Are we ready for the GFriend generation?
As of early Monday morning in South Korea, rookie girl group GFriend climbed to the top of multiple domestic music charts with not one but two songs, one of which was released in 2015. The long-term group's presence on Korea's fast-paced music charts highlights the popularity and potential of the girl group.
January release "Rough" is currently number one on multiple Korean digital charts, while July release "Me Gustas Tu" is within the top 15 on multiple charts, including Melon's Daily Top 100.
GFriend debuted as a sort of dark horse in 2015, competing with other rookie acts from larger entertainment agencies. However, with the numerous hits, as well as an agency staffed by many former employees of Korea's largest music company SM Entertainment, GFriend is claiming a place in K-pop history.
"Rough" is competing for the top place against songs by stalwart Korean acts, like soloists Taeyeon and Zico and vocal group MC The Max.
GFriend debuted in 2015 with the innocent song "Glass Beads," harkening comparisons with the early concepts of K-pop's reigning queens, Girls' Generations. Follow up track "Me Gustas Tu," current no. 13 on Melon's Daily Top 100, went viral internationally garnering the group much attention following an incident where the members performed on a slippery stage.
Meanwhile, "Rough" was released on Jan. 24 and garnering attention for its pristine musical elements and perfectly synchronized, ballet-inspired dance moves.
---
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.
