A lot of progress has been made when it comes to fromis_9’s debut preparations. Just eight weeks after the nine members were officially declared the winners of Idol School, the girls have not only finished filming their very first reality show fromis_ Room, but also had their very first public appearance as a group at the grand Mnet Asian Music Awards in Japan. While their official debut date hasn’t been announced as of the moment, the group released their pre-debut single, “Glass Shoes,” which was the track they performed at the aforementioned awards show.

Their Sound

If you were an avid fan of Idol School, then it’s pretty much a given that you would be a fan of the group after getting to witness the growth of the nine members firsthand. Watching the show, however, didn’t provide much insight into what the group’s sound would be. The show’s main theme “Pretty” was listed as rock, but the group’s finale tracks “You In My Fantasy,” “Magical,” and “Pinocchio” all went the dance/EDM route. When fromis_9 was announced to be performing a pre-debut single at the Mnet Asian Music Awards, a lot of fans didn’t know what to expect as not only does the group fit in a lot of different genres, but the group line-up itself is a mix of members with different performing styles and strengths. The moment the girls started performing their single, the route they were going to take for their debut became a lot clearer.

“Glass Shoes”

“Glass Shoes” is mostly a pop track, but it utilizes a good amount of rock, reminiscent of Dreamcatcher’s sound—only this time, completely brighter. With the rock genre being rare in a lot of girl groups today, it seems as though the group wants to offer something different with their sound, which is definitely a good thing, especially with a track as meticulously-crafted as this one.

The arrangement for “Glass Shoes” is very tasty. It opens quietly with some strings and clock ticks that makes you anticipate a dance beat, but it is immediately driven by a jumpy piano section before introducing a more pop-rock sound that lasts for most of the song’s verses. “Glass Shoes” is filled with a lot of interesting modulations, but it stays catchy with the effective hooks in the track. The “bingeul bingeul” lines are very irresistible, but it just gets better when the melody shifts to another key, introducing a dreamy undertone to the track. The majority of the song’s verses are fast-paced, but they go accordingly to the chord progression.

The Music Video

Contrary to the song, however, the music video for the track isn’t as special. While the video still delivers aesthetically, the sets are quite limited, which is why the video feels like there’s a lack of scenic variety. It’s definitely forgivable though as “Glass Shoes” is just a pre-release track, and it’s definitely a plus that a music video is paired to it. That being said, even with the limitations, the bedroom setting looked great, especially with the grading. The choreography shots were great, but it doesn’t go along with the other scene’s color.

Overall

Overall, “Glass Shoes” is more than enough to keep an Idol School fan excited for fromis_9’s debut. It definitely exceeded a lot of people’s expectations for a pre-release, as not only is the song great, but it is also a track that’s very different from what K-Pop girl groups today offer. Even after successfully gaining a lot of attention with their recent MAMA performance, fromis_9’s debut single will need to be on par or even better than this pre-release, as the rookie market today is very competitive, and they’ll need to show that they can deliver release after release. With “Glass Shoes,” the girls proved that they are on the right track, so the Hallyu world better get ready for what’s coming!