Jihyo of the South Korean girl group Twice has released her long-awaited debut extended play Zone in mid-August, becoming the second Twice member to do so. The astonishing seven track extended play’s highlights is its lead single, “Killin’ Me Good” and features American rapper 24kGoldn and South Korean singer Heize. The album progresses within the overall theme of finding love and dealing with break up.

The lead single “Killin’ Me Good” is Zone’s most popular song, which is a powerful and groovy song with an unforgettable chorus and compelling choreography. The song describes the narrator’s unexplainable love which is so good it’s “killing” them. It’s one of the many ear worms on Zone, as it is the most snappy out of all seven songs.

“Closer” is the second-most popular song from the extended play. It is about the phenomenon known as love at first sight, as the narrator explains how they fell in love with a person upon meeting them, but they’re unsure if they are misunderstanding their love interest’s signs.

Jihyo’s solo debut was first teased back in April at Twice’s 5th world tour “Ready To Be,” following the eponymous extended play when she performed the fierce song “Nightmare.” The whole song talks about being someone’s (presumably an ex-lover) inescapable nightmare. I was one of few Once’s (the fandom name for Twice) to have listened to her solo before Zone’s release when I attended the concert, and I was blown away by the energy and power in her voice and her belts.

“When the song [Nightmare] was completed,” Jihyo said in an interview with Crystal Bell of Elle.  “I wanted to release the song quickly, so I thought it would be perfect for the concert.” 

Zone is breaking records. According to South Korea’s Star News, Zone charted in nine different categories in the U.S. Billboard charts. Zone was also listed as a “Must Listen Album” for the month of August by the Recording Academy’s Grammy Awards. In South Korea’s “Circle” charts, she has topped the albums chart, with “Zone” reaching #1 in its first week. 

“I think the title track (Killin’ Me Good) is pretty catchy and [she has] strong vocals,” nignth grader Sam Chau said. 

The songs of Zone have shown it deserves the recognition it is currently getting. Jihyo’s dedication to her artistry for the past 18 years have paid off well. As Twice extends their “Ready To Be” world tour until early-2024, hopefully we can see the remaining seven Twice members make their solo debut soon.