BF Celebrates 15 Year Anniversary with Mini-Album Boyager 6

Photo: WESTTIME Entertainment

For newer fans of K-Pop, the name BOYFRIEND probably does not ring a bell. Debuting back in 2011 under Starship Entertainment, BOYFRIEND is a group that never gained that much exposure in their time with the agency, and eventually disbanded in 2019. At their peak, they were most known for having the first set of twins in a boy group (Jo Youngmin and Kwangmin), along with their more story-driven concepts.

In 2021 the group came back together under the new moniker BF to celebrate their 10-year anniversary with digital single “Ending Credit” in May, following with a new EP Adonis in December. After that they once again went silent for five full years, before coming back this past April to announce their latest mini-album Boyager 6 to celebrate their 15-year anniversary. As someone that joined the K-Pop train in the midst of the third generation, BOYFRIEND represents a very nostalgic time, and even if it’s sparse, it’s also so nice to see a full group come back together after so many years–especially in an industry that seems to constantly be tearing groups apart for different reasons.

Everything about the title track “Starlit Voices” feels so deeply Third Gen in nature. I feel like I’ve stepped into a time machine. The YouTube title does not have an English translation. The track lasts longer than three minutes, prioritizes vocals over rap, and does not seem to care even the slightest to follow particular musical trends that are popular in the genre today. “Starlit Voices” is a very simple, upbeat pop track with no particular melodic emphasis that takes away from the vocal track, outside of a key change in the final third of the song, which also adds to the nostalgic feel of the song. It’s simple, but that’s what makes it so charming, especially given these days it feels like everyone is attempting to top each other with more and more extravagant twists in their music.

The accompanying music video is also just as uncomplicated, with no huge visual plot line. The emphasis is placed far more on the members' visuals and choreography, which definitely has its own type of charm. It’s the opposite of the AI visual slop running rampant in the industry, and for that alone I have to praise it. Are nostalgic glasses getting in the way of objectivity? Maybe a little bit, but there is always some charm to the simplicity of the old school formula.

Check out the music video for “Starlit Voices” below!

Edited by Sandy Ou