The breakout stars of 2021, Brave Girls have released a unique repackage of their fifth mini-album. The quartet, who rose again to prominence earlier this year thanks to the virality of their song “Rollin’,” released their summer album Summer Queen two months ago. The new repackage is titled After ‘We Ride’ and contains the new song “술버릇 (운전만해 그후) (After ’We Ride’).” Let’s take a closer look at the song and the EP. 

The Korean title of the new song, “술버릇 (운전만해 그후)” translates to “Drinking Habits (Only Drive After That).” The track is a continuation of the quartet’s 2020 hidden gem “We Ride,” and is therefore appropriately titled “After We Ride” in English. The track finds the girls embodying their name. While they are heartbroken over a breakup and resort to drinking to gain some of that liquid courage, they end the song with the realization that they are brave enough to overcome the heartbreak. This realization is also represented in the music video, shown with member Yuna dancing in the rain being carefree and Eunji burning the bouquet she held on to.

Sonically the track relies on the city pop sound first heard on “We Ride,” with drums and electric guitars amplifying the song’s power. Interspersed with glittering outfits on the backdrop of a city’s nightlife, the music video is reminiscent of Japanese city pop music videos. 

Unlike a typical repackage album, After ‘We Ride’ doesn’t contain standard versions of any of the original songs from Summer Queen. Instead, After ‘We Ride’ features an acoustic soft rock version of their summer song “치맛바람 (Chi Mat Ba Ram),” an R&B remix of the song “FEVER” featuring a new rap verse, before closing with the piano version of their song “Summer by myself,” which was pre-released last month.

Brave Girls have managed to find renewed popularity in 2021, but they are far from being one-hit wonders. With “치맛바람 (Chi Mat Ba Ram)” being a perfect follow-up to “Rollin’,” “술버릇 (운전만해 그후) (After ’We Ride’)” showcases the diversity in their discography. With Summer Queen and After ‘We Ride’, Brave Girls have released one of the most sophisticated projects this year, solidifying their return. Watch the shimmering music video for “술버릇 (운전만해 그후) (After ’We Ride’)” below!