GFriend – Rough | The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion

There’s no denying the fact that girl group GFriend’s speedy rise to fame has been nothing short of astounding. They debuted around this time last year without any real fanfare. And with a name like “GFriend,” I didn’t exactly have my hopes up. But like the good kpop fan I am, I took a look at their music video anyway. And like the old cliche says, it was love at first sight. I couldn’t believe it. These girls weren’t simply peddling hip wiggle with a beat; they were selling a full fledged song! Glass Bead got my attention, and then Me Gustas Tu made me a full-on fan.

Rough continues the trend, written and composed (like their other singles) by dream duo Yongbae and Iggy. Yet again, they give the girls a robust pop sound. From the intricate string sections to the dramatic guitar solo, you can really sink your teeth into the instrumental. From a production standpoint, it’s pretty much flawless. Everything feels so dense and layered, yet doesn’t obstruct the actual song from moving forward. Even in the song’s weaker melodic moments, you can always count on the instrumental to offer something dynamic and memorable.

If I have one minor complain in comparison to their other title tracks, it’s in the verses. The chorus packs a wallop and is by far the song’s catchiest moment, but the verses could be stronger. They’re far from bad, but the energy drops to a lower level and makes the song feel a bit unbalanced. I wish they came out of the gate roaring, rather than simply floating by until that hook slams in. It doesn’t totally sabotage an outstanding song, but does keep it from feeling as utterly perfect as it could be.

Hooks	8
Production	10
Longevity	9
Bias	9
RATING	9

Good morning/afternoon/night, Nick!

Rough is…uh…my favorite GFriend song ever. It’s switching in my head time to time depending on my mood but deep inside in my heart, Rough is definitely the one.

The instrumentals in this song is fantastic. I love every bits of it. They are very prominent, especially, during the bridge part. The instrumentals makes this song extra-dramatic and I am here for the drama.

The melody is refreshing and breathtaking at the same time. The verses are tight but still, engaging. The chorus is definitely one of the best chorus in the music scene from the last decade. I may sound like a silly Twitter stan here but that chorus killed and resurrected me from time to time!

Sowon – short ‘line’. She was weak for this song but she improved now tho.
Yerin – few ‘lines’. Her pre-chorua parts fits nicely to her deep voice.
Eunha – crystal clear voice. Her voice is so emotional, I love it.
Yuju – nothing short of spectacular. From the rich verses, to the best chorus, to the phenomenal highnote…ugh, I miss ‘this’ Yuju.
SinB – sweet voice. It fits nicely to the song.
Umji – versatile despite of her cutesy voice.

Iggy-Youngbae duo – they are definitely the dream duo!

Dear Nick,

Thank you for supporting my girls from their debut. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and perspective about music. I learn a lot from you.

Stay tuned for more of my comments. I want to share my ideas, rants, and opinions about the songs and the reviews, though it’s already late. Thank you!

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