[MV & Album Review] G-Friend � 'Sunny Summer'

AKP STAFF

G-FRIEND � SUMMER MINI ALBUM 'SUNNY SUMMER'

Track List:

1. Sunny Summer
2. Vacation
3. Sweety
4. Windy Windy
5. Love In The Air

G-Friend is back to help you beat the heat with their summer mini-album, 'Sunny Summer.' This time, they teamed up with Duble Sidekick, so the mini-album is likely to have a very different vibe to it than, say, 'Time for the Moon Night.'�

"Sunny Summer" is sort of an atypical G-Friend tune. It's got some of the hallmarks, like faux orchestral elements, but it's a little shorter, a little more upbeat, and extremely hooky. It's a fun song, but it's not entirely what I'm used to hearing from these girls. "Vacation" is very bubblegum, and, again, a little different. The voices are pitched higher, in some cases with autotune. This kind of tune more resembles a song by April. It's not bad, but a little off for G-Friend.

The track "Sweety" is very cute and very upbeat. It's again out of character�and gave me some serious TWICE vibes while listening. This is shaping up to be a very aegyo-style EP. The last two tracks come close�to how I think of G-Friend. "Windy Windy" follows the current trend of two-word titles that are actually just one word repeated.� Both that tune and "Love In The Air" are more mature and filled out than the other B-sides we've heard. They just flow better�and are pretty without relying on excessive cuteness.

It's not like I mind absolutely adorable, but we already have bands that fill that niche. G-Friend was really its own genre, in a way. Maybe they felt like the band was becoming a one-trick pony, falling prey to its main shtick: that wistful, nostalgic feel. And they changed it up. Vocally, I don't think it's as strong, either. I guess what I'm saying is that there a lot of good bops on here, but it's not really a G-Friend EP. Not in the ways that count, at any rate. It's still a good summer jam.

MV REVIEW

The MV for "Sunny Summer" is...unfocused. That's probably the best way to put it.

It's really just a collection of sight gags, and not always gags. There is the barest of plot threads, where the girls are laying around doing nothing, trying to keep cool, then end up in a noraebang together, celebrating and having a good time. But it's implied by the placement close to the end of the MV.

And the choreo is lacking. Compare this to "Rough," for example, where you'll see more movement and enthusiasm. Here you get some elbows, some stepping, but not much else. Kind of a letdown.

But, I can tell you that overall, it's not bad. You watch it once. You watch it again. It is fun, and I think that's largely the point. Special effects? Next to none. Dancing? Meh. However, there are a number of cute moments, and I think that's what they were going for. And I like the quote from Shakespeare's Sonnet 43 at the start.�

So, warts and all, I can still recommend this MV. �

Score

MV Relevance...........9
MV Production..........8
MV Concept..............7
MV SCORE: 8.0

Album Production.....8
Album Concept.........7
Tracklisting...............8
ALBUM SCORE: 7.6