One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Mr. Blue (from Fever Season – 2019) We’re firmly in GFriend’s brief tropical phase with Mr. Blue. The group didn’t follow trends often, but the whole Fever Season album felt more like a concession than a breath of fresh air. That said, … Continue reading
Category Archives: K-Pop A-Z
K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – My Buddy
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! My Buddy (from Flower Bud – 2015) Ah, the requisite treacly fan song. You’re always going to get a few of these in the discography of any idol act. At least this one’s quite upbeat. It has that cliched “wave your hands … Continue reading
K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – Mermaid
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Mermaid (from LOL – 2016) There aren’t really many skips on the LOL album, but this is one of the tracks that doesn’t stand out as much for me. It’s got touches of their signature 2016 sound, tied to a much more … Continue reading
K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – Memoria
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Memoria (from Fallin’ Light – 2018) Previous Thoughts: “This is not the high-octane dance pop many might have expected. It’s far more restrained, gradually developing its story rather than hitting listeners all at once.” (full review) Updated thoughts: GFriend’s Japanese releases always … Continue reading
K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – Me Gustas Tu
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Me Gustas Tu (from Flower Bud – 2015) Sometimes it’s so weird what makes a song popular. I have to remind myself that most people aren’t like me: voracious seekers of new music. Casual listeners need great songs pushed in their face, … Continue reading
K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – MAGO
One 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 … Continue reading
K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – Luv Star
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Luv Star (from Snowflake – 2016) For awhile, GFriend and Lovelyz’ sounds intersected. To me, Luv Star feels much more like a Lovelyz track, down to the shimmering synths and light vocal approach. This isn’t a bad thing at all, since GFriend … Continue reading
K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – Love Whisper
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Love Whisper (from Parallel / Rainbow – 2017) Previous Thoughts: “In some ways, Love Whisper is as GFriend as GFriend gets, but mostly it sounds like a generic post-Luv Apink track. On first listen, the song’s lack of ambition feels like a … Continue reading
K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – Love Spell
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Love Spell (from Walpurgis Night – 2020) Walpurgis Night is GFriend’s most genre-shifting album, which is kind of frustrating since it also served as their swan song. Love Spell’s rootsy guitar and clap-along percussion give off a totally different vibe from most … Continue reading
K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – Love Oh Love
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Love Oh Love (from Time For Us – 2019) This song directly references GFriend’s debut era, almost to the point where it feels like a re-creation of songs like Me Gustas Tu and Glass Bead. I’m not complaining, since this “powerful innocence” … Continue reading
K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – Love In The Air
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Love In The Air (from Sunny Summer – 2018) Previous Thoughts: “Its robust instrumental features a dramatic strings riff and explosive electric guitar, all in service to one of the most uplifting pop beats we’ve heard in some time. The girls are … Continue reading
K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – Love Bug
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Love Bug (from Time For The Moon Night – 2018) We’ve entered the segment of this feature that will cover songs starting with the word “love.” There are five of them in GFriend’s discography (seven if you count “luv” and L.U.V” as … Continue reading
K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – LOL
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! LOL (from LOL – 2016) Ah, the literal title track of GFriend’s first album. I always thought it would be funny if this had been a ballad given its title, but true to form LOL is a burst of K-pop joy. The … Continue reading
K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – Life Is A Party
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Life Is A Party (from Parallel/Rainbow – 2017) Previous Thoughts: “Life Is A Party is a fluffy little throwback, driven by retro synths, bass guitar and a repeated drum loop. In some ways, it’s quite restrained, yet offers a take on the … Continue reading
K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – Letter In My Pocket
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Letter In My Pocket (from Pokémon the Movie XY&Z: Volcanion and the Exquisite Magearna OST – 2016) Of course GFriend recorded a Pokémon OST! I mean, who better to do that? Better yet, it was released during their stellar 2016 run, drawing … Continue reading
K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – Labyrinth
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Labyrinth (from Labyrinth – 2020) Previous Thoughts: “The track draws strong influence from J-pop, but not the kind of ornate, wistful fare that inspired GFriend’s new single Crossroads. Instead, Labyrinth hearkens back to the high-energy techno of the late 90’s – one … Continue reading
K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – La Pam Pam
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! La Pam Pam (from Fallin’ Light – 2019) Previous Thoughts: “The first few moments of La Pam Pam are absolutely divine. Eunha delivers a gorgeous solo that opens the track on a mysterious note. I don’t think the higher part of her … Continue reading
K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – L.U.V.
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! L.U.V. (from Time For Us – 2019) Whenever I see this track pop up I want to sing the classic Apink song of the same name. GFriend’s L.U.V. is quite different but includes the requisite spelling you tend to get with a … Continue reading
K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – It’s You
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! It’s You (from Time For Us – 2019) I find GFriend’s second album pretty hit-or-miss, and this unfortunately falls into the latter category. The song is just not that interesting, trudging along an uneventful mid-tempo groove that blends muted synths with trap … Continue reading
K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – Hope
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Hope (from Fever Season – 2019) The synth textures that open this track are very effective and the light new jack swing beat that follows makes me think we’re in for another early-career GFriend classic. Hope definitely nods in that direction, but … Continue reading