“Pop!”: Does this prove that Nayeon is leaving TWICE for a solo career?
Nayeon’s solo debut with “Pop!” arrived like a glitter bomb in the middle of summer, and fans immediately wondered if the bright lights signaled something bigger. The track’s playful bounce and the full Im Nayeon EP gave the twenty-six-year-old a chance to step forward on her own, yet the rest of TWICE stayed front and center in the story. The group’s early hits still echoed through every new release, and the question of whether one member’s spotlight would dim the others lingered for only a moment before the nine-person machine kept rolling.
Nayeon brings a cuteness overload in “Pop!”
The EP’s tracklist ran from the title track through “No Problem,” “Love Countdown,” “Candyfloss,” “All or Nothing,” “Happy Birthday to You,” and “Sunset,” with guest spots from Stray Kids’ Felix and Wonstein. Nayeon wrote parts of “Love Countdown” and “All or Nothing” while traveling on tour, scribbling lines between flights and hotel rooms under COVID restrictions. The same colorful sets and flirty choreography that made “Pop!” an instant summer staple later gave way to a second chapter. Nayeon returned in 2024 with the mini album Na, released June 14, and described the project as a chance to show a stronger, bolder side. Tracks such as “ABCD” carried the same melodic sweetness but added sharper edges, proving the cute overload could evolve without losing its charm.
Will Nayeon go solo and leave TWICE behind?
In the original Vulture interview, Nayeon admitted she still did not know exactly why JYP chose her first. She stressed that the other members greeted the news with genuine excitement, treating it like another TWICE album rather than a solo breakaway. That same spirit has held. Nayeon has continued preparing solo material into 2025 and 2026 while the group stays active, and the pattern now includes projects from several members without any hint of departure. The original nine—Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu—remain listed together on every major release.
Nayeon’s Evolving Solo Sound with ‘Na’
The 2024 mini album marked a deliberate shift in tone. Where “Pop!” leaned into pastel sets and cheeky choreography, Na introduced deeper colors and more confident staging. Nayeon spoke openly about wanting listeners to see a matured version of the same performer who once worried over lyric deadlines on tour buses. Early fan reactions noted the change in vocal delivery and the way the new tracks balanced the familiar brightness with added attitude. The move kept her solo work connected to the group’s overall sound while giving her room to experiment.
TWICE’s 10th Anniversary Milestones
October 2025 brought the Korean album Ten: The Story Goes On and the single “Me+You,” part of a year-long celebration that also included the documentary One in a Mill10n. Select members appeared at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show that same season, extending the group’s reach beyond traditional music platforms. These projects sat alongside the Japanese studio album Enemy released in August 2025, showing that anniversary year activity stretched across languages and formats rather than slowing the group down.
Other TWICE Members’ Solo Ventures
The speculation that followed Nayeon’s first solo release has since turned into a documented list. Jihyo dropped ZONE in 2023, Tzuyu released abouTZU in 2024, Chaeyoung issued Lil Fantasy Vol.1, and the MiSaMo subunit dropped Masterpiece in 2023. Each project arrived while the full group continued scheduling world tours and Japanese releases, reinforcing that solo work functions as an extension rather than a replacement for TWICE activity.
TWICE’s Global Sales Leadership in 2025
Early claims that TWICE had sold over ten million albums by December 2020 have been eclipsed by newer numbers. The group finished 2025 as the best-selling K-pop girl group in U.S. pure album sales with 11.3 million copies tracked across major retailers. The THIS IS FOR world tour, running through 2025 and into 2026, added stadium and arena dates in North America and Japan that further widened the commercial footprint. High chart placement has remained consistent, confirming that the sales dominance first noted in the Gaon era has simply moved to new markets and metrics.
TWICE’s fame continues to soar
The group formed on the 2015 survival show Sixteen and debuted October 20 of that year with The Story Begins. “Cheer Up” gave them their first national number one in 2016, followed by “TT” which held the top spot for four weeks. Those early runs set the template for a decade of consistent output. The 2025 schedule—Korean and Japanese albums, a sprawling world tour, and anniversary projects—shows the same momentum without signs of fatigue. Nayeon’s continued solo output sits comfortably inside that larger picture, and the rest of the members have followed suit while the nine-person unit stays intact.
