GFRIEND - the discography rate ☾ #14
- Thread starter junglefish
- Start date
he/him
any
Please don't think I like being controversial, I absolutely don't. With that said, Crossroads, Luv Star, From Me and Bye can leave.
he/him
I’m seeing a lot of 9’s getting tossed around as elimination requests.
Screaming
he/him
I pray that you won’t disappear
Like a midsummer night’s dream
6.788
Buddies: 10x1 (@Music Is Death) 8.25x1 (@RUNAWAY) 8x1 (@eliminathan)
Antis: 5x2 (@eatyourself, @Wills) 6x6 (@Crisp X, @Serg., @thommyh, @Monado, @BEST FICTION, @nikkysan) 6.25x2 (@M24, @KimLippington)
Hosts:
@junglefish: 6.75
@savilizabeths: 6.75
5 voters: 90
10 voters: 94
15 voters: 94
20 voters: 95
26 voters: 95
10 voters: 94
15 voters: 94
20 voters: 95
26 voters: 95
Yep! None of you guessed it correctly! Leaving us at #95 is 'Falling Asleep Again' from the 'Parallel' EP and I... don't hate this? I mean, judging by my score I don't love it either, but there's some kind of 'obligatory ballad in a 2nd gen group's album' quality to it that I find charming. It's clearly not a track I ever seek out and I probably listened to it more preparing this rate than I ever did since its release, but hey! I can't be mad at anybody here for their scores, not even myself. I feel like second to last is an acceptable spot for it to leave ff.
Composed by No Joo-hwan and Lee Won-jong, both frequent collaborators of the group, 'Falling Asleep Again' has two things going for it: the girls' vocal performances and its lyrics. Even though the song is clearly dominated by Eunha and Yuju, who both sound angelic and perfect, all the other members get the opportunity to showcase their vocal chops, or lack thereof in Sowon's case. Just kidding! Even Sowon does well! I especially like hearing Yerin, who often gets shafted when people think of GFRIEND's vocalists.
I mentioned the lyrics being a high point of the song and yes, they really are! Apart from the lines I highlighted above, I absolutely love the verse that opens the song:
It was a night
Where even the streetlights fall asleep
Without a single place to lean on
At the end of a day
Where even the shadows fade
I met you
POETRY! No but seriously, it kinda hits hard? Idk maybe I'm just a sappy old lady.
Anyway! Let's move on to what you
@eatyourself (5) : You could argue this is pure balladphobia but this one is so corny.
@M24 (6.25) : Eunha sounds so lovely here! This song was made for her. If it weren't such a stagnant ballad, maybe I'd give it a bit of a higher score.
@Wills (5) : The “DEAD DOVE” of their discography
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he/him
This song is fine, but no great loss!
any
If we are to eliminate ballads, this is the correct first option.
she/her
Falling Asleep Again is pretty but compared to so mamy of their absolutely stunning ballads, it's just inessential.
The next elimination is coming! I wonder if anyone has guessed yet...
The next elimination is coming! I wonder if anyone has guessed yet...
she/her
Guess not...
The stars that fall, the dreams that approach
Illuminate our crossed paths
6.894
Buddies: 9.25x1 (@eliminathan) 8.5x3 (@Music Is Death, @Slice of Life, @RUNAWAY) 8x2 (@Vixen, @vague)
Antis: 5x1 (@Monado) 5.5x1 (@Wills) 6x7 (@eatyourself, @M24, @Serg., @aux, @thommyh, @Cotton Park, @nikkysan)
Hosts:
@junglefish: 6.5
@savilizabeths: 6.5
5 voters: 88
10 voters: 92
15 voters: 93
20 voters: 94
26 voters: 94
10 voters: 92
15 voters: 93
20 voters: 94
26 voters: 94
Another ballad bites the dust, and once again none of you predicted or called for its exit. Today 'Snowflake' loses it's first track with 'Trust'. Just like our previous elimination, this song was composed by No Joo-hwan and Lee Won-jong who have definitely created much stronger GFriend tracks, ballads included. One of them even had a hand in a potential 11 of mine. 'Trust' though...? It's nice.
Lyrically, 'Trust' is a sweet little love song about beginning a new relationship despite any nervous hesitations. "Although I am a little afraid, I want to walk down this path with you" Yuju belts at the end of the final verse. It perfectly sums up how it feels to follow your heart and push past your anxieties that may try to hold you back. Yuju sounds absolutely stunning, she always knows how to sell an emotive performance. The other girls sound lovely too. There's Eunha's heavenly vocals of course but I must note that Umji's delicate tone sounds really pretty here. I enjoy her parts a lot. And those strings! The way they swell up and into the final chorus? Gorgeous!
Overall though, the song just sort of comes and goes. It's enjoyable while it's here but ultimately forgettable once it leaves. Also, why are those ad libs at the end so damn quiet? They're so far back in the mix, I would really love to hear them clearer. A shame.
Now let's hand the mic over to our commenters!
@eatyourself (6) : I can't read the title of this song without completing with "you'll be dealt with".
@M24 (6) : It's a decent ballad. A little boring and probably the weakest link in the mini album, but I really like the ad libs in the end by Yuju (and probably Eunha too).
@Wills (5.5) : Ok which one of you talentless ghouls was noodling around on the guitar at the end? Knock it off!
Well...at least one of those was about the song itself ddd. I'm the one messing around with the guitar at the end by the way, I'm a little out of practice.
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any
There is something special about the obligatory ballad in a K-pop mini album. You get all types of novelty and inventiveness with the title track and b-sides, only for the ballad to catapult you back to 1993.
he/him
As a ballad lover, this song is the definition of "fine." I also gave it a 6.5.
This is tea! The way K-Pop is giving you some of the most forward thinking production in popular music, but they still love a dated 90s power ballad. I don't mind it, honestly, but it does take a special one to stand out since a lot of them have a very similar sound.
he/him
So... Should we get rid of another extra?
All day long I can't focus on anything
I'm only thinking about you
6.913
Buddies: 10x1 (@Music Is Death) 9x1 (@thommyh) 8.5x3 (@Slice of Life, @aux, @savilizabeths)
Antis: 4x1 (@Wills) 5x2 (@eatyourself, @boombazookajoe) 5.5x1 (@nikkysan)
Hosts:
@junglefish: 8
@savilizabeths: 8.5
We are now saying goodbye to 'Wanna Be', one of only a few OST songs GFRIEND released as a full group. It was released as Part. 3 of the official soundtrack to What's Wrong with Secretary Kim, a multi-award winning drama starring Park Seo-joon and Park Min-young.
You wanna know what's wrong with secretary Kim? She's mad that you guys eliminated this cute bop already! No but seriously, I really love this. It's catchy, sweet and yeah, sure it sounds like a b-side on some no-name idol group from 2005 but hey, that's part of the appeal! Or I'm sure that's what Zigzag Note, the team responsible for 'Wanna Be' will tell you. A team we'll meet again in the rate, as they've also worked on 'Neverland', 'Compass' and 'You are my star'.
What I love the most about 'Wanna Be' is how bubblegum it is. It's not trying to be anything and shines just being a nice little pop ditty. Or, judging from its position, doesn't shine that much. I also think it does its job as an OST song perfectly. I don't watch Korean dramas but you can picture this track as the ending of one so easily: the characters of the show being silly gooses while our girls go 'dudududu' in the background. I see the fantasy!
On another note, it's also one of the rare tracks where Eunha and Yuju don't share the most lines. While Yuju is still at the top, she's followed by Umji and SinB, then Eunha. Sowon also sings a little more than usual here and she sounds decent! Good for her!
@eatyourself (5) : Boring!
@M24 (6.5) : Hey, this bops a little? I can't resist repeated syllables. I wish I didn't like the rest of their discography so much to give this a little bit of a higher score, but that wouldn't be fair lol.
@Wills (4) : Normally when someone says something sounds like a KARA song, it’s a good thing – but then I guess they probably aren’t referring to a Rock U b-side either
All day long I can't focus on anything
I'm only thinking about you
6.913
Buddies: 10x1 (@Music Is Death) 9x1 (@thommyh) 8.5x3 (@Slice of Life, @aux, @savilizabeths)
Antis: 4x1 (@Wills) 5x2 (@eatyourself, @boombazookajoe) 5.5x1 (@nikkysan)
Hosts:
@junglefish: 8
@savilizabeths: 8.5
5 voters: 92
10 voters: 94
15 voters: 95
20 voters: 93
26 voters: 93
10 voters: 94
15 voters: 95
20 voters: 93
26 voters: 93
We are now saying goodbye to 'Wanna Be', one of only a few OST songs GFRIEND released as a full group. It was released as Part. 3 of the official soundtrack to What's Wrong with Secretary Kim, a multi-award winning drama starring Park Seo-joon and Park Min-young.
You wanna know what's wrong with secretary Kim? She's mad that you guys eliminated this cute bop already! No but seriously, I really love this. It's catchy, sweet and yeah, sure it sounds like a b-side on some no-name idol group from 2005 but hey, that's part of the appeal! Or I'm sure that's what Zigzag Note, the team responsible for 'Wanna Be' will tell you. A team we'll meet again in the rate, as they've also worked on 'Neverland', 'Compas
What I love the most about 'Wanna Be' is how bubblegum it is. It's not trying to be anything and shines just being a nice little pop ditty. Or, judging from its position, doesn't shine that much. I also think it does its job as an OST song perfectly. I don't watch Korean dramas but you can picture this track as the ending of one so easily: the characters of the show being silly gooses while our girls go 'dudududu' in the background. I see the fantasy!
On another note, it's also one of the rare tracks where Eunha and Yuju don't share the most lines. While Yuju is still at the top, she's followed by Umji and SinB, then Eunha. Sowon also sings a little more than usual here and she sounds decent! Good for her!
@eatyourself (5) : Boring!
@M24 (6.5) : Hey, this bops a little? I can't resist repeated syllables. I wish I didn't like the rest of their discography so much to give this a little bit of a higher score, but that wouldn't be fair lol.
@Wills (4) : Normally when someone says something sounds like a KARA song, it’s a good thing – but then I guess they probably aren’t referring to a Rock U b-side either
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any
Everything has been going too smoothly for me... I sense a Fever Season elimination on the horizon.