Not Just Good, It’s Berry Good!

After Produce 101 exploded in popularity when it first aired last year, it effectively paved the way for the current trend of idol audition programs. The newest additions to the list are KBS’s The Unit and JTBC’s Mix Nine—proof that the trend hasn’t died yet.

I enjoy watching these “make-your-own” group audition programs—not because of the competitive nature of these shows, but because they are effective platforms for discovering talents you may not have heard of. After NU’EST experienced a re-boot in popularity after their appearance on the second season of Produce 101, a lot of groups started to follow suit. Entertainment agencies began considering these shows as a place where they can showcase their group’s talent and personality in addition to promoting their existing artists. JTG Entertainment’s Berry Good is one of the many groups that tried their luck with members Seoyul, Daye, and Johyun’s recent participation in the YG-produced program Mix Nine.

Berry Good... Who?

I’ve been a casual listener of the group’s discography, but I haven’t familiarized myself with all of the members. While I’ve been familiar with Seoyul and Daye as I’ve seen them in shows such as The Voice and Her Secret Weapon, I’ve only truly appreciated them through Mix Nine. Johyun, on the other hand, was a new face for me, but I ended up liking her the most out of the three participating members. With airtime being a struggle for a lot of contestants, this group is one of the few lucky ones to get decent exposure in the show after Johyun and Daye had great edits in the recent episodes.

What many people may not know is that Berry Good has been in the K-Pop scene for over three years. The now six-membered group debuted in May of 2014 and experienced a lot of member changes through the years. Only Gowoon and leader Taeha stayed from the debut lineup, and Sehyung, Daye, and Seoyul came a year later. Johyun joined with their “Don’t Believe” promotions, bringing the group’s total to six members.

The Group’s Vocal Average

Going through all of the group’s discography and watching a ton of the group’s live performances, I’ve learned that Berry Good has a very strong vocal average. The group has a lot of impressive vocalists: Taeha and Gowoon, who are both main vocalists, and Seoyul, the lead vocalist. All three of them are very stable live performers, and their vocal performances in “Angel” also proves their wide vocal range. Daye, the fourth member of the vocal line, also has stable live vocals, so it’s hard to count her out.

What to Listen to First

Berry Good has a very good discography, especially when the focus is on the most recent ones. Their past releases have mostly been innocent pop songs, but the group has recently been experimenting with what sound works best. Changing their sound has done them wonders as their three most recent title tracks are all great tracks. 

Berry Good’s most stylish track is definitely “Don’t Believe.” It’s currently their most popular song and was produced by ZOOBEATER SOUND, the team that produced all of KARD’s title tracks. It is the go-to track if you want to check the group out with its excellent take on the Tropical House genre. The track is very easy-going despite its dance structure, and it has a very catchy melody.

Its accompanying album, GLORY, remains to be the group’s best release overall, as there isn’t a single filler track on the album. “1 to 10” is the best B-side from the album, and it features a fast-paced futuristic sound that’s a new take on EDM. “Sugar Sugar” is also a nice track, drawing influences from the Jazz genre.

“Angel” was the very first Berry Good track I heard, and I got hooked in an instant. It has a nice blend of orchestra and dance-pop, which goes very well with its aesthetically-pleasing music video. It’s their most impressive effort, both vocally and visually. You’ll never get enough of the ad-lib section near the end once you’ve heard it.

There’s More to Show

Berry Good has a huge amount of potential to see success. The group is very determined and talented, which I think are two qualities important to truly “making it.” While the group has been without a comeback for months now, the group has stated in interviews that they are preparing for a new album, so I am hoping that their chance to shine publicly may come soon as they are a very likeable group that deserves the attention. With their future release, I hope they go back to their tropical house sound or showcase the amazing vocal qualities that they once showed through “Angel.” Either way, with the potential Berry Good has, I’m sure that their upcoming releases have the ability to deliver.