K-Song Review: ‘FOREVER 1′ by GIRLS’ GENERATION

Ashley Kumar, New Delhi.

Korea’s national girl group, Girls’ Generation, came back as a full group after 5 years on 5^th August 2022 with their seventh full album, ‘Forever 1’ to celebrate their 15 years of longevity and togetherness. The album has 10 tracks, but what makes the album even more special is their title track, ‘Forever 1’ adding it to their numerous other legendary tracks. The song is written, composed, and arranged by the ever so talented, Kenzie.

“We’re not stopping.” – Tiffany

Being inactive as a group didn’t stop the members from excelling in their solo careers. But during their solo time, they did not forget their roots which start from being a member of Girls’ Generation. And the music video portrays just that. It shows how all members were busy in their field of excellence, and in between, they came together as they’ll forever be Girls’ Generation. The music video mixes their careers and individual passion which results in them coming together as one. Members Yoona, Sooyoung, and Yuri are seen pursuing their acting career, Taeyeon is seen as a successful solo singer, Seohyun is seen as a musical actress, Tiffany is seen covering her overseas schedules, Sunny is seen as a TV star, and Hyoyeon is seen as a DJ. And when they come together, they are seen global idols.

They bring in a modern mix of all their classic genres and tracks which turns out to be something out of the world, proving their immense success again in the first place. The instrumentals of ‘Forever 1’ are reminiscent of their debut track, ‘Into the New World.’ The aesthetics, the mix, the harmony, their signature fashion, and the togetherness bring a pang of nostalgia which was successful in moving Sone, their fans, to happy tears.

The music video is fun to watch where your vision starts to get blurry towards the end because of tears. It’s full of vibrant colours and beautiful aesthetics. It’s like watching a celebratory happy ending to a movie that preaches of growth, togetherness, friendship, and bond. The lyrics are another factor to the immense emotions which talk about the past, their thriving stories, being pillars of strength for each other, and their passion to always be Girls’ Generation. What makes the song even more special is that every member got to sing the main lines emphasizing their equal amount of love for the group.

“Girls, we are forever
(Yeah we are, we’re still FOREVER 1)
It’s now or never
(We keep on, we’re still FOREVER 1)
Yeah we’re forever
(Yeah we are, we’re still FOREVER 1)” – Girls’ Generation.

With the release of ‘Forever 1’ on their 15^th anniversary, they permanently etched themselves in K-pop history for staying around for so long and for years to come. Through this song, they showed how willing they are to grow, their passion for art, their strong bond, their love for their supporters, and how they’ll stick around, forever. #GGforEVA