From STEP OUT Osaka to JYP Auditions: Momo Hirai (平井 桃) and Her Early Training
Momo Hirai was born on November 9, 1996, in Kyotanabe, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, into a supportive family that recognized and nurtured her natural artistic inclinations from an early age. Growing up alongside an older sister, Hana—who would also pursue a professional career as a dancer—Momo immersed herself in the world of performing arts almost as soon as she could walk. At just three years old, she began taking dance lessons at the renowned STEP OUT Dance Studio in Osaka, a premier academy known for training aspiring performers in rigorous hip-hop, jazz, and urban dance styles.
Her childhood was defined by relentless discipline and an extraordinary passion for movement. While her peers engaged in standard extracurricular activities, Momo dedicated countess after-school hours to perfecting intricate choreography and mastering rhythmic coordination. Her innate rhythm, combined with an intense physical stamina, quickly set her apart within the academy. Japanese youth culture during the mid-2000s was experiencing a major surge in interest toward Korean entertainment, and Momo found herself deeply inspired by pioneer K-pop acts such as Rain and Lee Hyori. Watching these legendary solo artists execute high-energy routines while commanding massive stadium audiences crystallized her personal ambition: she wanted to perform on global stages as a pop idol.
Momo’s early exposure to the Japanese music industry included an appearance in a 2008 music video for the Japanese hip-hop group Lexy, proving her capability as a young commercial dancer. However, the pivotal turning point of her adolescence arrived when a dance video featuring Momo and her sister Hana performing dynamic street routines caught the attention of international talent scouts. Producers at South Korea’s JYP Entertainment—one of the “Big Three” music agencies responsible for shaping global K-pop history—stumbled upon the online video clip. Struck by Momo’s razor-sharp technique, flexibility, and charismatic execution, the agency reached out directly and invited both sisters to audition in Japan.
On April 13, 2012, after successfully passing the rigorous audition process alongside her sister, Momo officially relocated to Seoul, South Korea, to become a JYP Entertainment trainee. Moving to a foreign country at the age of fifteen presented immense cultural and linguistic hurdles. Trainees endured punishing daily schedules consisting of Korean language classes, vocal training, personality lessons, and grueling dance evaluations that lasted late into the night. While her sister Hana eventually returned to Japan to pursue a successful dance career domestically, Momo chose to remain in South Korea, anchoring herself in the fiercely competitive Korean trainee system with single-minded focus.
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Surviving SIXTEEN: How Momo Hirai (平井 桃) Secured Her Spot in TWICE
By 2015, Momo had spent over three years sharpening her skill set inside the training rooms of JYP Entertainment. Her big breakthrough arrived when the agency partnered with Mnet to produce Sixteen, a high-stakes survival reality show designed to form a new nine-member girl group called TWICE. Sixteen contestants were divided into “Major” and “Minor” tiers, competing through weekly assignments evaluating vocal performance, dance capability, star quality, and mental fortitude under extreme public pressure.
From the outset, Momo was widely regarded by fellow trainees and instructors as the strongest pure dancer in the competition. Her powerful executions of sharp urban routines earned immediate praise from JYP founder and lead producer J.Y. Park. However, the brutal reality TV format tested even the most seasoned performers. During the sixth episode of the series, after a group vocal performance mission yielded critical feedback regarding her vocal delivery, Momo experienced a heartbreaking setback when J.Y. Park announced her elimination from the program.
Her exit shocked fellow contestants, industry insiders, and fans alike. In tears, Momo embraced her friends and stepped off the stage, seemingly watching her dream of debuting slip away. Yet, rather than allowing the public rejection to dismantle her resolve, she returned to the training studios the very next morning to continue practicing, demonstrating a legendary work ethic that left a profound impression on the company’s staff and executives.
The finale of Sixteen, broadcast in July 2015, delivered one of the most dramatic plot twists in K-pop reality show history. After selecting seven members based on public voting and performance metrics, J.Y. Park announced that he would add two additional members to complete the ideal group dynamic: Tzuyu, selected by audience popularity, and Momo. Park explained that the decision to bring Momo back from elimination was unanimous among the agency’s A&R team and trainers. They cited her unparalleled dance mastery, physical dedication, and unique ability to anchor the group’s performance line as irreplaceable assets. This sudden revival transformed her from an eliminated contestant into a core founder of TWICE, setting the stage for one of the most remarkable debut stories in modern pop music.
The TWICE Era: Momo Hirai (平井 桃) Commands 'CHEER UP' and Billboard Charts
Chart-Topping Hits: Momo Hirai (平井 桃) Drives 'TT' and 'Fancy' Sales
On October 20, 2015, TWICE officially debuted with their extended play The Story Begins, driven by the edgy, rock-infused pop lead single “Like OOH-AHH.” Serving as the group’s Main Dancer and Sub-Vocalist, Momo immediately seized public attention. Her standout solo dance break in the “Like OOH-AHH” music video—executed with precise isolations and fierce charisma inside a zombie-themed narrative—became an instant viral highlight, earning her the title of K-pop’s premier new dance prodigy.
The following year marked TWICE’s meteoric ascent to national and international dominance. In April 2016, the group released “CHEER UP,” a infectious bubblegum pop anthem that took South Korea by storm. The song topped the Gaon Digital Chart, spent multiple weeks at number one, and swept major end-of-year awards, winning Song of the Year at both the Melon Music Awards and the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA). Momo’s visual transformations and energetic execution of the iconic point choreography solidified her position as a focal point during live stage broadcasts.
TWICE followed this success in October 2016 with “TT,” the lead single from their third EP, TWICEcoaster: LANE 1. The song’s signature finger-gestured dance moves became a massive pop culture phenomenon across Asia. The EP became the highest-selling K-pop girl group album of 2016, establishing TWICE as undisputed physical album sales powerhouses. Momo’s sharp technique ensured that complex group formations appeared effortless, helping TWICE earn the moniker of “The Nation’s Girl Group” in South Korea.
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Stadium Spectacles: Momo Hirai (平井 桃) Takes TWICE on Global Tours
Between 2017 and 2020, TWICE launched an unprecedented run of consecutive hit singles, including “Knock Knock,” “Signal,” “LIKEY,” “Heart Shaker,” “What is Love?,” “Dance The Night Away,” and “YES or YES.” In 2017, the group expanded into the Japanese music market under Warner Music Japan, releasing their Japanese debut compilation album #TWICE. As one of three Japanese members in the group alongside Sana Minatozaki and Mina Myoi (affectionately dubbed the “J-Line”), Momo played a crucial role in bridging Korean and Japanese pop markets. The album achieved Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), and TWICE became the first K-pop girl group to hold a Japanese Dome Tour, packing massive venues like the Tokyo Dome across multiple nights.
As TWICE evolved artistically, Momo’s role expanded beyond executing choreography to creating it. For the group’s 2019 smash single “Fancy,” TWICE transitioned away from cute bubblegum aesthetics toward a darker, more sophisticated electropop sound. Momo’s performance in “FANCY” showcased a dramatic maturity, highlighted by precise athletic lines and captivating stage presence. In addition to contributing to lyrics for track album B-sides like “24/7” (co-written with Nayeon), “Shot Thru the Heart,” and “Love Foolish,” Momo actively contributed choreography concepts for live tours and special stage performances.
Her global footprint expanded significantly as TWICE broke into western markets. Signed to Republic Records for U.S. promotions in 2020, TWICE released their first full-English single “The Feels” in October 2021. The track debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100, marking their first entry on the chart and leading to high-profile performances on American late-night programs, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Momo’s dynamic dancing was central to the song’s promotional campaign, captivating global audiences who marveled at her powerful precision.
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MISAMO Unit Breakthrough: Momo Hirai (平井 桃) Redefines Japanese Sub-Unit Hits
By 2022, TWICE achieved a historic milestone in the K-pop industry: all nine original members defied the infamous “seven-year curse” by simultaneously renewing their exclusive contracts with JYP Entertainment. This decision reflected exceptional group unity and opened up new avenues for individual and sub-unit activities.
In February 2023, JYP Entertainment officially announced the formation of MISAMO, TWICE’s first official sub-unit composed of the Japanese members Mina, Sana, and Momo. MISAMO released their debut Japanese extended play Masterpiece in July 2023, supported by the lead single “Do not touch.” The project allowed Momo to showcase a more mature, refined, and artistic side of her performance capabilities. Incorporating elements of modern dance, high-fashion aestheticism, and seductive concept work, MISAMO scored immediate commercial success, topping the Oricon Albums Chart and launching sold-out showcase tours in Japan.
Throughout her career, Momo has accumulated extraordinary industry accolades. Alongside TWICE, she has won over 110 music show trophies, multiple Grand Prizes (Daesangs) at the Golden Disc Awards, MAMA Awards, and Seoul Music Awards, and broke records as the first K-pop girl group to sell out stadium venues in North America, including Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium and New York’s MetLife Stadium during their Ready to Be World Tour. Professionally, she is universally acknowledged by elite choreographers—such as Lia Kim, Bae Yoon-jung, and Kyle Hanagami—as one of the absolute top female dancers in the entire history of the K-pop industry, renowned for her absolute muscle control, rapid learning capacity, and magnetic stage presence.
Personal Milestones: Momo Hirai (平井 桃) Outside the TWICE Spotlight
Despite her world-famous status, Momo has maintained a remarkably grounded personal life anchored by close family bonds, private artistic hobbies, and deep friendships within the music industry. Her family in Kyoto remains a vital pillar of support; her parents and older sister Hana frequently attend TWICE’s concert stops across Japan, and Momo often speaks lovingly of how her family’s belief in her carried her through difficult trainee years.
In terms of romantic relationships, Momo’s private life became the focus of intense media scrutiny in early 2020. In January 2020, JYP Entertainment and Label SJ officially confirmed that Momo was in a relationship with Kim Heechul, a senior pop star and core member of the legendary K-pop group Super Junior. The news generated widespread headlines across Asia due to both performers’ top-tier status in the industry and their 13-year age gap. The pair had previously established a playful senior-junior friendship through appearances on popular variety shows like Knowing Bros and Weekly Idol, where Heechul had openly selected Momo as his ideal type on multiple occasions.
The couple navigated the public eye with immense discretion, avoiding public displays of affection and refraining from oversharing details regarding their personal dynamic in television interviews. However, after a year and a half of high-profile dating under relentless media cameras, the couple’s respective agencies announced in July 2021 that Momo and Heechul had officially separated. Both agencies cited their demanding schedules and heavy career commitments as the primary reasons for the amicable breakup, confirming that the two artists maintained a supportive professional senior-junior relationship.
Away from the spotlit stage, Momo is widely known for her relaxed, unpretentious lifestyle. She is an avid food enthusiast, famous among fans for her immense appetite and love for dishes such as jokbal (braised pig’s trotters), pork feet, sushi, and Korean barbecue—a passion reflected in her famous personal mantra: “If you work hard, you can eat delicious food.” She is also a devoted dog lover, owning two Norwich Terriers named Boo and Dobson, who frequently feature on her social media channels. In her private leisure time, Momo enjoys crafting, interior decorating, watching anime, and spending quiet downtime with her bandmates in Seoul.
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K-Pop Trainee Realities: Momo Hirai (平井 桃) Battles Idol System Demands
Seven-Day Ice Diet: Momo Hirai (平井 桃) Exposes Trainee Weight Pressures
While Momo’s public image has remained largely untarnished by personal legal battles or moral scandals, she faced a harrowing ordeal early in her career that illuminated the dark, extreme pressures associated with the Korean entertainment training environment. During a live broadcast in 2018, Momo candidly detailed a terrifying weight-loss episode she was forced to endure right before an important pre-debut showcase evaluation as a JYP trainee.
Agency management informed her that she needed to shed 7 kilograms (approximately 15 pounds) within a single week; otherwise, she would not be permitted to participate in the crucial showcase evaluation. Desperate to preserve her dream of debuting, the teenage Momo resorted to extreme methods. For seven consecutive days, she refrained from eating solid food entirely, consuming nothing but ice cubes while spending exhausting hours working out in the gym. The severe calorie deficit and dehydration severely compromised her physical health to dangerous levels.
Momo admitted that during this period, she suffered from extreme dizziness, physical exhaustion, and intense mental terror. She recounted crying in bed while attempting to sleep, terrified that she might not wake up the following morning due to bodily failure. Despite her extreme measures, she missed the goal by one kilogram at the end of the seven days, prompting her to beg for an additional three days to complete the target weight loss. She ultimately achieved the requested weight, but the physical toll was profound. Her public disclosure sparked massive debate among international fans and media outlets regarding the unhealthily strict body standards imposed on young K-pop trainees, bringing critical attention to trainee welfare reform within major agencies.
'More & More' Encore Stage: Momo Hirai (平井 桃) Facing Live Vocal Backlash
In June 2020, TWICE achieved a major music show win on MBC’s Show Champion for their hit single “More & More.” As is customary in South Korean music programming, the winning artist performed an unedited live encore stage at the end of the broadcast. During this unmixed, raw performance, Momo executed her vocal lines, but her pitch sounded visibly unstable and strained under the live microphone settings.
The raw video clip quickly went viral across online forums and social media platforms, sparking intense criticism from music critics and netizens regarding TWICE’s live vocal capabilities. Critics targeted Momo specifically, accusing her of lacking vocal foundation despite her world-class dancing abilities. The online media storm escalated rapidly, generating harsh commentary and heated debates across online community boards.
The intense backlash had a visible psychological impact on Momo, who later confessed during interview appearances and behind-the-scenes documentary content that the vocal incident caused her to develop a acute fear of singing live on stage. However, rather than shrinking away from the criticism, she took active, long-term measures to overcome the professional hurdle. Momo dedicated substantial time to intensive vocal coaching, working closely with vocal instructors to adjust her pitch range, breathing control, and vocal tone to better suit her natural register rather than forcing high-pitched cute tones. In subsequent comeback eras, such as “I CAN’T STOP ME,” “Talk that Talk,” and her MISAMO sub-unit tracks, Momo delivered noticeably improved, stable live performances, earning widespread praise from fans and music commentators for her resilience and dedication to continuous self-improvement.
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Dance Machine Influence: Momo Hirai (平井 桃) Dominates Choreography Trends
Beyond her monumental musical contributions, Momo has emerged as a powerhouse global style icon and fashion trendsetter. Characterized by a athletic yet highly glamorous aesthetic, her personal fashion seamlessly bridges athletic streetwear with high-fashion sophistication. Known for her tone, defined midriff, and effortless physical poise, Momo frequently experiments with bold silhouettes, leather textures, cropped tailoring, and vintage Japanese streetwear influences.
In 2022, Momo launched her official individual Instagram account (@momo). Her account experienced explosive growth, rapidly accumulating tens of millions of followers and placing her among the most-followed Japanese individuals on the platform worldwide. Her feed, featuring candid behind-the-scenes concert photos, high-fashion campaign previews, and glimpses of her personal life with her dogs, commands exceptionally high engagement metrics from a global fan base.
Her cultural influence in fashion culminated in major endorsement contracts with top-tier luxury fashion houses. In 2023, Momo was named an official brand ambassador for the Italian luxury fashion house Miu Miu. She routinely represents the brand at Paris Fashion Week, capturing global media attention and driving massive Earned Media Value (EMV) for the label. Furthermore, her high-profile partnerships with Japanese cosmetics brand Wonjungyo and luxury footwear labels demonstrate her commercial cross-over appeal across both Western fashion capitals and Asian consumer markets.
Next Chapters: Momo Hirai (平井 桃) Shapes TWICE Contracts and MISAMO Comebacks
As TWICE enters their second decade of global dominance, Momo continues to expand her artistic domain. Following the record-breaking success of TWICE’s 5th World Tour Ready to Be—which made them the first K-pop girl group to perform at NFL and MLB stadiums across the United States—Momo remains an integral driver of the group’s massive stadium touring schedule.
In addition to group activities under JYP Entertainment, Momo is heavily focused on expanding the portfolio of the Japanese sub-unit MISAMO. Following their acclaimed debut, MISAMO has continued to record original Japanese repertoire, perform high-concept concert tours, and headline prestigious music broadcasts such as Japan’s historic end-of-year TV festival NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
Looking ahead, Momo has expressed strong interest in delving deeper into choreography creation, creative direction for stage visual concepts, and expanded fashion design collaborations. Driven by an unyielding dedication to performance craft, her transition from a determined young dancer in Kyoto to an indelible global pop icon serves as a masterclass in perseverance, physical discipline, and artistic excellence.
Momo Hirai (平井 桃) FAQs: Key Questions Answered
How old is Momo?
Momo Hirai was born on November 9, 1996. As of 2026, she is 29 years old.
Who is Momo dating or married to?
Momo is currently single and unmarried. She previously dated Super Junior’s Kim Heechul from January 2020 until their amicable separation in July 2021.
What is Momo’s position in TWICE?
Momo serves as the Main Dancer and Sub-Vocalist in TWICE. She is also part of the group’s official Japanese sub-unit, MISAMO, alongside Mina and Sana.
How was Momo added to TWICE after being eliminated on Sixteen?
Although she was eliminated during the sixth episode of the survival show Sixteen, producer J.Y. Park and the JYP A&R team chose to add her as a final surprise member during the finale due to her unmatched dance skills and dedication.
