K-Pop A-Z Review: GFriend – Sunrise

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Sunrise (from Time For Us – 2019)

Previous Thoughts: “Sunrise ups the tempo after a brief piano opening, giving the song some kick as we build toward the chorus. The verses veer from languid to sprightly with a balletic finesse, though the melody itself doesn’t leave much impact.” (full review)

Updated thoughts: For me, Sunrise is one of the most baffling singles in GFriend’s discography. It’s not a strange song or anything, but I feel like I should enjoy it a lot more than I do. I remember fans being very excited about this release during 2019, largely because it returned to a sound most of us missed from GFriend. But for me, the production and melodies lack the urgency and boldness of their early Youngbae/Iggy tracks. The vocals also seem less assured, even as the track blooms into a soaring finale. I find the arrangement a little piercing in places.

This write-up makes it sound like I hate the song, and that’s not true. I could never hate this style of music and would gladly take anything like Sunrise in 2024. However, I rarely return to it and would easily rank it lowest in this particular style of GFriend tracks.

Grade: B-