GFriend recently released their first studio album, LOL. The album was released with two different versions, Laughing Out Loud and Lots of Love. LOL peaked at number 7 on Billboard’s US World Charts thanks to their fans. The album is full of tunes with GFriend’s distinct style but also experimented with genres we haven’t heard from them before including reggae, house, and R&B. Though those sounds still feel a bit foreign and unnatural on GFriend.
Track 1 – Intro
Kicking off the album with a loving atmosphere, Intro has samples of vocals from Navillera. This track has many instruments that add fun and excitement. Intro does a great job of setting up the vibe for the tracks to come.
Track 2 – 물들어요 (Fall In Love)
Fall In Love has a very bright and girly vibe like most GFriend songs. It has a lot of synth strings which blends nicely with the other embellishments. However, Fall In Love lacks vocal range and variation. All of the lines are sung high-pitched with a falsetto voice, which becomes rather dull after awhile.
Track 3 – 너 그리고 나 (Navillera)
Navillera is the title track and reminds me a lot of an Infinite song. This track has a rock vibe with colorful strings and synths sprinkled throughout as well as GFriend’s signature guitar solo. With powerful vocals during the chorus, Navillera is a dynamic track that deserves to be the title.
Track 4 – LOL
LOL is an upbeat, retro pop song with a rock vibe that is delivered with heavy synths. Anyone can tell this is a GFriend track from the first listen. The opening is extremely similar to another popular GFriend track, Me Gustas Tu. LOL is a youthful track that is suitable for a group of young ladies, but lacks originality.
Track 5 – 한 뼘 (Distance)
Distance is one of the freshest tracks on the album. It’s very much GFriend-esque, but has elements that add more flavor. Distance is a light and relaxed, yet groovy, summer reggae ditty. It’s rare for a harmonica to be used in a Kpop song, but this track weave it throughout the melody for a perfect fit with the piano and guitar in the backtrack. The falsetto vocals work really well in Distance, as they’re light and not overbearing.
Track 6 – 물꽃놀이 (Water Flower)
Continuing with the feel of summer, Water Flower is up next. With the assistance of killer drums at the beginning, one can imagine the sun’s warmth on their skin while listening. With an exciting sound, Water Flower gives off an inspirational feeling but is a forgettable track sandwiched between more impressive numbers.
Track 7 – Mermaid
In the company of a flowing melody, Mermaid is at a slower tempo than previous tracks. The sound of ocean waves at the beginning of the song helps set the atmosphere for an easy going tune. Mermaid has a solid, emotional, yet playful set of vocals that are R&B influenced. Mermaid indeed makes for a pleasurable listen.
Track 8 – 나의 일기장 (Sunshine)
A nice drum beat on an 808 rhythm, Sunshine starts off with a nice, calm, and smooth vibe. There is minimal background music which highlights the vocals that were sweet and stable. The acoustic piano, vocals, and execution make for a passable R&B influenced ballad.
Track 9 – 나침반 (Compass)
Compass is a high tempo song with pumping bass but is still sang lightly. The song really showcases the group’s vocals and their girly charms. With a uplifting house ambiance, this is one of the most memorable numbers on the album.
Track 10 – 찰칵 (Click)
Click is an uptempo pop number very similar to one you’d hear from a 90s girl group, complete with a tad of hip hop rhythm. It’s a cute song with unique and powerful energy. Click still allows GFriend to keep their feminine charms while showing different vocal techniques, such as using interesting vibratos.
Track 11 – 바람에 날려 (Gone With The Wind)
LOL ends with a song full of memories in Gone With The Wind. The lyrics discuss joyous, fun, and sad memories blowing in the wind. The backtrack partners well with the emotions being conveyed with having many ups and downs in life. The girls tried something new by mixing up their typical style with the addition of dupstep between the verses, albeit a mediocre attempt.
Track 12 – Navillera (Inst.)
Not reviewed.