Buried Treasure: GFriend – GRWM | The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion

Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve.

GFriend have always been “albums artists,” with b-sides that are often better than their accompanying title track. So, the release of a full album is always good news. True to form, Walpurgis Night is a treat from start to finish. I think that MAGO was definitely the correct choice for single, but the first half of the album keeps the quality (and tempo!) high. Both Love Spell and Three Of Cups could have easily been chosen as buried treasures, but I decided to go for GRWM, which is the album’s biggest peak of energy.

Written by the Mospick team, GRWM isn’t quite as disco as the three tracks that precede it, but it offers a shot of adrenaline that fits GFriend well. It’s got that galloping electro beat I love so much, which acts as a springboard for a sprightly melody and galvanizing hook. Never mind that the post-chorus sounds more like “let’s get red with me” than “let’s get ready with me.” There’s a bit of charm to the odd phrasing.

More importantly, this hook is echoed by a mammoth synth riff that gives GRWM plenty of drive. GFriend deliver a polished performance, imbuing the chorus with their trademark power. We even get a Yuju power note during the climax, which has always been one of my favorite GFriend hallmarks. GRWM is all about the anticipation before a big event, and it unveils this sentiment with panache.

Hooks	8
Production	9
Longevity	8
Bias	9
RATING	8.5

3 thoughts on “Buried Treasure: GFriend – GRWM”

While GRWM IS my favorite out of all the b-sides, I wasn’t actually expecting it to picked. Don’t really know why, but it just felt like the other songs would’ve caught your eye more. That hook and chorus is addicting and the energy never really drops except for a much-needed bridge break which is why it works so well.

As for why “let’s get red with me” works, it sounds like slang enough that it isn’t too awkward to skip that last syllable. Most slang start off with butchering the original word anyway. And the flow of the lyric makes it work, charming in a way as you said.

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When I heard it first I thought they were saying “let’s get real with me.” Which is sassy and I like it but ready is cool too.
This is a good one. Prechorus reminds me of Twice’s Do what we want with those synth stabs that are very pure pop energy. I like the song a loot.

I am really enjoying the record. I am listening a lot to “Wheel of the Year” as a Hwang Hyun fan. I thought this was a really mature development of aspects of the og Gfriend sound, even if it was a little more mid-tempo ballad-y. I think it’s an especially beautiful track and sentimental way to conclude the series. I hope to hear them do another song is this style with a few more doses of energy.

I also am digging the subunit tracks – Nightdrive has really nicely written melodies and the Beach House/lofi indie pop key sound. Better Me is a good take on the tropic/latin vibe with a ‘Smooth’ bluesiness. Sowon and Umji’s vocal colours are actually very fitting for the style.

Love Spell too…iol, I’m enjoying the record.

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