Music / Formula of Love

Digital cover.

Formula of Love: O+T=<3^*  (O plus T equals heart, or ONCE plus Twice equals Love) is the third Korean full album^note  (sixth overall, including Japanese albums) by K-pop Girl Group TWICE, released on November 12th 2021. The album and the tour for it were announced at the end of the video for their first original English single, "The Feels", released six weeks prior. Another English song, "Candy", was premiered on October 20th during the group's sixth-anniversary party. Two more English songs, "Moonlight" and "Icon", are also included, and the rest of the songs are Korean. Although Genre Roulette still applies to some songs as it does with their discography in general, including deep house/dance-pop main single "Scientist", the bulk of the album is heavily influenced by disco.

This album has the distinction of being Twice's first release to feature sub-unit songs.

Tracklist:

All Versions

1. "Scientist" (3:14)
2. "Moonlight" (3:39)
3. "Icon" (2:56)
4. "Cruel" (3:31)
5. "Real You" (3:07)
6. "F.I.L.A. (Fall In Love Again)" (3:11)
7. "Last Waltz" (2:50)
8. "Espresso" (3:11)
9. "Rewind" (3:00)
10. "Cactus" (3:37)
11. "Push & Pull" (3:25)
12. "Hello" (3:03)
13. "1, 3, 2" (3:18)
14. "Candy" (3:15)

CD Bonus Tracks

1. "The Feels" (Korean version) (3:18)
2. "The Feels" (3:18)^note Bonus track on the Result File version only

Digital Bonus Tracks

1. "The Feels" (3:18)
2. "Scientist" (R3hab remix) (3:28)

You and I, troping in the moonlight:

• Book Ends: The digital version begins with "Scientist" and ends with a remix of "Scientist".
• Beneath the Mask: "Real You" is about trying to get someone to show their true self.
• Breaking Old Trends:
  • This is TWICE's first Korean full-album to feature all-English songs in it, though their first two Japanese albums each had an English song before that.^note  BDZ had a cover of The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back". &Twice had the original song "What You Waiting For". The physical version of their 10th EP Taste Of Love had the English version of "Cry For Me".
  • This is their first album not to have every member on every song:
    • Sana, Jihyo, and Dahyun make the sub-unit on "Push & Pull"
    • Nayeon, Momo, and Chaeyoung on "Hello"
    • Jeongyeon, Mina, and Tzuyu on "1,3,2"
• Break Up Song: "Last Waltz" and "Rewind".
• Dance of Romance:
  • "You and I, dancing in the moonlight. Kiss you when the mood's right. Baby, I don't want nobody else".
  • The protagonist of "1,3,2" has trouble trying to dance properly while falling in love with the love interest.
• Disco: A prominent influence on the album. It's most noticeable on "Cruel", "Push & Pull", and "The Feels".
• Drink-Based Characterization: The self-described "Espresso" that gives the other person energy.
• Face on the Cover: The nine members sitting at tables in a science lab, reflecting the song "Scientist".
• Gratuitous English: Averted on "Rewind", a rare K-pop song that has no English lyrics at all. This is especially noticeable as there are a record (for them) three all-English songs on the album.
• "I Am Great!" Song:
  • "Icon":
    "I ain't going nowhere. I'm an icon
    When all them other nobodies are long gone
    I don't even need to turn the mic on
    Damn, I got it. I'm Iconic."
  • "Hello" (also doubles as Boastful Rap):
    "Just do something
    Why won’t you say anything? It’s boring
    Ah yeah, ain’t no one compare to me, I know
    Ah yeah, ain’t no one, you know that too"
• Klatchian Coffee: The protagonist of "Espresso" invokes this in a figurative sense, claiming to have the ability to send the other person into overdrive.
• Lucky Charms Title: The full title of the album is Formula of Love: O+T=<3 (ONCE plus TWICE equals HEART).
• Psychological Projection: "You think I'm so cruel, but I'm just doing all the things that you do."
• Singer Name Drop:
  • "Icon" starts its second verse with "Don’t gotta tell me TWICE".
  • "Espresso" has the lyric "Imma say it once, I'm not saying it TWICE".
  • In the end of "Hello" Nayeon says "NY, MO, CY, We TWICE", which refers both to the sub-unit (Nayeon, Momo, Chaeyoung) and to the group.
• Song of Solace: "Cactus" is written from the perspective of Jihyo's forgotten and isolated cactus, which died of dehydration.
• Spelling Song: "E-S-P-R-E-S-S-O That's who I am"
• Translated Cover Version: "The Feels" has a Korean version, written by Chaeyoung, as a bonus track on the CD version. Well, most of it is Korean. A few lines were left untranslated from English. Jeongyeon noticeably did not rerecord her parts.

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