GOT7 is Their Name
In life, when you’re apart from someone for so long, you may feel scared of a disconnect, with a dark gray cloud of nervousness threatening to overtake you in the wake of a reunion. However, on May 23, 2022, the dark clouds parted and made way for bright pink hues as GOT7 dropped their long-awaited album GOT7.
When reunited with an old friend, you’re happy to be there in the moment with them. With the return of GOT7, it’s almost as if they never left as they open the album with “Truth.” This song was worked on by member JAY B as Def. alongside LEON, iHwak, and HRDR. Listening to it straight off the bat, the beat catches you from the beginning and the ever-so-addicting, “Why did you call me baby?” sung first by Youngjae in the pre-chorus is my personal favorite part. JAY B shared that there are different sides to GOT7, the fun side, sharp side, and so on, and with those in mind, he was able to create this song. “Truth” works well as the first track of GOT7, serving as a chance to reintroduce themselves with an addictive bassline and upbeat synths which is different to their last group single “Encore.”
The brightness continues through to the title track “NANANA.” Yugyeom and Jinyoung begin the song singing in their lower registers, which is something I noticed the members doing throughout the entirety of this EP and is different to their prior work. After hearing snippets of “NANANA” from the group’s 2022 Fancon ‘HOMECOMING with I GOT 7,’ I knew to expect a fun track that the members would enjoy performing. “NANANA” was worked on again by JAY B, iHwak, and Royal Dive, which may be why member Jackson said the track reminds him of their previous songs “Thursday” and “Page,” as they were produced by the same people. JAY B wanted this song to be healing for the fans, and it definitely delivered on its purpose. The lyrics bring together the feelings of reconnecting with someone after a long time, and it makes this comeback just that much more special for fans.
“The seat next to you is NANANA
The one who can make you smile is NANANA
I’m feeling good NANANA
I want to know everything”
You often think about what you may have missed during your time apart or how each of you have grown differently when reuniting with someone. Although GOT7 hadn’t promoted as a group for 15 months, all seven of the members flourished in their own solo paths ranging from releasing solo albums, radio hosting, becoming global ambassadors, acting in TV dramas, and so much more. A touching aspect to all of this is that the members never failed to introduce themselves as GOT7 members despite their diverse paths and carried the group’s name with them. Continuing on with the album, we can hear how the members’ solo works integrated into GOT7. With a track like “Drive Me To The Moon,” those who have listened to Youngjae’s solo album Colors can hear how this song just has his color all over it. This is the song which my non-K-Pop fan friends said they enjoyed the most and is one that you find yourself enjoying more and more after each listen. With the production team of Kim Hyesoo, BOYTOY, Disko, Brite Ma, ADN Lewis, and Youngjae himself, “Drive Me To The Moon” provides such a warmth that calls for a cold drink in the summer sun. It’s an automatic addition to your summer playlist, from the tropical sounds throughout the track provided by the faux steel drums and the whistle sounds in the chorus. Youngjae shared that he enjoys using the moon as a reference point in music, which takes me back to the opening track of 7 for 7 “Moon U” which he worked on.
When you listen to “Two,” you’ll be able to recognise this as a song by Yugyeom as he has a consistency when it comes to both his solo music and the music he writes for GOT7. He worked on this track with Distract and dr.ahn, but this time around you can truly hear the maturity from the GOT7 members. This is prominent within the lyrics, as when paired with the beat, it feels more sensual as they sing with the intention of showing the desperation of love. While GOT7 have been apart, they’ve gone on to live through different life experiences and are sharing those within their new music.
Reuniting with people will inevitably bring back old memories, leaving you reminiscing on how times used to be. After the members ventured out on their own paths, Ahgases have been supporting each of them in the wait for the group’s comeback. After many listens, “Don’t Care About Me” became my personal favorite track on this album. Jinyoung, Yugyeom, Distract, and Ludwig Lindell all took part in the making of this song. The bridge may be the best thing I’ve listened to in my life (completely unbiased), and the use of synths in the beat makes it such a dance-worthy song. Jinyoung shared that he wanted to provide comfort for the fans and let them know that they’ve got nothing to worry about when it comes to GOT7.
As the last track “Don’t Leave Me Alone” begins, we’re automatically faced with the last step in a reunion: the final goodbye and the planning ahead for the future you’re going to spend alongside them. This track again was written again by JAY B, iHwak, and Royal Dive, with Ahgases in mind. As sentimental as “Don’t Leave Me Alone” is, it doesn’t push me to tears. Maybe it’s because I’m hearing the emotions through the song and thinking about how much hard work went into the creation of not only the song but the album plus the rebranding of GOT7 in its entirety. The extended second chorus bridge when each member takes a turn singing a line feels very special, and I like hearing rappers Mark, BamBam and Jackson sing on this song in particular.
I’m reminded again how special GOT7 is for not just the fans but the members as well. As someone who has followed GOT7 from Flight Log: Departure, seeing how they’ve evolved and grew into who they are today makes me and fellow Ahgases feel proud to call ourselves their fans. As Jinyoung said, this is the most accurate album that shows who GOT7 are, their color, and what they’re truly about, and I hope people are paying attention.
GOT7 by GOT7 is available now on all streaming platforms.