TWICE performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on Feb. 18, 2022. Courtesy JYP Entertainment.

OAKLAND — K-pop group TWICE sold out all five initially announced U.S. shows on its current “III” tour within a few hours of tickets going on sale. The nine women in the group had a busy 2021 altogether, releasing their third album (Formula of Love: O+T=<3), their first full English-language single (“The Feels,” which landed on the Billboard Hot 100), performing on late night and daytime TV in the U.S. and receiving an MTV Video Music Awards nomination.

By the time TWICE played its first show in Oakland on Friday—something that the members pointed out repeatedly—the hype had fully landed. Oakland Arena was packed to the gills, with no sections blocked off.

Following a long introductory video (there were numerous of these as is customary at K-pop shows), Sana, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, Tzuyu, Nayeon, Momo, Jihyo, Jeongyeon and Mina appeared on a riser that pushed them up from the bowels of the tall multi-tiered stage. Their coordinated outfits (the first of several over the three-hour show) were variations of bedazzled red and black plaid.

TWICE performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on Feb. 18, 2022.

Once the show kicked off in earnest with thumper, “The Feels,” it rarely slowed down musically. It did, however, grind to a halt numerous times during interludes where the members would pass a microphone and deliver generic messages of praise and thanks to the crowd. This is also customary of K-pop shows, but with nine members usually delivering similar messages—most of them in Korean, which required translation by an off-stage speaker—the momentum was definitely impacted. Speaking of which, it might be a good idea for K-pop production companies (TWICE belongs to JYP Entertainment, for example) to invest in speech writers for their young groups.

Tangent aside, “The Feels” was the first of many bangers TWICE performed on Friday. The opener was followed by “Feel Special” and “UP NO MORE,” two more bass-led thumpers. A rapped part on the latter song made the crowd go nuts.

Sometimes, the group was accompanied by numerous dancers. Several songs were performed on a gigantic secondary stage in the middle of the arena floor. There was no shortage of audio/visual wizardry, with stage floor to ceiling video screens, pyrotechnics and multiple rounds of confetti and streamers that resembled tinsel.

TWICE performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on Feb. 18, 2022.

All of the songs featured choreography, and while the dancing wasn’t as technically proficient as other groups, it also made the performance more relatable; at these times, it looked like TWICE was nine regular girls just having fun together.

While most of the songs were bangers, they varied a bit in style. Some of the songs exuded a Euro-pop vibe, such as “FANCY” and “I CAN’T STOP ME,” a clear crowd favorite. Others leaned into rap, such as “ICON” (Dahyun was the highlight here) and “HELLO,” which recalled Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts.”

“HELLO” was one of three songs that TWICE performed after splitting up into three trios. On it, Nayeon, Momo and Chaeyoung appeared in the back of a prop convertible that was pushed onto the stage.

TWICE performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on Feb. 18, 2022.

Every song that leaned closer to funk or R&B was a personal highlight. These included “QUEEN,” “REWIND” and “PUSH & PULL” (a trio performance by Sana, Jihyo and Dahyun).

And then there was hit song “Alcohol-Free,” which stood alone as a K-pop tune by way of samba and Reggaeton. It was clear from the performance that TWICE have taken Latin dance classes. This was also a highlight.

TWICE performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on Feb. 18, 2022.

Other memorable moments included “SHOT CLOCK,” during which the group came out in vaguely Western outfits—some in chaps—and threw in some two-step moves into their choreography; lone ballad “CACTUS,” during which the nine sat at the foot of a waterfall projection as a fog machine worked overtime to create a mist; and “SCIENTIST,” which included some of the most fun dancing of the night.