It didn't take long for GFRIEND to make the hearts of male fans beat faster. Their new song "Glass Bead" has gained them a lot of attention recently. Within a week after their debut they made it to the Top 10 charts of the main music programs. By January 20th, they rose to 3rd place in the live broadcast of SBS-MTV's The Show. On January 22nd, they were #6 in Mnet's M Countdown, and on SBS's Inkigayo they made it to 9th place. These achievements took music industry officials by complete surprise.
As pretty as they are in still photos, their explosive power of attraction doubles on the broadcast stage. The music videos for Glass Bead have surpassed 1 million views in Youtube. Videos of overseas fans covering their dance have also appeared. Foreign news media such as Britain's Reuters have shown interest in them; making their name known to an international audience. All of this has happened without ever once doing overseas promotions. The group is also surprisingly popular with female fans.
There is often talk about idol groups aiming to be 'different' from the rest. In reality, theirr concept eventually turns to either sexy or innocent. So what is actually 'different' about GFRIEND? The group's leader, Sowon, acknowledges, "while there are limits to what can kind of concepts we can cover, we prefer to express a healthy and lively form of innocent beauty that is unlike what is often seen."
"Whether it's sexy or innocent, there are still different ways to make an impression. Our outfits are simple sport hoodies and everyday wear. We only have the most basic type of makeup on. 'Healthy', that's what we believe we are, healthy. Instead of being gentle we go to the gym to kick and run. We are just athletic girls, what else can we be? (laughs)".
Some people have voiced concern over their "pure and healthy beauty" becoming a target for those who see them with perverted intentions. It is surprising to think that they are creating a 'taboo' with the outfits they wear and their type of concept. For that reason, they have been criticized as taking part in a marketing strategy that attempts to stimulate the most forbidden desires of men.
Sowon responded somewhat bitterly, "Although there are many good qualities we can show, there are those who feel that's not the case, so there's no use in thinking about them."
This caused the rest of the members to open their eyes wide. "This is what I an talking about," Sowon went on to explain different aspects of their appearance, such as that of the 'completely innocent' maknae Umji. While she was showing the album jacket photos, she said, "Oh! Look at our pretty legs." They were all was impressed by how they looked. Each member was asked about their ideal type, but they all had fun answering using imagined characters from romantic mangas. What is quite obvious is that GFRIEND are still very young and pure.
There's endless possibilities for GFRIEND. Like Shinhwa, a long lasting idol group, they want GFRIEND to continue on even 10 years later, when their average age becomes 28. Shinhwa debuted in 1998, close to when some members were born.
Some say that GFRIEND reminds them of Girls' Generation during their early debut days. In fact, the members were elementary school students who grew up desiring to be 'wannabes' of SNSD and the Wonder Girls. "We are Girl Friend. Twenty years from now, even when we are married and have children, without exception, all of us will remain together as one group. Ah! Of course, right now we want to win rookies of the year awards. We would like to travel around to see our fans on special occasions. When that day comes will you be there for us? We hope you can cheer for us when we finally meet. (laughs)"
[인터뷰]걸그룹 여자친구 “섹시 혹은 청순? 우린 건강”
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