Snowflake (EP)
Snowflake is the third extended play (EP) by South Korean girl group GFriend. It was released by Source Music on January 25, 2016 and distributed by LOEN Entertainment. The album contains five songs, including the single "Rough", and two instrumental tracks. The album debuted at number two on the Gaon Album Chart and has sold more than 33,000 units. GFriend promoted the album with a series of televised live performances on South Korea's music shows, winning a total of 15 music show awards and achieving a double-consecutive grandslam in one song. "Rough" was also commercially successful, topping the Gaon Digital Chart and selling more than one million digital downloads. Musically, the album is similar in style to K-pop from the late 1990s and 2000s.
Snowflake | ||||
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EP by | ||||
Released | January 25, 2016 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 21:42 | |||
Label |
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GFriend chronology | ||||
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Singles from Snowflake | ||||
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Release and promotion
GFriend's third EP was much-anticipated after the group won Rookie of the Year at the Golden Disk Awards and Best New Female Artist at the MelOn Music Awards for their hit singles "Glass Bead" and "Me Gustas Tu".[1] The album's title, Snowflake, and track list were revealed on January 14, 2016.[2] It was released on January 25, in both CD and digital formats. The lead single, "Rough", is the final song in the group's "school series" and represents the end of a school year.[3][4] They maintained their "powerful-innocent" concept, wearing school uniforms and showcasing "perfectly synchronized fierce and powerful" dance choreography.[1][5] The accompanying music video for "Rough" was inspired by the anime film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.[6] It was produced by Zanybros and directed by Hong Won-ki.[3]
Hours after the album's release, the group held a showcase at AX Korea in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, which was broadcast live via Naver's V app.[7] They performed songs from the album for the first time at the showcase.[1][8] The group then promoted the album with performances of "Rough" on various music shows, starting with SBS MTV's The Show on January 26. In their second week of promotion, the song won first place on every music show with a chart system. By February 28, "Rough" had won a total of 15 music show trophies, including "triple crowns" on M! Countdown, Music Bank, Show Champion, and Inkigayo.[9][10][11] With these wins, GFriend is in second place for number of wins by a girl group for a single song, behind Apink's 17 wins for "Luv".[9][12]
Composition
The album opens with a dramatic intro track, "Snowflake". The lead single, "Rough", is a dance song described as "lyrical, catchy, and melodic" with "powerful beats and emotional lyrics".[13] Its Korean title literally translates to "Running Through Time", and the lyrics are about a girl's desire to "run through time and grow up" so she can be with the one she loves.[1][14][15] "Say My Name" features drums, acoustic guitar, and synthesizer riffs. "Luv Star" is a medium-tempo dance song with string instrumentation and "Someday" was described as an "energetic cheer song". "Trust" is a medium-tempo pop ballad that portrays the love story of a "shy but serious girl".[16] "Rough" and "Say My Name" were written by Iggy and Seo Yong-bae, who also wrote both of GFriend's previous singles. Seo is an in-house producer at Rainbow Bridge World.[17]
Reception
The album entered the weekly Gaon Album Chart at number two, selling 11,165 physical copies in one week.[18][19] It was also number ten on the Billboard World Albums chart.[20] As of June 2016, it has sold more than 33,000 copies.[21] All five songs from the album charted on the Gaon Digital Chart, with "Rough" peaking at number one the third week of release.[22][23] "Rough" has sold more than 1.2 million digital downloads as of May 2016.[24] During the month of January, the music video for "Rough" was the third most watched K-pop music video globally.[25]
Won Ho-jung of The Korea Herald said the album's musical style is similar to K-pop from the late 1990s and 2000s, and can appeal to fans who still want the "old-style feel" of classic Korean pop idol groups.[26] Won described "Rough" and "Say My Name" as powerful and dramatic, and "Luv Star" and "Someday" as adorable and "sugary sweet". Won called GFriend's vocals "on point" and noted that the members were able to adeptly switch between "powerful, soaring voices" and "cutesy, nasal voices" for the two types of songs. Overall, Won said the album "demonstrates GFriend's potential to move beyond the cliché schoolgirl concept and do something interesting of their own, bringing classic girl groups to 21st-century K-pop."[26]
Track listing
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
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1. | "Snowflake" (Intro) |
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| 1:16 | |
2. | "Rough" (Korean: 시간을 달려서; RR: Siganeul Dallyeoseo) |
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| 3:29 |
3. | "Say My Name" (내 이름을 불러줘; Nae Ireumeul Bulleojwo) |
|
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| 3:08 |
4. | "Luv Star" (사랑별; Sarangbyeol) | E.ONE | E.ONE |
| 3:08 |
5. | "Someday" (그런 날엔; Geureon Naren) | Heuk Tae |
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| 3:37 |
6. | "Trust" | No Ju-hwan |
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| 3:35 |
7. | "Rough" (Instrumental) |
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| 3:29 | |
Total length: | 21:42 |
Accolades
GFriend at the 2016 Melon Music Awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Totals[lower-alpha 1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wins | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nominations | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Note
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Music programs awards
Indicates a Music Show All-Kill or Grandslam: Winning all of the Music Programs in an entire week consecutively. |
Indicates a Music Show All-Kill or Grandslam: Winning all of the Music Programs in an entire week consecutively. |
Program | Network | Date | Ref. |
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The Show | SBS MTV | February 2, 2016 | [27] |
February 16, 2016 | |||
Show Champion | MBC M | February 3, 2016 | |
February 17, 2016 | |||
February 24, 2016 | |||
M Countdown | Mnet | February 4, 2016 | |
February 11, 2016 | |||
February 18, 2016 | |||
Music Bank | KBS | February 5, 2016 | |
February 12, 2016 | |||
February 19, 2016 | |||
February 26, 2016 | |||
Inkigayo | SBS | February 7, 2016 | |
February 21, 2016 | |||
February 28, 2016 |
2016 Year-End/Decade Listicles
Critic/Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
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Billboard | Top 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2016: Critic's Picks | 13 | [28] |
KultScene | Top 50 Best Korean Songs of 2016 | 37 | [29] |
SBS PopAsia | Top 6 K-Pop Songs of 2016 | 1 | [30] |
Spotify | Best of 2016: K-Pop Playlist | [31] | |
Kim Youngdae (KMA's Music Critic) | Best K-Pop Idol Songs of 2007-2017: Critic's Pick | [32] | |
Yang Soha (Music Critic) | Top 50 Kpop Tracks (2015-2019) | 44 | [33] |
MelOn | MelOn Top100 Songs of the Decade Chart | 67 | [34] |
Year-End Awards/Other Accolades
Year | Organization | Category | Results | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | ATKP x IDOL CHAMP Awards | Best Group Dance | Won | [35] |
2020 | Bugs Music Awards | Most Loved Song | Won | [36] |
Most No.1 on Bugs | Won | [37] | ||
2017 | Gaon Chart Music Awards | Song of the Year – January | Won | [38] |
Golden Disk Awards | Digital Bonsang | Won | [39] | |
2016 | Mnet Asian Music Awards | Best Dance Performance (Female) | Won | [40] |
Song of the Year | Nominated | |||
Melon Music Awards | Best Dance Performance (Female) | Won | [41] | |
Top10 Artist (Bonsang) | Won | |||
Naver Music Awards | 2016's Over-all Top10 Chart | Won | [42][43] | |
Top10 Streaming Chart | Won | |||
Top10 Download Chart | Won | |||
Top10 Genre Chart (Dance) | Won | |||
Top10 BGM Chart | Won | |||
2017 | Seoul Music Awards | Main Prize (Bonsang) | Won | [44] |
SBS MTV Best of the Best | Best of Best View | Won | [45] | |
2016 | Weekly Idol Year-End Awards | 2X-Speed Dance Challenge of the Year | Recipient | [46][47] |
Charts
Weekly charts
Monthly charts
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Year-end charts
Sales and certifications
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Notes
References
- Ahn Sung-mi (January 26, 2016). "GFriend drops new EP amid much fanfare". The Korea Herald. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- Kim Ji-young (January 14, 2016). "'Girlfriend' unveils teaser images for upcoming album". K-Pop Herald. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- Kim Byung-kwan (January 25, 2016). "[Photo] GFriend Steals Hearts at Comeback Showcase". enewsWorld. CJ E&M. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- "GFriend". After School Club. Episode 199. February 16, 2016. Event occurs at 15:58. Arirang. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
- "여자친구 3rd Mini Album 'SNOWFLAKE'" [GFriend 3rd Mini Album "Snowflake"] (in Korean). Melon. LOEN Entertainment. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
- Lee Jae-hoon (February 6, 2016). "[초점]'여자친구' 명실상부 신흥 대세 걸그룹, 어떻게?" (in Korean). Newsis. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
- "GFriend to hold 1st showcase". K-Pop Herald. January 19, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- Shin Ji-hye (January 26, 2016). "[V Report] GFriend wants to 'collaborate with San E'". K-Pop Herald. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- Park Se-jin (March 2, 2016). "G-Friend dominates Korean music scene". Aju Business Daily. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- Hicap, Jonathan M. (February 20, 2016). "GFriend achieves 2 triple crowns". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
- Kang Seo-jeong (February 24, 2016). "여자친구, '쇼챔' 1위 '트리플크라운'..13관왕 '대기록'[종합]" [GFriend wins number one on 'Show Champion' for the triple crown... 13th trophy so far] (in Korean). OSEN. Naver News. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
- Kim Jae-heun (March 2, 2016). "It's GFriend Time". The Korea Times. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- Kim Dong-Joo (January 25, 2016). "GFRIEND makes a successful comeback with 'ROUGH'". StarN News. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
- GFriend (January 24, 2016). "[MV] 여자친구(GFRIEND) _ 시간을 달려서(Rough)". LOEN Entertainment. YouTube. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
- Jang Mi-ran (January 28, 2016). "GFriend Promises to Have a Meal with 100 Fans If They Win No.1 on Music Programs". enewsWorld. CJ E&M. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
- Ko Su-jin (January 25, 2016). "GFriend′s SinB Hopes to Win No.1 on Music Programs This Year". enewsWorld. CJ E&M. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
- "음표를 그리는 사람들⑬ 서용배 작곡가, 아이돌 성공의 철학 (인터뷰)". 10Asia (in Korean). Hankyung. April 1, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
- "2016년 05주차 Album Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
- "2016년 01월 Album Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
- "World Music: Top World Albums Chart (February 13, 2016)". Billboard. February 13, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
- 2016년 상반기 결산 Album Chart [First half of 2016 Album Chart]. Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 16, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
- "2016년 05주차 Digital Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
- "2016년 07주차 Digital Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
- Cumulative sales for "Rough":
- 2016년 01월 Download Chart [January 2016 Download Chart] (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
- 2016년 02월 Download Chart [February 2016 Download Chart] (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
- 2016년 03월 Download Chart [March 2016 Download Chart] (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
- 2016년 04월 Download Chart [April 2016 Download Chart] (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
- 2016년 19주차 Download Chart [Week 19 of 2016 Download Chart] (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
- 2016년 20주차 Download Chart [Week 20 of 2016 Download Chart] (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
- Benjamin, Jeff (November 2, 2016). "January 2016 Most Viewed K-Pop Videos in America, Around the World". Billboard. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
- Won Ho-jung (January 29, 2016). "[Album Review] Gfriend carries classic girl group torch". The Korea Herald. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- Son Ji-hyoung (February 22, 2016). "GFriend 'formidable' with 12th victory". K-Pop Herald. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
- Benjamin, Jeff. "20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2016: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
- "Top 50 Best Korean Songs of 2016". KultScene. Retrieved December 25, 2016.
- "Top 6 K-Pop songs of 2016". SBS Pop Asia. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
- "Best of 2016: K-Pop Playlist (Playlist got deleted)". Spotify. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
- "케이팝 아이돌 베스트 2007-2017에 선정한 120곡 영상 및 리스트입니다. (2)". Twitter, YouTube. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
- "2015 – 2019 케이팝 결산 Domestic by 양소하 - 2020년 11월 21일". Tonplein. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- "Rough listed at #67 at MelOn Top100 Songs of the Decade Chart [2010s-2019s]". melon.com.
- "Best Group Dance at 2016 ATK Awards IDOL Full". MBC E1's All The Kpop.
- "GFriend "Rough" listed as one of the 20 Songs that received the love from the Bugs Channel, plus Trophy". music.bugs.co.kr.
- "GFriend "Rough" listed as on of the Most No.1 at Bugs [61 Times], plus Trophy". music.bugs.co.kr.
- James Buhain (February 18, 2016). "Big Bang, EXO Take Home Major Trophies For 2016 Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards". kpopstarz.com. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
- Yoon Min-sik (January 15, 2017). "Exo, Twice grab top honors at Golden Disc awards". koreaherald.com. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
- Tamar Herman (December 2, 2016). "8 Can't-Miss Performances From the Mnet Asian Music Awards". billboard.com. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
- Chung Joo-won (November 20, 2016). "BTS, EXO, TWICE top 2016 Melon Music Awards". english.yonhapnews.co.kr. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
- "GFriend on 2015 Best of Best Naver Music Awards". Naver Music. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
- "GFriend won various awards on 2016 Best of Best Naver Music Awards". Naver Music. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
- "'서가대' 엑소, 4년 연속 대상..방탄은 앨범·트와이스는 음원상[종합]" (in Korean). Naver. January 19, 2017. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
- "GFriend won the Best of Best View at 100th Episode of SBS MTV". The Show. February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
- "GFriend winning Best 2X Dance at 6th Weekly Idol Awards". Weekly Idol. February 1, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
- "GFriend won on Weekly Idol". MWave. February 1, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
- "2016년 01월 Album Chart". Gaon Music Chart. Korea Music Content Industry Association. Retrieved March 1, 2016.