K-Pop

SNSD’s new album recorded an impressive score of 7.2 by music review site Pitchfork

The 15th anniversary album “Forever 1” of SNSD embodies the girl group’s feelings about their journey as well as their gratitude towards fans.

SNSD’s new studio album “Forever 1” recently appeared on the famous music review site Pitchfork with an impressive score of 7.2 out of 10. Previously, Red Velvet’s comeback with “The ReVe Festival 2022 – Feel My Rhythm” also made an appearance on this site with a score of 7.4.

Across their career, SNSD (also known as Girls’ Generation) has consistently released successful tracks, from their catchy hit “Gee”, “Run Devil Run”, to experimental and revolutionary music like “I Got A Boy” and “Mr. Mr”. The group has also adapted to numerous concepts, but it was only through their most recent album “Forever 1” and previous release “Holiday Night” that they no longer feel pressured by achievements. It was this mindset that allowed “Forever 1” to fully embrace the true essence of SNSD, creating the album’s eventual success.

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“Forever 1” achieved a score of 7.2/10 on Pitchfork.

The result is a 7.2 score on the famous music review site Pitchfork, which commented: “One can trace a throughline in the career arcs of Red Velvet and NCT’s different subunits, but it often felt like Girls’ Generation were constantly adapting to new sounds. The same holds true across these ten tracks. “Seventeen,” for example, is a sweet R&B song about carrying the same giddy feelings for someone after many years, but its repeating piano chords recall “Still D.R.E.” Before long, Hyoyeon starts rapping, and though her technique is shoddy, it’s heartening for the way it embodies teenage silliness and bravado. Then there’s “Villain,” which sounds like their younger labelmates Aespa due to its futuristic sheen and lyrics that retroactively shoehorn the group into the SM Culture Universe. Even though Girls’ Generation sound like they’re being forced to sing about the mythological Kwangya, they’re having enough fun that it goes down easy.

Such chameleonic tendencies are on exceptional display in “You Better Run,” a merciless pop song about revenge. As they sing about kicking someone to hell, proggy synth melodies coarse brashly through the track in unwieldy, circuitous zig-zags. Tiffany’s performance is a highlight; she sells newfound confidence in both anthemic and introspective passages. The album’s final three-track run is also impressive. “Summer Night” is FOREVER 1’s most playful R&B song, using bubbly synths to manifest the cozy feelings of being in love – as they sing of holding hands and locking eyes, you can feel the assurance underlining their honeyed vocal deliveries. “Freedom” treats romance in more musical terms, aiming for smoother, funk-lite grooves to present a relationship’s “perfect rhythm.” “Paper Plane” closes the album on an even more hopeful note, explaining the bright futures that lay ahead for the group’s members.

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Pitchfork also described “Forever 1” as the group’s most anticipated return after the megahit “Gee”. 

“Thirteen years on from their breakthrough hit, and 15 from their debut, Girls’ Generation are as versatile as ever. It’s just that now, their flexibility is a signpost for the unexpected joys of growing older”, the site concluded. 

Source: Pitchfork

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