G-FRIEND - FLOWER BUD

Track List:

01. Intro (Flower Bud)
02. Me Gustas Tu
03. Under The Sun
04. One
05. My Buddy
06. Me Gustas Tu (inst.)

G-Friend, known for their album 'Season of Glass' released early this year, is back this summer with a new album, 'Flower Bud.' Since wowing the pop scene in January, the rookie group is back to bring a sweet scent to your summer.

'Flower Bud' is the intro track and it has a sound that reminds me of shooting stars and celestial bodies with echoes of the chorus from "Me Gustas Tu" occasionally fading in and out. It's serviceable and sets things up nicely for the next song.



The single, "Me Gustas Tu," is not a cover of the Manu Chao tune of the same name; despite the same title (in Spanish, no less), the two have nothing in common. The song starts out with a fairly quick intro on the keyboard, then it rapidly transitions into synth slams with electric guitars. The tone is bright and cheery, and you can't help but start moving, wherever you are. The girls are up to the task, matching the crashing melody with their voices. In particular I hear Yuju really belting it out, with Eunha as a close second. I'd really wanted them to break out of marionette-mode and start distinguishing themselves in solo parts, at least, so it's refreshing to hear them break from just the ordinary, neat, tidy harmonies. The title "Me Gustas Tu" translates to "I like you."

"Under the Sun" is a bubbly tune along the lines of their previous album. It's a little smoother than the single, has more breaks and the bridge is pure sweetness. Again, they sound as if they're singing more freely with some layered parts that are pretty well done. The synth washes in the beginning and the electric guitars at the end are a nice touch. The song has that "I will persevere" groove running through it, although the lyrics talk of spring and not summer.  ;)



The fourth song, "One," is a delicious little tune about young love and the yearning you feel for someone. It's got a more staccato synth wash going on than the previous track. Again those powerful vocals really help the song during the chorus, and let you know these girls can really sing. It's saccharine, upbeat, and yet soothing at the same time.

"My Buddy" is the closer and we get to hear sustained vocals and the harmonies that characterize every G-Friend song. Light, upbeat, and containing references to Snow White, shining stars, and snowy days, it's a sugary pop confection very similar to the others on this EP. If you enjoy those as I do, you'll like this one.  



This rookie group has done it again, only they've done it better. You can hear each voice more individually, even when they harmonize, making each song more exciting than the ones on 'Season of Glass.' I said they had potential, didn't I? This album is simply better produced than its predecessor. From what I hear, the new single is topping the charts, as well it should. Snappy, catchy, soothing and sweet, this album is more than just a bud, it's the whole blossom.

MV REVIEW

They've cranked out a fun-in-the-sun video, adding "Me Gustas Tu" to the slew of summer MVs.

The girls are in the same gym shorts they were wearing in "Glass Bead" and are walking down a path 'til they spy their destination: a summer cottage by the lake. By turns, they dance and sing in summer dresses, cavorting in the grass, in the courtyard, and something that looks like a vegetation-free greenhouse, interspersed with sequences of them simply having fun in town like you'd expect a group of teenagers to do.

The dance sequences are killer. They have the same choreographer as BTS, Son Sung Deuk, and his reputation is well-established. You couldn't ask for better sequences, and they're in sync and in-your-face, all the while maintaining that G-Friend innocence.

The costumes are nothing amazing. Some of the sun dresses are brightly colored, and it's nice they've survived the winter given their attire. ;)  

It's a fun video. The sun casts everything in sharp, eye-popping colors, the girls are adorable, and the song is really, really catchy. While it has no special effects to speak of, the locations are pretty, the scenes are well-shot and edited, and the scenes of them having fun are priceless. It easily stands up to any of the other summer fun MVs we've seen so far. 

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