Momo Hirai


Momo Hirai, known mononymously as Momo, 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.

Early life

Momo Hirai was born in Kyōtanabe, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. She began dancing at the age of three, together with her elder sister.

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. Momo and her sister were originally spotted by JYP Entertainment in an online video in 2012. They were both asked to audition, and only Momo was successful, prompting her to move to South Korea in April 2012. Before joining Twice, Momo danced in a number of music videos as a "K-Pop trainee". In 2015 Momo participated in the South Korean reality television show Sixteen, hosted by JYP Entertainment and co-produced by Mnet. 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.

Career with Twice

In October 2015, Momo officially debuted as a member of Twice with their first extended play, The Story Begins. The lead single "Like Ooh-Ahh" was the first K-pop debut song to reach 100 million views on YouTube.

Recognition

In Gallup Korea's annual music poll for 2018, Momo was voted the 20th most popular idol in South Korea. She is one of the most popular non-Korean K-pop stars, and her popularity has been credited with improving relations between South Korea and Japan by the Chosun Ilbo. Known for her physical fitness and body movements, she is nicknamed the "dance machine". In this regard, Momo has been described before as being Twice's best dancer. In 2019 Momo received coverage for trending on Twitter after a video trailer of her was released. 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.

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.

Discography

Songwriting credits

YearSongAlbumArtistWithRef.
2018"Shot Thru the Heart"Summer NightsTwiceSana, Mina
2019"Hot"Fancy YouTwiceKang Eun-jeong
2019"Love Foolish"Feel SpecialTwiceShim Eunji
2019"21:29"Feel SpecialTwiceAll Twice members

Filmography

Television shows

Event hosting