A Gorgeous GFRIEND Sunrise
Seasoned girl group GFRIEND is back on the K-Pop scene with their second full album, Time for Us! It’s been two years since the group had a full album release, and the new album features 13 songs for fans to enjoy.
“Sunrise”
GFRIEND certainly has a formula with their music and concepts that has proven to work time and time again, so it’s pretty easy to figure out what is in store with title track “Sunrise.” The usual bright, traditional pop melody with a heavy focus on vocal lines is the standard procedure here, and it’s hard to deny that the girls have totally mastered that fact. There are a couple of nice, new editions, such as a piano phrase played by Eunha, and a key change for the final verse of the song that adds the additional spice needed to give “Sunrise” its own sound.
You can always expect breathtaking visuals in the video from this group as well. The soft lighting used in most scenes creates an ethereal glow around each member and highlights all of their stunning visuals. The use of pastel colors contributes to this as well, as nothing stands out in stark contrast to the softness. Choreography is also a point that we can always trust GFRIEND with, as each song features a new and totally unique routine to go along with it. That is also true with “Sunrise,” with many different and specific moves that are totally captivating. Even if you feel like their releases get dull and predictable, it’s hard to deny the strength they have in their productions. Take a bit of a deeper look, and you can find unique elements that make each release pop.
The Album
Time for Us kicks off with “Sunrise” but quickly shifts its musicality with the second track “You Are Not Alone.” The song begins with a strangely haunting, yet intriguing, instrumental opening that is surprising, considering the track that comes before it. As the song picks up, you’ll feel a warmth spread throughout your body as the girls serenade you to the comforting message portrayed by the title of the song.
“L.U.V” mixes up expectations with a surprise rap verse near the very beginning of the song, adding a different flavor to the sound of the album thus far. “Glow” follows and has the more traditional, bright track we know from the group. “Our Secret” also follows this formula, as does “Only 1,” “Truly Love,” and “Show Up.” The melody shifts once again to a bit of a softer ballad feel in “It’s You,” and that feeling carries over into the enchanting and warm “A Starry Sky.” “Love Oh Love” has a very ‘90s pop feel to the melody, which is similar to the majority of the album, but has a little bit more of a nostalgic appeal. The album rounds out with the Korean version of “Memoria” and the instrumental track of the title. “Memoria” has a bit of a calmer aura to it, bringing the energy down as the album concludes fully with a purely instrumental track.
The thing about GFRIEND’s albums is that because they have found a niche that works, they did not have much success in comparison when branching out. All of their songs tend to follow the same formula, which can get repetitive. This is a common complaint from those who are not fans of the group. Part of me can agree, at least when it comes to the B-sides on the album. If you prefer a bit more musical diversity in your K-Pop albums, you probably won’t be thrilled with this one.
But does that mean that this is a bad album? Absolutely not. There’s no question that GFRIEND has incredible talent both in performance and in their vocals, so they are certainly doing the best that they can with the somewhat repetitive formula their company has them doing with each comeback. I don’t believe they’re a group that should be overlooked just because of this. If nothing else, their title tracks are almost always guaranteed to captivate in just about every way.