Momo

, known mononymously as Momo (; ), is a Japanese singer, dancer, and rapper based in South Korea. She is a member of South Korean girl group Twice under JYP Entertainment and its subunit MiSaMo.

Life and career Early life and pre-debut activities Momo Hirai was born in Kyōtanabe, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Momo and her sister were originally spotted by JYP Entertainment in an online video in 2012. Momo was originally planned to debut in a four-member girl group in Japan in 2012; however, JYP suspended the plan due to the deterioration of the Korean-Japanese relationship following the Liancourt Rocks dispute. In 2015, Momo participated in the South Korean reality television show Sixteen, created by JYP Entertainment and co-produced by Mnet. She was initially eliminated from the show but was brought back by Park Jin-young at the end to become part of the final lineup of girl group Twice, due to her performance abilities.

Debut with Twice and MiSaMo

In October 2015, Momo officially debuted as a member of Twice with the release of their first extended play (EP), The Story Begins, and its lead single "Like Ooh-Ahh". On February 9, 2023, JYP announced that Momo, alongside bandmates Sana and Mina, would officially debut in Japan on July 26 as a sub-unit named MiSaMo with the extended play titled Masterpiece. Prior to the trio's debut, on January 25, they released the track "Bouquet" as part of the soundtrack of TV Asahi's drama series Liaison: Kodomo no Kokoro Shinryōjo.

Artistry Momo revealed that she was influenced by her older sister Hana from an early age; where she began dancing with her at the age of three. In October 2022, she was announced as the brand ambassador of the Japanese sports brand, Onitsuka Tiger. In May 2023, she made an appearance as a model to promote the Japanese news app SmartNews. In June 2023, Momo was selected as Japanese ambassador for the Italian fashion brand Miu Miu. In May 2025, Momo was selected to be a brand ambassador for the perfume brand AMAFFI.

Image and influence Known for her physical fitness and body movements, she was nicknamed "Dance Machine" among her fans, and is considered Twice's best dancer.

In Gallup Korea's annual music poll for 2018, Momo was voted the 20th most popular idol in South Korea, the second highest-ranked Japanese individual in the poll, behind Twice bandmate Sana. and The Chosun Ilbo credits her popularity with helping improve relations between South Korea and Japan. In 2019, Momo received attention on Twitter after a video trailer of her was released for Feel Special In 2023, she surpassed Naomi Watanabe and became the first Japanese person to hit 10 million followers on Instagram only after eight months of opening her page on said platform.

Discography

Collaborations + List of collaboration singles, showing year released and album name Title Year Album "Encore" 2016

Other charted songs + List of other charted songs, showing year released, selected chart positions and name of the album Title Year Peak chart positions Album KORDown. "Move Like That" 2025 179 Ten: The Story Goes On

Songwriting credits All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database unless stated otherwise.

+ List of songs, showing year released, artist name, and name of the album Title Year Artist Album Notes "Shot Thru the Heart" 2018 Twice Summer Nights As lyricist "Hot" 2019 Fancy You "Love Foolish" Feel Special "21:29" "Celebrate" 2022 Celebrate "Funny Valentine" 2023 MiSaMo Masterpiece "Money in My Pocket" 2024 Haute Couture "Me+You" 2025 Twice Ten: The Story Goes On

Filmography

Television shows Year Title Role Note 2015 Sixteen Contestant 2017 Real Class – Elementary Kid Teachers Cast Lunar New Year special (2 Parts)

Hosting Year Title Notes 2016 Suwon K-pop Super Concert with Kim Hee-chul, Zhou Mi and Chaeyoung