TWICE’s Jeongyeon Returns From 3-Month Hiatus To Perform “I Can’t Stop Me” As OT9 For The First Time

In a surprise appearance at the 30th Seoul Music Awards, TWICE‘s Jeongyeon has ended her three-month mental health hiatus and made a return to group activities.

Just weeks before TWICE released their second studio album, Eyes Wide Open, last October, JYP Entertainment issued a last-minute statement informing fans that Jeongyeon would be unable to participate in promotions. According to the company, the lead vocalist was sadly suffering from “psychological anxiousness“.

| JYP Entertainment

After consulting with Jeongyeon and the rest of the TWICE members, JYP Entertainment shared that all parties had come to the unanimous decision that Jeongyeon needed “professional medical measures” and “sufficient rest” in order to recover from her anxiety disorder.

| JYP Entertainment

Prior to her anxiety diagnosis, Jeongyeon had been suffering from a herniated disc in her neck, leading some fans to speculate that her physical health had taken a toll on her mental wellbeing. She became the second TWICE member to take time off due to anxiety after Mina went on hiatus in August 2019.

After Mina remained missing from group activities for several months, fans were unsure when to expect Jeongyeon’s return. But, after 107 long days, the TWICE star made a surprising return yesterday at the 30th Seoul Music Awards.

And the timing couldn’t have been better, as Jeongyeon joined her eight fellow members in winning their second award of the year so far—an SMA bonsang. TWICE previously won an album bonsang for More & More at the Golden Disc Awards a few weeks ago, but fans were overjoyed to see the group finally collect an award as “OT9” again.

| SPOTV NewsOn top of that, Jeongyeon’s return also marked the group’s first ever “OT9” performance of “I Can’t Stop Me”, the title track from Eyes Wide Open. While Jeongyeon did participate in the music video and photo shoots for “I Can’t Stop Me”, up until now, fans had only ever seen the song performed on stage with a formation of eight members…

… which made Jeongyeon’s center time all the more precious to fans. Despite spending three months away from the stage, she hasn’t lost an ounce of her talent or her visuals.

Jeongyeon’s new hair also had fans shocked. While Nayeon recently teased that she prefers her fellow member with bangs, no one was expecting the surprising yet gorgeous new haircut and dye job.

On stage, Jeongyeon maintained her impeccable stage presence and allure. On the way home, however, fans caught her with a huge smile on her face, seemingly happy to be back with TWICE and the fans.

Unsurprisingly, Jeongyeon’s highly-anticipated comeback was met with a huge amount of public attention. Her name reached no.2 on Naver‘s search list after the group’s “I Can’t Stop Me” performance. On top of that, “JEONGYEON” trended on Twitter around the world—in all caps, no less.

| @twicetagram/Instagram

Fans took to social media to share how proud they are of Jeongyeon for the effort she put into her recovery, and how happy they are to see her again. Here’s hoping this star’s light continues to shine brightly throughout 2021.

#ProudOfYouJeongyeon

Today is such a big step for you so thank you so much for coming back to us. We're very proud of how open you've been with to us and for being so strong.@JYPETWICE pic.twitter.com/K7fbukIXMz

— JeongyeonUnion | #WeLoveYouJeongyeon (@JeongyeonUnion) January 31, 2021