SOWON

It has been more than 5 years since GFriend’s debut.

Teamwork is as important as group activity is more important than individual activity. We’re really close (with each other) like sisters. Instead of being considerate and not saying what needs to be said, I say what I want to say every time.

Looking at the album cover, the atmosphere changes a lot this time.

When dancing on the stage, we didn’t really care about the trend and just wore something fit to our body, but this time we make a bold attempt. I was worried that I will look like a ‘어깨 깡패 (lit. shoulder gangster, meaning having a broad shoulder)’ with an over-sized jacket but unexpectedly it looks stylish on the screen. When we were doing the jacket shoot, I also wore loose shirtdress something that I unusually wear and everyone said it looks awkward but it came out good in the picture. I look good with this look so I wore boyish white shirt on stage too. Music obviously, but we also try a new challenge with fashion.



The name ‘GFRIEND’ is friendly but in another side, it’s also hard to search.

Personally, I feel bad. The group name obviously, and my name ‘Sowon (lit. wish)’ are words that are commonly used. If you search ‘GFRIEND Sowon’ results that are not related to me, come out a lot. I hope there is a technology where we can search exactly what we want to search. I mean so that the person who wants to know us can find something only about us.



GFRIEND has a similar fans gender ratio, right?

About 6:4. Actually since we were debuted, I was worried if the female fans would have a prejudice because of our group name. It felt like we only aim for male fans but actually it also has the meaning that we want to be a good friend for female fans. But thank god as we do promotion we can worry about it less.





Is there any keyword that you want to be titled to GFRIEND?

For me, I always wanted ‘Improving GFRIEND’, ‘Cool GFRIEND’, but now I want ‘GFRIEND is GFRIEND’. Bang Sihyuk CEO said to us recently, “GFRIEND do the music only GFRIEND can do and I want to hear ‘As expected, GFRIEND is GFRIEND’”

YERIN

What is the performance concept for the title song ‘Crossroads’?

We have a choreo that represent crossroads. If you see our performance, you can recognize what I mean right away.



Because all members are the youngest in your family, living together must have ups and downs.

Maybe because we spend time together, we become like a family and good friends now. Each member is different but there is someone who I’ve been friends for more than 10 years. Actually, when we’re together is the most comfortable and fun time. I’m thinking ‘Where can we meet friends like this?’



When members have different opinion, how do you manage it?

Actually, I really hate dispute and tend to follow the majority opinion. When I’m not certain of something, following the majority opinion is not bad. I’m not the decisive type so, if this seems right, I’ll choose this, but If I feel that I’m right, I’ll choose that.



What is the thing only GFRIEND can do?

I think GFRIEND is really good at expressing the concept that suitable for that age. When we were debuted, we were still minors but without our notice, we’re already at our 20s now. Now, it feels like the girls with school uniform concept is growing and standing on a different road. I think we’re going with something matches our age.



Is there any lyrics you like from GFRIEND songs?

I always say this but I like, “I’m definitely not going to break” part from Glass bead. I also like members’ young voice, and it looks like the lyrics contain our ambition. Just like the lyrics, we don’t want to break till the end. We’ll definitely not break!



Is there any change with the early debut days?

Long before, going to the broadcasting station, standing on the stage, standing in front of fans, everything was for the first time. Because it was the first time, I still couldn’t get used to it. But now, I think I’m getting proactive, ‘I should do this during this (situation).’ My attitude changed.

SINB

GFRIEND does more group activity than individual activity.

I think everyone wants to have a solo/individual activity. But we decided to focus more on this album promotion as a team.





GFRIEND lyrics are so lyrical.

When I keep thinking while listening to the songs, we have a lot of touching songs. Especially for me, I like Eunha unnie’s part ‘All the moments I’ve been waiting for pass by today. The night where I endlessly chasing for you. The night I can’t reach where I miss you.’ in ‘Time For The Moon Night’. The melody is good, the whole song composition is also good. As we perform it, I get touch with it.





What do you think people expect from GFRIEND?

As we take up various concepts, I think a lot about what we should do next. I saw the comments, they said this is the most GFRIEND-like album. There are a lot who say that only GFRIEND can do express the concept of overflowing emotion. I think GFRIEND’s color is firm in front of public’s eyes. And without throwing away that expectation, we want to show you our growth. A well grown GFRIEND.



UMJI

If you have to introduce this album concept?

This album has 2 themes. ‘Coming back(回)’ and also ‘Labyrinth’ with a meaning of a maze. That’s why the album name is 〈回:Labyrinth〉. It’s painting the growing up story of the girls from the debut days until now, and in the process of growing up, while looking back at the pure days and thinking about what to do next, we come into a conflict. It’s similar with our real situation, and also something we want to tell.





Rather than team, I think there are times when you want to show your personal talent.

We didn’t really show each of our personality on our early debut days but as time goes by each of our personality become more distinct. We are on different broadcasts but on the same frequency. Even we have different disposition our code matches well. So, I think we found the common ground well.





Is there any lyrics you like in GFRIEND’s songs?

I like the first line from ‘Fever’ refrain, ‘I want to show you right at this moment without regret.’ There’s no strong word in that phrase, and it’s just a simple words combination, but I can feel the ambition and strength from it. In that part, Eunha unnie’s voice seems soft but it feels solid and powerful. It also contain something GFRIEND wants to tell. ‘Fever’ choreo is intense but, when I listen to that part and start performing, I just ‘Right, let’s show it without regret!’ and make up my mind.





Among the nickname given for GFRIEND, what is your favorite word?

Trust and listen to GFRIEND. Other group’s fans also said that. We changed company last year* but I haven’t felt it until before the preparation of this album. Our company changed but the compositions are the same so, there is no big change. But while preparing for this album, we got support from the company and Bang Sihyuk CEO also participate in the album making so I thought that we can show a better side.

*Umji was talking about the BigHit acquisition.



YUJU





GFRIEND is a group with a definite concept.

Our choreo is originally intense. We keep the intensity in this album too but also I think it’s a stage where each part can show our individual performance.



The strong teamwork is also famous, right?

Actually, there’s no one without persistence and ambition. Everyone has their own ambition but when we have to choose something as a group, we think differently (throwing the personal ambition). GFRIEND is not mine but belong to all the six of us. So, most of the decision made by majority vote. But it doesn’t mean that we ignore the minority opinion, if that opinion seems right, we’ll listen to flexibly and make a good choice. So, at some point we don’t think about ‘why we don’t make the decision my way.’ Each member has her own skill, we’ll try to listen the opinion from someone who’s good at it. Fortunately, our team has a good distribution of talent.





What do you think when it comes to ‘GFRIEND’s only color’?

Start from something small like, we used a lot of pretty expression in the lyrics with our language. To the point where there are lyrics published in textbooks. Among the lyrics in ‘Crossroads’, when I sing ‘No matter where I go, it all turns into you’, when I listen to it, and when I just looking at the phrase it’s good. Also, I heard that GFRIEND’s vocal is agitating. It looks like you’re doing it together as you listen to it. The vocal and the strength on the choreo are different. I think something like that is the GFRIEND only color.

EUNHA

The teaser video came out before the photoshoot. The response is very good.



Among the lyrics that came out on the teaser of the title song ‘Crossroads’ this time, ‘Even if perhaps you pass by quickly/I’ll find you/Then I’ll go back to you’, I don’t have the feeling of really liking it when I recorded it. But when it comes out on the music video together with the song, I feel like it really suits and really well expressed lyrics.



Do you have something you feel bad about the group name?

At first I do, but now I like it. Actually, before debut I was worried whether we can express the group ‘GFRIEND (girlfriend in korean)’ beyond the common word or not. I thought that it would be hard because it’s something used commonly. And now because people see the common ‘여자 친구(girlfriend)’ and GFRIEND differently, I think that we picked the group name well. Besides, it’s a name really suits us.



Which nickname given to GFRIEND that you like the most?

B-sides matjib (lit. place with good food)? I like that it means not only the title song is good but also the be-sides of the album.





GFRIEND express the song and performance that match the age, right? After few decades, can we expect to see 60 y.o GFRIEND?

Uhmm. If we are all vigorous? Haha. We’ll have to see!





Translation: GFRIENDaily - Jena

source: https://www.cosmopolitan.co.kr/article/44887