Lovelyz are once again going for the gusto.
The South Korean girl group's latest single "For You," released on Dec. 7, is a cheery mid-tempo slice of K-pop, driven by a peppy electro groove and an optimistic-feeling chorus.
After debuting in 2014 on record label Woollim Entertainment with the single "Candy Jelly Love," Lovelyz members Baby Soul, Jiae, Jisoo, Mijoo, Kei, Jin, Sujeong and Yein saw their last release, entitled "Ah Choo," peak at number 30 on the Gaon Digital Chart when it was released back in September.
Poppy disco guitar and some peppy bass work keep "For You" charging forward, but it's the opening lead synth line that steals the show, all brightly focused electro pop action. It reminds me a little bit of some of those classic keyboard leads on the Prince record "Dirty Mind." The Purple Rainman's first album is also called "For You." Coincidence? I think not.
When combined with some catchy vocal work from Lovelyz, this section gets the song off to a very strong and very funky start.
Some euphorically wailing guitar work punctuates the whole song-the axe work on this track feels downright heroic. Speaking of heroic, I swear that the melody of "Eye Of The Tiger" is interpolated at points during the verse. Makes me want to run up some stairs, Rocky-style. The chorus of "For You" is also brightly optimistic, sounding like something that might be fun to listen to first thing in the morning before tackling a crazy day.
This is inspirational K-pop and if that isn't an actual genre, maybe it should be.
A little snap-fueled breakdown moves "For You" back into that very same opening part, ending the song on the same strong note that it began on. What a ride. I feel like I just did a bit of a workout myself, a musical workout.
As the cold creeps into this December, "For You" is a warm reminder that soon enough it will be spring and we will not be freezing anymore.
Until then, keep playing this song and pretend the flowers are blooming and the birds are chirping.
Watch the music video for Lovelyz's new single "For You" RIGHT HERE
John Chiaverina is a musician and journalist living in New York City. He has performed in over 18 countries, including two tours of South Korea, under the name "Juiceboxxx."
