TWICE – ENEMY. Lyrics Meaning: The Toughest Battle is Always With Yourself
Ever feel like you’re fighting a battle that no one else can see? Like the loudest, harshest critic you have lives right inside your own head? It’s that nagging voice that tells you you’re not good enough, that you need to be perfect, and it can be absolutely exhausting. Well, what if I told you there’s a K-Pop song that perfectly bottles up that feeling and turns it into a powerful anthem of defiance? We’re about to unpack a track that, on the surface, sounds like it’s about a rival, but is actually about something much, much closer to home.
The Unseen Battlefield in TWICE’s “ENEMY”
When you hear a song titled “ENEMY,” you might immediately picture a showdown, a face-off with some external foe. But listen closely to what TWICE is serving up in this B-side banger, and you’ll find the conflict is deeply internal. The song opens with this raw, vulnerable admission that sets the entire stage for the emotional journey we’re about to take.
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The Crushing Weight of Perfection
The song doesn’t waste any time getting real. It kicks off with the feeling of being pushed to the brink, not by a person, but by an impossible standard. The girls sing about being a “mess inside” while being questioned about their own worth. Get a load of these lines:
完璧じゃなきゃ ayy-yeah
ダメだと言うの？
Unless I’m perfect, ayy-yeah
Are you saying it’s no good?
Oof. That hits hard, doesn’t it? It’s the voice of self-doubt, the fear of not measuring up. It’s the pressure, whether from society, others, or ourselves, that demands flawlessness. This isn’t just a lyric; it’s the feeling of your heart sinking when you feel like you’ve disappointed someone, or worse, yourself.
Losing Yourself in the Mirror
The pressure to be perfect does something tricky—it can make you lose sight of who you really are. You start molding yourself into what you think you should be. TWICE captures this identity crisis so vividly with a single, haunting image:
鏡の中、覗けば私じゃないような style
Just imagine that for a second. Looking at your own reflection and seeing a stranger. Someone dressed in an identity that isn’t yours, all because you’ve been trying so hard to fit into a frame that was never meant for you. The song says this struggle leaves a scar that won’t disappear, a 消えない痣 (kienai aza). This isn’t just a fight; it’s a fight for their very soul.
From Victim to Victor: An Anthem of Resilience
Just when you think the song is all about despair, the beat switches up, and so does the attitude. This is where “ENEMY” transforms from a lament into a war cry. The members declare, “No one can break me, don’t try to test me.” It’s a powerful shift. They’ve identified the source of their pain, and now, they’re ready to fight back.
Fueling the Fire with Scars
The chorus is where the song’s true message explodes. It’s not about erasing the pain or pretending the scars aren’t there. It’s about using them. It’s about turning that pain into power. Check out the chorus:
傷を抱いて rising up
涙潰し burning up
Ooh (Break the enemy)
Embracing the scars, rising up
Crushing the tears, burning up
Ooh (Break the enemy)
This is so brilliant. They aren’t running from their wounds; they’re embracing them. They’re using their tears not for crying, but as fuel to “burn up.” And who is the enemy they need to break? It’s that voice of doubt, that fear, that pressure for perfection. The enemy was inside them all along. The final promise, 私は逃げない (Watashi wa nigenai), which means “I won’t run away,” is the ultimate declaration of self-reclamation. It’s them choosing to stand their ground and face themselves, flaws and all.
The Real Takeaway: Your Message in the Music
So, what can we all take away from this? “ENEMY” is a powerful reminder that our greatest battles are often internal. The song champions the idea of resilience not as a state of being unbreakable, but as the courage to rise up after being broken. It tells us that our scars are not signs of weakness but proof of our strength and our history. It’s a call to break free from the “frame” that confines us and to find power in our own unique, imperfect selves.
This song is a true anthem for anyone who has ever struggled with self-doubt or felt the weight of expectations. It’s a musical permission slip to be human, to feel the pain, and to use it to become even stronger. It’s about looking that inner critic in the eye and finally saying, “I’m done. You don’t control me anymore.”
That’s my take on it, anyway! The beauty of music is how it can mean different things to different people. What did you feel when you listened to “ENEMY”? Does it resonate with a different kind of struggle for you? Let’s talk about it!
