On Monday, South Korean pop act GFriend released their latest single "Rough," proving that this girl group has staying power.
After their debut with "Glass Bead" and their follow-up single "Me Gustas Tu," Gfriend continued to build a reputation in South Korea for their addictive pop material.
"Rough" is Gfriend's first release of 2016 and quite simply, their best song yet.
With a powerful sound and an exemplary vocal display from all of the members, "Rough" is an melodic dance song not afraid of long instrumental breaks, that is sure to be the first K-pop girl group addiction of 2016.
Strings, drums and piano mesh with whirring synths over a snapping beat to create an upbeat musical track that provides the perfect vehicle for the Gfriend member to belt away. It is this vocal abandon that brings to mind the likes of top K-pop female balladeers Davichi.
An electronic guitar bridge builds "Rough" to a climax that helps members like Yuju and Umji show off their vocal talent.
But Gfriend's real talent is in their addicting dance moves and wholesome music videos. "Rough" comes as a third in a music video series from the group that shows the members of Gfriend going from beginning school ("Glass Beads"), going on vacation during school ("Me Gustas Tu") and finally, leaving school in "Rough." Just like the other two music videos, "Rough" features the group incorporating ballet moves and high kicks into their dance.
"Rough," or "Time Flies" in Korean, is the lead single off of GFRIEND's new EP, "Snowflake." Let's hope it's just the beginning of a flurry of new material.
Watch the music video for Gfriend's new single "Rough" RIGHT HERE
Tamar Herman is a multi-media journalist and the co-founder of KultScene. She is a freelance writer and copy editor, and has written for MTV Iggy, Noisey, and Paste Magazine.
