K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – Navillera

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order.

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Navillera (from LOL – 2016)

Previous Thoughts: “The entire track is so intensely powered that it really takes more than one listen to process everything. Unlike past singles, there’s never a moment to breathe, and this is a smart move on their part. By the time the electric guitar solo rushes over the middle eight, the energy has been whipped up into an absolute frenzy.” (full review)

Updated thoughts: Back in the day, I considered Rough to be GFriend’s best song. And on a purely objective level, it probably still is. However, I absolutely adore Navillera. In fact, it’s the third most-played song in my entire music library. I consider it to be The Chaser’s kid sister, and anyone who’s read this blog for any length of time will know I don’t say things like that lightly!

From the moment the song starts, we’re galloping along a synth and guitar fantasia that sounds like the most perfect anime opening theme you’ve ever heard. The chorus is a sleek wonder, bolstered by squealing guitar and buttressed by a powerful synth outro. But the song’s true knockout moment centers around its high-octane dance break. The build toward Navillera’s climax involves two perfectly placed power notes, bringing maximum drama to the track. They just don’t make ’em like this anymore, and I wish they did!

Grade: A+