Twice's Tzuyu apologises for performance at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, members Nayeon and Jihyo defend her
Members of K-pop girl group Twice performed at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2025 on Thursday (Oct 16). However, a few netizens have criticised Twice for what they claim to be an "off-key" performance. It was later revealed that member Tzuyu had performed the show while being unwell.
Four out of Twice's nine members performed at this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show: (From left) Jihyo, Momo, Nayeon and Tzuyu. (Photo: Instagram/twicetagram)
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
Twice made history on Thursday (Oct 16) by being the first K-pop group to perform at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2025, albeit with only four of its nine members taking the stage: Nayeon, Momo, Jihyo and Tzuyu.
While the quartet's performance has gone viral, with many praising their outfits and visuals, some netizens have since criticised Twice's set, saying that it was "off-key".
Hate comments have also been directed towards Tzuyu, who appeared to have some trouble singing during the set, which comprised two of their hit songs: This Is For and Strategy.
As it turns out, the Taiwanese singer had caught a cold before the show and had performed with "phlegm stuck" in her throat.
Immediately after Twice's performance, the 26-year-old took to the fan platform Bubble to apologise.
"Once [Twice's fandom], I’m sorry. Before coming to New York, I warmed up my voice well with my vocal teacher, but after arriving in New York, my throat started getting worse," wrote Tzuyu.
"During rehearsals, my voice still came out but during the main performance, it got really bad. There was even phlegm stuck in my throat, so I couldn’t make any sound."
She then promised fans that she would "show a much better performance next time".
Hours later, Tzuyu disclosed that she would be going to a hospital to receive an injection and get better.
Tzuyu's groupmates Nayeon and Jihyo have since come to her defence on Bubble.
Nayeon, 30, asked that fans cheer Tzuyu on as she was sick. She also revealed that the group had considered not performing live due to Tzuyu's condition.
"Seriously, Tzuyu practised so much. I know that for a fact," wrote Nayeon.
"Since there were only four members, having to suddenly take on other members’ parts was honestly really stressful for me, too.
"Honestly, Tzuyu's condition was such that she couldn’t really perform live, so we even considered not doing the live parts. But Tzuyu said she thought she could do it and bravely gave it a try. Even during rehearsal, she was fine but right before the show, the phlegm must’ve made it difficult for her."
Twice leader Jihyo, on the other hand, told fans to "hurry and praise our Tzuyu".
"Tzuyu suddenly caught a really bad cold. I’m upset too but imagine how upset Tzuyu must feel," wrote Jihyo.
The saga has also led to some fans blaming Twice's agency, JYP Entertainment, for scheduling the group's activities too close to each other, citing how their set at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show came mere days after Twice's Singapore concert, which concluded on Oct 12.
In fact, following her appearance at luxury fragrance house Amaffi's event at Marina Bay Sands, Momo took a flight to South Korea and immediately left for New York City to perform at the fashion show.
For now, all nine members of Twice are set to stage their fan meeting in South Korea on Oct 18.
