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Labyrinth (EP)

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回:Labyrinth
File:回,Labyrinth.png
EP by
GFriend
ReleasedFebruary 3, 2020 (2020-02-03)[1]
Genre
Length20:35
Label
GFriend chronology
Fallin' Light
(2019) 		回:Labyrinth
(2020) 		回:Song of the Sirens
(2020)
Singles from 回:Labyrinth
  1. "Crossroads"
    Released: February 3, 2020

回:Labyrinth is the ninth extended play (EP) by South Korean girl group GFriend. The album was released on February 3, 2020, by Source Music and distributed by kakao M. The release marked the group's first album in seven months, following Fever Season and the group's first project since Source Music was acquired by the company Big Hit Entertainment in 2019. The EP contains six songs including the lead single "Crossroads". Musically, it is a K-pop album with influences of various styles and genres including synth-pop, EDM and rock. Commercially, the EP topped the Gaon Album Chart upon debut. Gfriend promoted the album with live performances on South Korean music shows, winning a total of 7 music show awards.

Release and promotion

On January 16, it was reported that GFriend would make comeback in early February with a mini-album titled 回:Labyrinth.[2] It marks the group's first release after Big Hit Entertainment acquired their record label Source Music in 2019.[3][4][5] On January 20, Gfriend released a comeback timetable through the group's official SNS channel, containing the schedule for the content release of 回:Labyrinth. The schedule showed sequentially the dates of releases of the track list, concept photo, music video teaser, highlight medley, and music video.[6] Preorders began on the same day.[7] On January 21, the group released a teaser video titled "A Tale of the Glass Bead: Previous Story" through Big Hit Entertainment's official YouTube channel. The teaser is a compilation of the music videos of the title tracks of Gfriend's previous releases. The video begins with scenes from music videos of "Love Whisper" released in 2017, and shifts between those of "Glass Bead" and "Fingertip". Through this teaser, Gfriend announced the beginning of a full-fledged growth musical narrative based on organically connected storytelling.[8][9] The full tracklist of the album was released on January 22.[10][11] From January 27 to January 29, the group released three pairs of different versions of concept photos.[12][13][14] On January 30, the group released the official trailer of the music video for the lead single "Crossroads".[15] On January 31, Big Hit released a "Highlight Medley" video on YouTube, containing the highlights of the album tracks.[16] The EP was released on February 3 in CD and digital formats.[17] It was released seven months after the release of their previous offering Fever Season.[18] An accompanying music video for the lead single, "Crossroads" was released in conjunction with the release of the album.[19] It shows "the ups and downs of relationships between the six members of GFriend as choices are made."[19] The video is emotional and features the six members trying to find and repair their relationships with each other.[20] It is devoid of any choreography to emphasize on storytelling.[20] It connects the story-lines of the group's past music videos of "Fingertip" and "Time for the Moon Night" by presenting Eunha as the forlorn main character in an attempt to reunite with the rest of the group and alludes to intermittent theme of bright butterflies.[19] On February 12, a special clip of their song "Labyrinth" was uploaded on the 1theK Originals channel.[21]

On launch day, the group held a showcase to promote the album at Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul which was broadcast on Naver's V Live channel.[22] The showcase was canceled for the public due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, tickets those who bought were duly refunded.[23] The group promoted the album with performances of "Crossroads" and "Labyrinth" on various music shows starting with Mnet's M Countdown! on February 7.[24] The group also promoted the songs on KBS's Music Bank and SBS's Inkigayo.[25] On February 11, the title track won its first award at SBS MTV's The Show, making the group reach 60 awards in South Korean music programs since its debut.[26] In the last week of the album's promotion, the group performed the song "Labyrinth" instead of the title track "Crossroads", and concluded the promotions with 7 music show wins.[27] On February 23, GFriend canceled a last minute fan sign event due to the coronavirus outbreak in South Korea.[28]

Artwork and packaging

Gfriend released 3 versions for 回:Labyrinth: "Crossroads", "Room" and "Twisted", each containing a pair of different concept photos.[29] The first photo of the "Crossroads" shows the members standing on the intersection of a cracked train track, staring with expressionless faces. In another photo, the members are seen staring at each other, in the backdrop of a vast reed field. Crossroads version relays a vague and lonely mood.[30] The first photo of the "Room" version shows the members staring at the camera with face devoid of expressions, in the light coming through the windows. The second photo shows the members together but engaged in different thoughts and actions. Room version conveys a relaxing yet indifferent atmosphere.[31] The first photo of the "Twisted" version shows the members wearing the same white dresses, entangled together by colourful threads while the second photo sees them closing their eyes in the same posture. Twisted version portrays a calm and dream-like atmosphere.[32]

Production and composition

The album consists of six tracks.[33] Big Hit Entertainment's in-house producers, Adora and Frants, led by co-CEO Bang Si-hyuk, participated in lyric-writing and the overall creative process of the EP.[4][34] "Labyrinth" is an EDM and rock song with distorted guitar instrumentation and contains vocal harmonies.[35][36] The lyrics were written by "hitman"bang, Cho Yoon-kyung, Noh Joo-hwan, Adora and Sophia Pae.[35] The lead single "Crossroads" is a synth-pop song with a retro Eighties pop beat and a dance rhythm. It features string instrumentation and powerful melodies.[20] The song is written by Noh Joo-hwan and produced by Lee Won-jong and Noh Joo-hwan. The lyrics are melancholic, in which the group sings about "a girl who stands at a crossroads, contemplating whether to stay or move forward in the course of growing up."[20][4] "Eclipse" is an "exotic" pop song with influences of tango music and contains string glissandos.[35][36] "Here we are" is an emotional song with mild J-pop chord influences.[35][36] It was written and produced by Jeong Ho-hyeon. "Dreamcatcher" is a synth-pop track with an exotic rhythm and R&B grooves that add to its dark atmosphere.[35][36] "From me" is a sincere acoustic track that showcases the group's "calm and unique" voices. The song was written by Noh Joo-hwan, Jeina Choi and "hitman"bang".[35]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
IZM[37]

Billboard's Tamar Herman described the title track "Crossroads" as a synth-pop that is essentially GFriend for its melody.[19] IZM's Hwang Sun-Up compared the group's sound with the Korean music scene, stating, "K-Pop has become a global phenomenon and companies are looking for international composers to produce trendy sounds. However, GFriend always was out of the mainstream environment". He further added that "[the group] has stabilized a unique identity of any other group".[35]

Commercial performance

Commercially, the lead single "Crossroads" reached number one on three of the main South Korean charts, such as Bugs, Soribada and Vibe and around the world.[38] Internationally, the album reached number one on iTunes in 13 different countries and nationally, sold 29,000 copies on its first day on Hanteo and broke the group's personal record with 54,000 copies in South Korean territory in the first week, passing the mark of their previous EP, Fever Season.[39] In the South Korean main table, the Gaon Album Chart, 回:Labyrinth debuted at number one and became the group's fourth launch to accomplish this feat.[40]

Track listing

回:Labyrinth track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Labyrinth""Hitman" Bang, Cho Yoon-kyung, Noh Joo-hwan, ADORA, Sophia PaeNoh Joo-hwan, Lee Won-jong, Kim Jung-woo, FRANTS, Sophia Pae, Carlos K, ADORA, Kim Yeon-seoNoh Joo-hwan, Lee Won-jong, Kim Jung-woo, FRANTS3:21
2."Crossroads" (교차로; gyocharo)Noh Joo-hwanNoh Joo-hwan, Lee Won-jongNoh Joo-hwan, Lee Won-jong3:23
3."Here We Are"Jeong Ho-hyeon (e.one)Jeong Ho-hyeon (e.one)Jeong Ho-hyeon (e.one)3:27
4."Eclipse" (지금 만나러 갑니다; jigeum mannareo gabnida: lit.I'm going to meet you now)SCORE (13), MEGATONE (13), DOOR (13)SCORE (13), MEGATONE (13), DOOR (13)SCORE (13), MEGATONE (13)3:25
5."Dreamcatcher"Kim Yeon-seo, Dvwn, minGtionKim Yeon-seo, Dvwn, minGtionminGtion3:18
6."From Me"Noh Joo-hwan, Jeina Choi, "hitman"bangNoh Joo-hwan, Lee Won-jongNoh Joo-hwan, Lee Won-jong3:41
Total length:20:35

Charts

Album

Chart (2020) Peak
position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[41] 43
South Korean Albums (Gaon)[40] 1

Single

"Crossroads"

Chart (2020) Peak
position
South Korea (Gaon)[42] 32
South Korea (K-pop Hot 100)[43] 20

Awards and nominations

Music program awards
Song Program Network Date Ref.
"Crossroads"
The Show SBS MTV February 11, 2020 [44]
February 18, 2020 [45]
M Countdown Mnet February 13, 2020 [46]
February 20, 2020 [47]
Music Bank KBS February 14, 2020 [48]
Inkigayo SBS February 16, 2020 [49]
Show Champion MBC Music February 19, 2020 [50]

References

  1. ^ Maresca, Thomas (February 3, 2020). "K-pop's GFriend returns with new album and video". United Press International. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  2. ^ "GFriend Announce Upcoming '回:LABYRINTH' Album". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  3. ^ Kelley, Caitlin. "Big Hit Entertainment, BTS's Label, Acquires Source Music". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  4. ^ a b c Hong, Dam-young (February 4, 2020). "GFriend takes leap with 'Crossroads' under Big Hit Entertainment". The Korea Herald. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  5. ^ "여자친구, 2월 컴백 확정… 빅히트 합류 이후 첫 신보". Naver. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  6. ^ Kim, Jin-woo (January 20, 2020). 여자친구, 새 미니앨범 '回:LABYRINTH' 컴백 타임테이블 공개 [Gfriend reveals new mini album '回: LABYRINTH' comeback timetable]. Sedaily. Retrieved May 2, 2020 – via Naver.
  7. ^ Park, So-yeon (January 22, 2020). 여자친구, 새 미니앨범 '回:LABYRINTH' 예약 판매 시작…'기대↑' [Gfriend, pre-sale of new mini album '回: LABYRINTH'… 'Expectation ↑']. Xports News (in Korean). Retrieved April 30, 2020 – via Naver.
  8. ^ Hong, Seung-han. "'回:LABYRINTH' 여자친구, 본격적인 성장 서사 예고". Sports Seoul. Retrieved 2020-03-27 – via Naver.
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  10. ^ Lee, Kun-hee (January 22, 2020). 여자친구, '回:LABYRINTH' 트랙리스트 공개..빅히트와 합작 [Gfriend reveals '回: LABYRINTH' track list..Joint with Big Hit]. Star Today (in Korean). Retrieved April 30, 2020 – via Naver.
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  13. ^ Yoo, Byeong-cheol (January 28, 2020). 여자친구, 새 미니앨범 '回:LABYRINTH' 콘셉트 포토 추가 공개. Korea Economic TV (in Korean). Retrieved April 30, 2020 – via Naver.
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  17. ^ Kang, Min-kyung (February 3, 2020). 'D-DAY' 여자친구, '回:LABYRINTH' 발매..견고한 성장 서사 ['D-DAY' Gfriend, '回: LABYRINTH' released..solid growth narrative]. Star Today (in Korean). Retrieved April 30, 2020 – via Naver.
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  21. ^ "Twitter". mobile.twitter.com. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
  22. ^ "예스24티켓, 여자친구 쇼케이스 선예매 티켓 오늘 오후 8시 오픈…일반 예매 언제?". AsiaToday. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  23. ^ "여자친구, '回:LABYRINTH' 관객 없이 쇼케이스 진행 "건강과 안전 최우선" [공식입장]". Naver. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  24. ^ Lee, Deok-haeng (February 7, 2020). 여자친구, '엠카운트다운'서 신곡 '교차로' 첫 컴백 무대…'퍼포먼스 퀸'의 귀환 [Gfriend, first comeback stage in 'M Countdown', new song 'Crossroads'… Return of 'Performance Queen']. Xports News (in Korean). Retrieved May 2, 2020 – via Naver.
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  26. ^ "여자친구, 음악방송 통산 60관왕 달성 "많은 사랑 보내준 버디에게 감사"". Naver. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  27. ^ "여자친구, '엠카운트다운' 2주 연속 1위…'교차로 (Crossroads)' 음악방송 7관왕 달성". Naver. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
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  29. ^ Seo, Byeong-ki (January 22, 2020). 여자친구, 2월 3일 미니앨범 '回:LABYRINTH'로 컴백…세 가지 버전 발매 [Gfriend, comeback with mini album '回: LABYRINTH' on February 3rd… Three versions released]. Herald Corporation (in Korean). Retrieved April 30, 2020 – via Naver.
  30. ^ Cheon, Yun-hye (January 28, 2020). 여자친구, '回:LABYRINTH' 콘셉트 포토 공개..아련+쓸쓸한 분위기 [Gfriend reveals concept photo of '回: LABYRINTH' ... sorry + lonely mood]. Herald Corporation (in Korean). Retrieved April 30, 2020 – via Naver.
  31. ^ Kim, Ye-na (January 28, 2020). '컴백 D-6' 여자친구, '回:LABYRINTH' 콘셉트 포토 추가 공개 ['Comeback D-6' Gfriend reveals concept photo of '回: LABYRINTH']. Xports News (in Korean). Retrieved April 30, 2020 – via Naver.
  32. ^ Park, Seo-hyun (January 29, 2020). 여자친구, 새 미니앨범 '回:LABYRINTH' 컨셉트 포토‥신비+몽환美 [Gfriend, new mini album '回: LABYRINTH' concept photo ‥ Mystery + Monghwanmi]. Herald Corporation (in Korean). Retrieved April 30, 2020 – via Naver.
  33. ^ Choi, Na-young (January 22, 2020). 여자친구, 컴백 타이틀곡은 '교차로'..방시혁 대표 가사 작업 참여(공식) [Girlfriend, comeback title song 'Crossroads' .. Participated in Bang Si-hyuk's representative lyrics work (Official)]. OSEN. Retrieved April 30, 2020 – via Naver.
  34. ^ Lee, Kun-hee (January 22, 2020). 여자친구, '回:LABYRINTH' 트랙리스트 공개..빅히트와 합작 [Gfriend reveals '回: LABYRINTH' track list..Joint with Big Hit]. Star Today (in Korean). Retrieved April 30, 2020 – via Naver.
  35. ^ a b c d e f g Hwang, Sun-up. "케이팝 불감증을 치료해 줄 케이팝 앨범". IZM. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  36. ^ a b c d Gilett, Chris (February 18, 2020). "GFriend's 'Labyrinth' album review: K-pop girl group does it all". South China Morning Post. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  37. ^ Hwang, Sun-up. "케이팝 불감증을 치료해 줄 케이팝 앨범". IZM. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  38. ^ "여자친구 '교차로' 음원차트 1위…빅히트 합작 통했다". Naver. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
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  40. ^ a b "Gaon Album Chart – Week 6, 2020". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Retrieved February 17, 2020.
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