Momo is the stage name of Momo Hirai, a K-pop artist who launched her career as a member of the chart-topping girl group Twice. She was born on November 9, 1996, in the Japanese city of Kyōtanabe, Kyoto. A skilled dancer at a young age, she moved to South Korea as a teenager in April 2012 and appeared in multiple music videos. She joined Twice's lineup three years later, becoming one of only three Japanese members of a large lineup dominated by South Korean natives. However, Momo emerged as the ensemble's best dancer and was quickly embraced by the K-pop community as Twice began topping the albums charts not only in South Korea (where the group's debut, Twicetagram, rocketed to Number 1 in 2017), but also Japan (where 2018's BDZ, 2019's &Twice, and 2021's Perfect World all reached Number 1, as well). Meanwhile, she also established herself as a songwriter, contributing to Twice tracks like 2018's "Shot Thru the Heart," 2019's "Love Foolish," and 2022's Top 10 hit "Celebrate." One year later, she appeared on the song "Bouquet" alongside Sana Minatozaki and Mina Myoi, her two Japanese bandmates in Twice. Released under the girls' own names as part of the soundtrack to Liaison: Children's Heart Clinic, "Bouquet" effectively launched Momo's solo carer, reaching Number 28 on the Oricon Singles Chart.
