K-Pop A-Z

K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – MAGO

K-Pop A-Z - GFriendOne song. Every day. Alphabetical order.

Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here!


MAGO (from Walpurgis Night – 2020)

Previous Thoughts: “And, like many of K-pop’s recent retro offerings, MAGO has a great chorus. It’s a two-parter, kicking off with an effervescent refrain that feels like a big centerpiece without going overboard. This is followed by an even catchier hook that fully embraces the track’s disco leanings.” (full review)

Updated thoughts: Best disbandment track ever? We didn’t know that’s what it was at the time, but I remember MAGO feeling like a breath of fresh air. It might not be “classic GFriend” in the way many fans were used to, but its sleek sophistication reinvented them for a new era (that sadly, was never to come). The pre-chorus and two-part chorus are the standouts, as they should be. The disco backdrop is a bit generic in comparison, but stands as a great example of this early-2020’s Dua Lipa style. Its skeleton is so strong that you can easily imagine it being reinvented with a number of genre flourishes.

 Hooks 10
 Production 9
 Longevity 9
 Bias 9
 RATING 9.25

Grade: A

11 thoughts on “K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – MAGO

  1. If memory serves well, it was actually the first Gfriend song I’ve listened to. Man, it was beautiful back then and it’s still beautiful.

    9.25 (9, 9, 9, 10) for me as well.

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  2. #ThankYouGFriend, this is a 10 for me. I still can’t get over how sudden their disbandment was. One day we’re all celebrating what seems to be a new, exciting era for them, then it’s over.

    btw, no review for loveone?

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  3. It’s funny how much the background context does for a song. When this came out I liked this well enough but it felt like the retro trend in kpop was going on for a while too long – but now, I’d give anything to have retro back! And of course, the context of this being their last title track together adds so much nostalgia to this, and I’m looking upon it even more fondly now than I ever have.

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  4. Nope, nope. I refuse to accept MAGO as anything lower than a 10. In fact, my mind is already blocking out the score and replacing it. Oddly enough, it’s GFriend’s early title tracks that have been the biggest fallers for me over time just because the mixing is a little lackluster and the vocals and vocal delivery don’t have the same conviction or charisma as their later songs. Sort of like I can feel their meekness in their early songs while their later ones play like they have something to prove and they succeed in doing so.

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