted a heartwarming tribute:

“Now we’re all ONCE 🥲 @JYPETWICE” alongside stunning stage photos.

Fans worldwide flooded the replies:

“The nation’s GG with the greatest K-pop performance in recent history”

“Bring them back next year”

“TWICE? THEY’RE ICONS! They’re all glowing. No matter what they do and where they are, all of them will shine on their own. They didn’t just light up the stage but the whole place and even the sky at Lollapalooza. These girls are really talented artists and dedicated performers.”

“They said ‘once you see us you’ll madly love us twice’ for a reason 😭😭😭”

📎 See Lollapalooza’s official X post here:

Jihyo Steals the Show, Global Fans Get Emotional, and the Future Looks Even Brighter

Among the nine members, Jihyo stood out with her powerful presence and radiant visuals that netizens described as “sculpted by sunlight.” Wearing a white crop top and silver jewelry, she radiated true star power. Korean forums like TheQoo went wild, with fans writing:

“Jihyo is the type of star you need to see in person. Her vocals are insane.”

“She’s literally a sun goddess.”

“Jihyo’s energy is contagious. She just warms your heart.”

Global fans were also overwhelmed with pride. Hashtags like #TWICEPALOOZA and #TWICE_AT_LOLLAPALOOZA trended on X (Twitter). Many expressed deep emotion when TWICE tried to perform an extra encore, only to have their mics cut off due to technical time limits.

One fan posted, “I’m proud to be alive in the era of TWICE,” while another wrote, “Their talent is real. Full of love and dedication to their art.” It was a symbolic moment of how deeply TWICE values the stage—and their fans.

This performance followed in the footsteps of previous K-pop headliners: J-Hope (BTS) in 2022, TXT in 2023, and Stray Kids in 2024. But TWICE is the first girl group to reach that level, marking a new milestone and shifting the gender balance in the global K-pop movement.

This year’s Lollapalooza also featured K-pop acts like Boynextdoor, Catseye, Xdiz, and Kickflip—proving that K-pop isn’t a trend, but a global force. As Rolling Stone put it, “a tectonic shift in the music landscape—Korean artists are no longer fillers, but headliners.”

Up next, TWICE will resume their “This Is For” world tour in late August, coinciding with the release of their Japanese album Enemy. Encore concerts in Tokyo Dome and Los Angeles have been confirmed. And in October, TWICE will release their highly anticipated 10th anniversary documentary, TWICE: One in a Million, set to hit theaters worldwide.

Their song Takedown has already made waves. Since the film’s release on June 20, the track has climbed to #8 on the Billboard 200, with other OST tracks like Golden reaching as high as #2 on the Hot 100. Golden has even been covered by Korea’s top vocalists: Bada (S.E.S.), Solar (Mamamoo), Lee Hae-ri (Davichi), Jung Eun-ji (Apink), and Ahn Yu-jin (IVE). But it was the original trio—Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung—who sealed the night with a jaw-dropping finale.

📌 Want to relive the iconic TWICE moments at Lollapalooza? Don’t miss this viral thread from @twiceviral:

The first tweet reads:

“viral tweets of TWICE making history at lollapalooza, a thread:”

Followed by fan reactions like:

“TWICE is really something else like you CAN’T speak on these girls.”

— proving there are truly no words that can do TWICE justice.

Sources: Daum, Koreaboo, Rolling Stone, Chicago Sun-Times, TheQoo, Reddit, X (formerly Twitter), Netflix.