A 15th Anniversary To Remember | Girl’s Generation 7th Full Album FOREVER 1

15 years ago on August 5th, 2007, SM Entertainment debuted a girl group by the name of 소녀시대 (SNSD) or more widely known by their English name Girl’s Generation. They debuted with the album of the same name and the iconic song ‘다시 만난 세계 (Into The New World)’. 15 years later on August 5th, 2022, Girl’s Generation made their first full group comeback since 2017 with their 7th Full Album FOREVER 1.

This full album brings together ten new tracks: ‘FOREVER 1’, serving as the album’s title track, ‘Lucky Like That’, ‘Seventeen’, ‘Villain’, ‘You Better Run’, ‘Closer’, ‘Mood Lamp’, ‘완벽한 장면 (Summer Night)’, ‘Freedom’, and ‘종이비행기 (Paper Plane)’. This will be the longest Album Review I will have ever written, if not, one of the longest. So, hold on folks.

Starting off with the album’s title track of the same name, this electronic synth-pop melodic instrumental joined with powerful and angelic vocals from the eight members showcases the feelings about the never-ending love for the people that are there when you most need them. Noted as one of Girl’s Generation’s most anticipated title tracks, this is the girl’s first release since their five-year hiatus that began back in 2017.

In the music video, we find members Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun living the high life – flying on private jets, riding in limousines, being bombarded by paparazzi, DJing at clubs – while also performing together in tightly choreographed scenes on a cruise ship and a colourful parade float. The song’s lyrics alternate between a playful love song and a celebration of the group’s longstanding relationship with each other (“Girls, We are forever / Yeah, we are, We’re still forever one,” the girls sing during the chorus).

It’s been pretty evident that I can tell whether or not I love a song within the first few seconds of listening. And the verdict of ‘FOREVER 1’ is no different. I absolutely love this song! ‘FOREVER 1’ is a fan song on steroids, merging the sentimental nature of this comeback with a euphoric dancefloor drive. Nods to the past are omnipresent, from the song’s early-10’s sound to a literal sampling of their debut track ‘다시 만난 세계 (Into The New World)’ during the bridge section.

SM producer-extraordinaire Kenzie, who helped out with other SM Entertainment artists such as BoA, Red Velvet, SHINee, and NCT 127, is in charge of the track, continuing a long-lasting partnership that began with that iconic debut song. I love the idea of legacy in pop music, and the power of this through-line buoys ‘FOREVER 1’’s appeal.

As a pop song, this is right up my alley. I’ve missed these kinds of maximalist, energy-turned-up-to-eleven tracks in K-Pop. Girl’s Generation could’ve gone the typical ballad route or opted for something more subtle and sexier in tone. Instead, ‘FOREVER 1’ lays all of its cards on the table. This is in-your-face, celebratory pop music. It’s a little treacly and definitely on the nose, but it’s also anchored by an appealing melody, driving energy, and a mammoth chorus.

The fizzy electro texture recalls hits by early-10’s peers Icona Pop, minus any hint of their grit. It’s a candy-coated, shout-along hook, urging listeners to remove their critical hat and surrender to the rush of emotion. With this in mind, ‘FOREVER 1’ arrives as an exclamation mark on the group’s legacy. It may not be as definitive as their best singles, but I’m more pleased with the sentiment. It’s time to turn up the volume all the way up and join them in their well-deserved victory lap with this comeback.

With powerful harmonies and a more lighthearted musical arrangement, the album’s proceeding track ‘Lucky Like That’ plays. The vocalisation and breath-taking orchestration in this single are absolutely incredible, and the flow of this song is charming. The bridge and Hyoyeon’s vocalized rap in particular stick in my head. Following the bridge, we get this pop of an electric guitar throughout the instrumental which is fresh and uplifting and fills you full of energy.

The use of synth in the chorus instrumental ties this all in, in my opinion. ‘Lucky Like That’ is the perfect combination of uplifting and addictive. I could hear this song as someone’s ringtone, which should be an honour to Girl’s Generation. If someone has a song as their ringtone, that most likely means that that song was so incredibly addicting that they wouldn’t mind listening to it over and over again.

‘Seventeen’ (the song not the 13-member boy group under PLEDIS Entertainment) comes up next with a classier style that took me back to their ‘Lion Heart’ era, which is my favourite era and song of Girl’s Generation. No one does R&B like SNSD, the instrumental with the piano melody makes this single super smooth. Its flow is immaculate, and the ad-libs had me in absolute awe.

Vocals and rap are on point as always with Girl’s Generation, which never fail to amaze me. Hyoyeon’s rap once again sticks around for the most part in my head with a catchy tone and flow from the rapper and DJ. Seohyun’s angelic tone starting off the song is soothing, and even satisfying to listen to. ‘Seventeen’ is a jump from ‘FOREVER 1’ and ‘Lucky Like That’ going from super poppy and energetic to sultry and slow, but that is honestly what I look for in K-Pop albums these days. Variety.

If you had the choice between listening to an album where all of the tracks give off similar vibes and all share a common factor betwixt them or an album where the majority if not every track is different and exudes different feelings and emotions, which one would you pick? For me, I would choose the latter over the former any day of the year. While it is nice for an album to have all its tracks share a common genre and give off similar feelings, I would rather listen to an album where every track hit a different part of your brain every listen.

Trendy beats, intense bass riffs and drums are all elements in the following track ‘Villain’. This single feels very much like an anti-hero anthem, with power, confidence, and high notes that can and will leave listeners absolutely speechless. With ‘Villain’ the first thing that comes to mind is how epic a live band performance and choreography would be. Harmonies during the chorus are amazing as ever.

While this style of music isn’t my cup of tea as I’m someone who loves bubble-gum pop, over time I’ve come to love it. SNSD only reinforces my growing love for bass-heavy, almost trap genre songs.

Something I did notice in the song is little details hidden in the lyrics. In the song’s intro, we hear a police officer relaying information into his radio of him being in pursuit of a black vehicle. The licence plate of the sed vehicle according to the officer is GG805. GG805 meaning Girl’s Generation 8/05 aka August 5th, which is the group’s debut date and FOREVER 1’s release date 15 years later.

Another detail I heard in the song and eventually looked through the song’s lyrics is a nod to a storyline that seems to be intertwining itself through the SMCU, or the SM Culture Universe, which first appeared back in September of 2020 in NCT’s teaser video titled “NCT 2020: The Past & Future - Ether” and NCT U’s ‘90s Love’. During the bridge of ‘Villain’, Taeyeon sings the line ‘황량한 광야를 가로질러 모래바람이라도 일으켜 줄게 | Hwangnyanghan gwanyareul garojilleo moraebaramirado ireukjyo julge, which in English translates to Go across the empty wilderness I’ll cause a sandstorm.

The word that got my attention was 광야를 | gwanyareul. While the word has the meaning ‘wilderness’, KWANGYA is this alternate universe within the SMCU. Gaining more popularity when the term appeared again in æspa’s debut song ‘Black Mamba’, KWANGYA is described as an unruled, and infinite place located beyond FLAT. Could the term appearing in ‘Villain’ have a connection to the vast world? Perhaps. Only time will tell.

Following up the narrative of the 2010 hit single ‘Run Devil Run’, ‘You Better Run’ plays with EDM beats and heavy synth. This single is a lot more alternative and unique, the changes in temp and its hook are surprisingly catchy. It is the perfect revenge song. If you misbehave, you better run.

This B-Side track is probably my second favourite out of the nine on the album. It’s a buried treasure in this album. This song exemplifies SM’s ability to feel experimental without simply shouting over a track. They don’t dabble in this style as often as they used to, but they still excel at it. Immediately, you’ll be caught off guard by ‘You Better Run’’s verses, which play with tempo and phrasing for a super-dynamic sound. It’s so satisfying to hear this impish, SM-style vocal make a return. There’s a theatricality to the arrangement that really brings the song to life. It’s campy but performed with such panache.

Not to be outdone, the song’s chorus goes for the jugular with an equally interesting mélange of elements. It has a halting energy, interrupted with a flurry of guitar that gives this segment a palpable sense of push and pull. It’s warped in the best way. And kudos to Girl’s Generation for making the song’s conceit compelling for over two and a half minutes. ‘You Better Run’ is largely one musical idea stretched across an entire song, but it never loses its punch. A soaring, climactic bridge helps create space that opens up the otherwise claustrophobic energy. It’s a mini marvel, and a fun callback to the group’s indelible 2010 hit ‘Run Devil Run’.

Disco rhythm and a groovy flow begin the second half of this album with the sixth track ‘Closer’. This track is R&B/Pop heaven for listeners, the disco feel and vocal arrangement make this single a listening experience! A total masterpiece of a song.

I love the vocals in this track, which I’ve said many upon many times during this review, but to be honest, Girl’s Generation are vocal queens. It’s definitely something I would listen to over and over again. Soft vocals are one of my favourites when used right. And I bet that I will have the lyric Get get closer, get get get closer stuck in my head for a long time. Which I will never complain about.

With minimalistic instrumentation and a magical feel, ‘Mood Lamp’ takes over. With soft guitar and a smooth R&B tempo, this single is delightful to listen to. Once again, the ad-libs and harmonies send listeners on a music trip. This song is a soft, warm, and comforting gift.

This is the type of song I would listen to while laying down in bed with blue fairy lights illuminating the room or under the night sky looking up at the stars. Calming, soothing, satisfying, and angelic, ‘Mood Lamp’ has my heart as my favourite B-Side track of FOREVER 1.

‘완벽한 장면 (Summer Night)’ brings soft-pop tunes and synth. It is definitely a summer bop on the cool and chill side; a song that you would listen to when the sun sets, and you are just bopping your head along.

This is a perfect campfire song, in my opinion. It’s not super powerful, which isn’t a bad thing, and it completely works for this song. This as ‘Mood Light’ playing as the sun sets on a beautiful day would be an absolutely perfect way to cap off a long day.

‘Freedom’ continues the synth vibe but this time with the addition of groovy tunes and rich vocals. Overall, a dreamy listen. The song has a catchy instrumental backing track, and the piano adds a wonderful touch.

The ad-libs are subtle but are a nice addition to the chorus of ‘Freedom’. It’s a calming song with more oomph in it, and I am all for it. I especially like how the girls sing ‘freedom’.

We reach the bittersweet end of this release with the final track ‘종이비행기 (Paper Plane)’. Its medium-tempo pop arrangement and vocal-rich style make this single the cherry on top of this album, and a very solid end.

This is the perfect song to end a long-awaited comeback album. It’s uplifting, the backing track has the right amount of synth and the lyric Oh, 영원히멈추지 마, fly away | Oh, yeongwonhi meomchuji ma, fly away, which translates to Oh, don’t stop forever, fly away is by far the catchiest line in that entire song for me. Like a wonderful ending to a good book, that wraps up Girl’s Generation’s 7th Full Album FOREVER 1.

Girl’s Generation released a masterpiece of an album. Each single stands out on its own, and all together, FOREVER 1 is cohesive, well-rounded, and musically rich. The years of waiting were absolutely worth it. Can’t wait for wait Girl’s Generation and the members to bring us next.

05.08.2022