Momo Hirai
Momo Hirai (平井 もも, Hirai Momo, born November 9, 1996), known mononymously as Momo (Korean: 모모; Japanese: もも), is a Japanese singer and dancer based in South Korea. She is a member of the girl group Twice, formed by JYP Entertainment. Momo is one of Twice's three Japanese members.[1][2]
Momo Hirai | |||||||
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![]() Momo performing "Cheer Up" in July 2018 | |||||||
Background information | |||||||
Born | Kyōtanabe, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan | November 9, 1996||||||
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Instruments | Vocals | ||||||
Years active | 2015–present | ||||||
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Associated acts |
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Japanese name | |||||||
Kanji | 平井 もも | ||||||
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Korean stage name | |||||||
Hangul | 모모 | ||||||
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Early life
Momo Hirai was born in Kyōtanabe, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.[3][4] She began dancing at the age of three, together with her elder sister.[4]
Career
Pre-debut
Momo had some early exposure to the South Korean music industry, appearing in a music video for Lexy in 2008 and on the talent show Superstar K in 2011.[5] Momo and her sister were originally spotted by JYP Entertainment in an online video in 2012.[4][5][6] They were both asked to audition, and only Momo was successful, prompting her to move to South Korea in April 2012.[5][7] Before joining Twice, Momo danced in a number of music videos as a "K-Pop trainee".[4][6] In 2015 Momo participated in the South Korean reality television show Sixteen, hosted by JYP Entertainment and co-produced by Mnet.[1][8] Though she was initially eliminated in the competition, she was brought back at the end of the competition and joined the newly-formed girl group Twice.[1][4][9]

Career with Twice
In October 2015, Momo officially debuted as a member of Twice with their first extended play, The Story Begins.[10] The lead single "Like Ooh-Ahh" was the first K-pop debut song to reach 100 million views on YouTube.[11]
Recognition
In Gallup Korea's annual music poll for 2018, Momo was voted the 20th most popular idol in South Korea.[12] She is one of the most popular non-Korean K-pop stars,[4] and her popularity has been credited with improving relations between South Korea and Japan by the Chosun Ilbo.[7] Known for her physical fitness and body movements, she is nicknamed the "dance machine".[13][14] In this regard, Momo has been described before as being Twice's best dancer.[1][4][14][15] In 2019 Momo received coverage for trending on Twitter after a video trailer of her was released.[1] In 2019, Momo was ranked as the tenth most popular female K-pop idol in a survey of soldiers doing mandatory military service in South Korea.[16]
Personal life
On January 2, 2020, Label SJ and JYP Entertainment confirmed that Momo is currently dating Kim Hee-chul from the group Super Junior.[17][18][19]
Discography
Filmography
Television shows
Year | Title | Network | Role | Note | Ref. |
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2015 | Sixteen | Mnet | Contestant | [1] | |
2016 | Hit the Stage | Episode 1–4 | [26] | ||
2017 | Real Class - Elementary Kid Teachers | SBS | Cast | Lunar New Year special (2 Parts) | [27] |
Event hosting
Year | Title | Partner(s) | Network | Ref. |
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2016 | Suwon K-pop Super Concert | Kim Hee-chul, Zhou Mi, Chaeyoung | SBS MTV | [28] |
References
- Moon, Kat (September 20, 2019). "Everything to Know About K-Pop Group Twice". Time. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
- "트와이스 "뽑힐 때 아무 생각이 없었다" ①". Star News (in Korean). Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- "K-POPの最注目新人「TWICE」の日本人メンバーが可愛くて美しい<プロフィール>" (in Japanese). Retrieved July 23, 2019.
- "Momo from Twice, K-pop's biggest Japanese star – her story so far". South China Morning Post. April 21, 2018. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- Jung, Chul-hwan (February 21, 2018). "3 Japanese Girls at the Top of K-Pop: Taking off to K-Pop Land". The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition). Retrieved December 6, 2019.
- "8 things you didn't know about TWICE birthday girl, Momo!". SBS. March 9, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
- Jung, Chul-hwan (February 23, 2018). "3 Japanese Girls at the Top of K-Pop: The 1st of Their Kind". The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition). Retrieved December 6, 2019.
- Won, Ho-jung (April 29, 2015). "'Sixteen' compete for spot in JYP's next girl group". The Korea Herald. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- Jung, Chul-hwan (February 20, 2018). "3 Japanese Girls at the Top of K-Pop: The Story Begins". The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition). Retrieved December 6, 2019.
- Kim, Yu-jin (October 20, 2015). "TWICE unveils debut album 'The Story Begins'". The Korea Herald. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- Moon, Kat (October 9, 2019). "K-Pop Powerhouse TWICE Opens Up About How Their New Album Is More Personal Than Ever". Time. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- "2018년 올해를 빛낸 가수와 가요 - 최근 12년간 추이 포함" (in Korean). Gallup Korea. November 30, 2018.
- Ko, Dong-hwan (March 4, 2019). "Momo super-fit to be a star". The Korea Times. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- Mendez, Michele (November 28, 2019). "Who Is Momo? TWICE's "Dance Machine"s Story Is An Emotional Rollercoaster". Elite Daily. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- "Momo de TWICE sobre su experiencia recibiendo clases de canto: "Lloré mucho"". La República (in Spanish). June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- "Sana de Twice es elegida la cantante más popular por los soldados de Corea del Sur". La República (in Spanish). November 10, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- "슈퍼주니어 김희철♥트와이스 모모, 열애 인정 "친한 선후배에서 최근 호감"[공식입장]". Naver (in Korean). January 2, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
- Lee, Jan (January 2, 2020). "Super Junior's Heechul and Twice's Momo admit to dating". The Straits Times. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- Lee, Gyu-lee (January 29, 2020). "Super Junior's Kim Hee-chul talks about romance with Momo". The Korea Times. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- "KOMCA – 10021791". KOMCA. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- "TWICE THE 2ND SPECIAL ALBUM Summer Nights TRACK LIST". TWICE JYPE. June 30, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
- "TWICE THE 7TH MINI ALBUM 'FANCY YOU'". TWICE JYPE. April 11, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
- "TWICE THE 8TH MINI ALBUM Feel Special Track List". TWICE JYPE. September 12, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- Herman, Tamar. "Twice 'Feel Special' On Inspiring New Single and EP: Listen". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- Frances, Lai. "Asia's Top-Selling Girl Group Twice Reflect On Their Bond, Fourth Anniversary". PopCrush. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- Choi, Na-young. "태민·효연·보라·호야·유권 등, 엠넷 '힛더스테이지' 출연[공식발표]". OSEN (in Korean). TV Report. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
- "'초등학쌤' 강남·헨리·모모, 한글 수준 평균 6세". OSEN (in Korean). TV Daily. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- "I.O.I·트와이스·여자친구 등 출격…수원 K팝 슈퍼콘서트, 걸그룹 대축제". SBS Entertainment News (in Korean). June 14, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Momo Hirai. |