TWICE in PARIS

Sep 11

This concert was a milestone in my life; I had very high expectations.

A very bittersweet feeling that still lingers when I think back on the concert.

In September 2023, I had 3 concerts, all outside of Spain. Two at the beginning of the month and the last one at the end. It was time to head to Paris to see some incredible artists live on stage.

I started with one of the most important groups in the history of K-pop: TWICE. Getting tickets was a whole adventure. When I joined the virtual queue, there were over 21,000 people ahead of me. The queue wasn’t moving, and on top of that, the Accor Arena has a capacity of only 20,000 people. Before I could even enter the purchase page, I had already given up. People were posting on Twitter that there were no tickets left and that it was impossible to find one, but I wanted to see it for myself.

And yes, when I entered the website, there were no tickets available. I started refreshing the page, hoping that by some miracle, someone would release their ticket. I did this several times, and to my surprise, it actually happened. I managed to get to the payment step with a ticket. I had no idea what kind of ticket it was or where my seat would be, but I just paid and took a deep breath.

I couldn’t believe it; it felt impossible. Destiny wanted me to go to Paris to see TWICE, and by taking a chance when everything seemed lost, I got a ticket to see one of the groups that made me fall in love with K-pop.

On the day of the concert, I could feel the nerves in the air. I arrived around 2 p.m. to join the queue, because yes, I had gotten a general standing ticket. I knew I wouldn’t be close to the stage, so I decided to arrive several hours early to try and get a decent spot.

Thanks to fate, I met some great people in the queue, and we spent 5 hours together in great company. Once inside the venue, I realized I was going to be very far from the stage. Despite arriving early and there still being tons of people behind me, I had gotten a terrible spot to see TWICE. But well, that was the situation, and there was no other option, so I just had to enjoy the concert no matter what.

The nerves were at their peak. The girls made an incredible entrance with "SET ME FREE", and it was truly iconic. Then they went into "I CAN'T STOP ME", one of my favorites, and I lost it. I screamed and jumped, trying to see a bit of the main stage, living the music with all my heart. I was enjoying it like a little kid, but nothing lasts forever.

After the song, a girl approached me and told me to stop. I froze and apologized. But why? I didn’t understand. What’s the point of going to a concert if you're not going to jump around? It completely changed my mood, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it for the rest of the concert. The ONCEs I met in the queue were shocked. In summary: she completely ruined my concert experience. I stopped jumping, so I barely saw anything, and I stopped screaming because I thought I’d disturb everyone.

Honestly, I can’t say it was a bad concert, because it definitely wasn’t. The girls were amazing, it was a true mega show. The chemistry between the members was undeniable, and each of them shone on stage. From the incredible dance moves of NAYEON and MOMO to the powerful vocals of JIHYO and JEONGYEON, every performance was a gift to the ONCEs. SANA, MINA, DAHYUN, CHAEYOUNG, and TZUYU also had their standout moments, showing their charisma, talent, and power on stage. All of the solo performances were wonderful, whether presenting their own songs or doing covers—it was really great.

One thing I felt was missing was more of their older songs. Even though they did a mashup of all their megahits, I needed a full version of "Heart Shaker" and "What is Love?". These two songs are my beginnings in K-pop, and hearing them live would have been such an achievement for me.

I can finish by saying that TWICE put on a great concert, but for me, it was a bittersweet feeling. I don’t know how to describe it; I feel selfish for thinking that one person ruined an experience I had been so looking forward to, but on the other hand, I think that’s what a concert is about: singing, jumping, and screaming the songs of the artists you’re seeing.

I hope I can shake off this bitter aftertaste from my experience with TWICE and attend another of their concerts. I’m so grateful to have seen them live, but I hope I’ll have another chance to enjoy these wonderful girls 100%.