Artist Profile
- Full Name: Hirai Momo
- Native Name: 平井 もも
- Nicknames: Moguri, Momoring, Dance Machine
- Birthday: Nov 09, 1996 (29 years old)
- Blood type: A
- Height/Weight: 162 cm (5’4") / 48 kg (105.8 lbs)
- Gender: Female
- Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
- Debut: Oct 20, 2015
- MBTI: INFP
- Birthplace: Kyōtanabe, Kyoto, Japan
- Nationality: Japanese
- Profession: Singer, Dancer, Rapper
- Languages: Japanese, Korean
- Group: TWICE
- Years Active: 2015–present (11 years)
Momo (born Hirai Momo on November 9, 1996) is a Japanese singer, dancer, and rapper based in South Korea. She is a member of the South Korean girl group TWICE, managed by JYP Entertainment. Within the group, she holds the positions of main dancer and rapper, and is primarily responsible for dance breaks in the group’s performances. Momo is also a member of the Japanese sub-unit MiSaMo, alongside Mina and Sana, which officially debuted in Japan in 2023.
Early life
Momo was born in Kyōtanabe, Kyoto, into a family consisting of her parents and an older sister, Hirai Hana (born in 1994). She began training in dance at the age of three alongside her sister. Before moving to South Korea, Momo appeared in a music video for the singer Lexy in 2008 and participated in the talent search competition Superstar K in 2011.
Career
2012
In April 2012, Momo moved to South Korea after passing JYP Entertainment’s global audition to become a trainee. During her training period, she appeared as a dancer in several music videos for JYP artists, including GOT7’s “Stop Stop It” (2014), Junho’s “Feel” (Japanese version, 2014), miss A’s “Only You” (2015), and Wooyoung’s “R.O.S.E” (Japanese version, 2015).
2015
On May 5, 2015, Momo participated in the reality survival show Sixteen (Mnet), a competition produced by JYP Entertainment featuring 16 trainees. Although she was eliminated in episode 6, Park Jin-young, along with the training team and the A&R department, made the unanimous decision to bring her back to complete the final lineup.
On July 7, 2015, Momo was officially announced as a member of TWICE following the airing of the final episode.
On October 20, 2015, she made her official debut in South Korea with the release of the first EP, The Story Begins, and the lead single “Like Ooh-Ahh“.
2016
On July 27, 2016, Momo joined the dance competition show Hit the Stage (Mnet). In the first episode, she transformed into a vampire for a performance with the JYP dance crew, earning 144 points from the judges.
On August 17, 2016, in episode 4, she collaborated with fellow member Mina for a love-themed contemporary dance performance, which both members helped choreograph.
In November 2016, she served as an MC for the Suwon K-pop Super Concert alongside Kim Heechul, Zhou Mi, and Chaeyoung.
2018
For the album Summer Nights (2018), Momo contributed to the lyrics of the track “Shot Thru the Heart” as a lyricist, working alongside Sana and Mina.
2019
In the album Fancy You (2019), she co-wrote the lyrics for the song “Hot” with songwriter Kang Eun-jeong.
For the Feel Special (2019) album, she participated in writing “Love Foolish” with songwriter Sim Eun Ji, as well as the track “21:29” with all members of TWICE.
2020
In January 2020, Momo appeared on Nizi Project, a reality show aimed at selecting a Japanese girl group, co-produced by JYP Entertainment and Sony Music and broadcast on Hulu Japan.
In March 2020, she appeared as a judge in episode 9. For the finale on June 26, 2020, she returned as a judge alongside Wooyoung (2PM) for the final round that determined the lineup for the group NiziU.
2021
In February 2021, Momo was featured in the music video for “Superhero” by yukaDD(;з」∠), a Japanese independent artist.
In December 2021, she performed a distinct solo stage during the TWICE 4th World Tour “III”, showcasing a dancehall-style routine at concerts in both the US and South Korea.
2022
In October 2022, Momo was appointed as the Asia brand ambassador for the Japanese sports brand Onitsuka Tiger.
During the same year, she became the face of Wonjungyo, a cosmetics brand founded by makeup artist Won Jung-yo.
For the Japanese album Celebrate (2022), she once again served as a lyricist for the title track “Celebrate“.
2023
On January 25, 2023, MiSaMo released the song “Bouquet” — an OST for the Japanese TV drama Liaison: Kodomo no Kokoro Shinryōjo (TV Asahi).
On February 9, 2023, JYP Entertainment announced that Momo, Sana, and Mina would debut as a Japanese sub-unit named MiSaMo.
On June 11, 2023, Momo became the Japanese brand ambassador for the Italian luxury fashion house Miu Miu.
On July 26, 2023, she officially debuted with MiSaMo through the EP Masterpiece, where she was credited as a lyricist for the song “Funny Valentine“.
In 2023, she also became an ambassador for the Japanese news app SmartNews and collaborated on a promotion for the brand Mediqtto.
2024
In 2024, Momo was named a brand ambassador for TASAKI, a Japanese luxury jewelry brand.
In November 2024, MiSaMo embarked on the MISAMO Japan Dome Tour 2024 “Haute Couture” with stops at Belluna Dome (Saitama) on November 2–3 and Kyocera Dome (Osaka) on November 16–17. That same month, the group released their second EP, Haute Couture, featuring the track “Money in My Pocket” for which Momo contributed lyrics.
2025
In February 2025, Momo became a commercial model for SIE., a Japanese contact lens brand.
In May 2025, she was appointed as the brand ambassador for AMAFFI, a Singaporean perfume brand.
In 2025, she appeared in episode 6 of World of Street Woman Fighter (Mnet) as a guest during the Mega Crew Mission for the OSAKA Ojo Gang team, alongside members Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Sana and Jihyo.
Fun facts
- She was eliminated during Sixteen but was brought back by Park Jin-young during the finale due to her dance skills.
- The background music played during her elimination was “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa, a fact Nayeon and Chaeyoung only realized in 2021.
- She has a dog hair allergy but owns four dogs named Petco, Pudding, Lucky, and Boo.
- She passed the JYP basic dance exam in three months, the fastest among the group members.
- She appeared in a documentary about SNSD at the age of 15 and expressed her admiration for the members.
- She once forgot how to speak Japanese during a backstage interview despite it being her native language.
- A clip of her sitting motionless next to an energetic Nayeon was staged, though it became a popular meme within the K-pop community.
- She has a fear of heights, fireworks, and needles, but pierced her own ears in preparation for the album Twicecoaster: Lane 1.
- She did not know her own blood type for a long time, leading other members to place bets on the result.
- She often avoids the microphone during group speeches on stage, which has been documented in various fan compilations.
- She spent her first paycheck entirely on food rather than shopping or saving.
- She does not dry her hair before sleeping, so Jeongyeon often performs this task for her.
- She stated she would date Chaeyoung if she were a boy, and Chaeyoung once gifted her a Barbie doll for her birthday.
- On the talk show Knowing Brothers, she joked about being less intelligent due to hitting her head against a wall during her school years.
Photo Gallery
