By Diana | @parkenjoyer
On May 26, K-Pop girl group GWSN, also known as Girls in the Park, released their fifth mini-album The Other Side of the Moon and the music video for the title track “Like It Hot.”
The album marks their first release under The Wave Music, which was formerly known as Kiwi Media Group. GWSN previously released music under The Wave Music subsidiary labels Kiwi Pop and MILES Entertainment.
Album Overview and Highlights
The Other Side of the Moon opens with “Burn (Song by MIYA, SEORYOUNG, ANNE, LENA),” which starts off with smooth synths, a steady trap beat, and soft vocals; the dynamics of which eventually increase as the chorus features a prominent EDM sound. The album moves on to “I Can’t Breathe,” which credits members Lena and Seoryoung for the lyrics. As the song progresses, some house music elements, whispered vocals that develop into a sung melody, and the reuse of the whispers towards the ending of the track are introduced.
The title track “Like It Hot” has some trap beats along with tropical house elements at the beginning. For the chorus, the song shifts into regular house music and utilizes an electric guitar, highlighting the chorus and adding some edge to it. The teasers, album cover, and title all serve to give the track a dualistic, darker feel and contrasts from their previous releases. This suggests that while “BAZOOKA!” was a transition, “Like It Hot” is marking the start of a new era for the group. The track was produced by Scott Russell Stoddart and Ryan S. Jhun, who has written for SHINee, SNSD, Red Velvet, and IU.
“e i e i o” is the fourth track on the album. It features triplets in the bass, synths, a glockenspiel, and a simple melody that provides contrast to the complex instrumental. The song, as one might assume from the title, provides a very playful and youthful take on love and pursuing someone.
The fifth song on the album is called “Starry Night,” with lyric credits for Lena and Seoryoung once again. The song provides a fresh feeling as it goes back to the musical features used in previous tracks on the album, such as trap beats, a strong EDM presence, and significant use of synths. This track also features some arpeggios to back up the main melody line and there’s even a key change thrown in on the bridge. This is a soft track, however; the use of rhythmic talking makes the track more energetic than you would expect.
The sixth and final track on the album is called “I Sing (lalala).” It uses an electronic piano and has a groovy bass line. The song features a catchy chorus and heavily utilizes chords that you would hear in jazz and R&B, such as minor sevenths. The backing instruments include some improvisation, which is a common occurrence in jazz performances.
Visual Artistry
The cover art for the album was shared on GWSN’s Twitter account, adding that Miya created the illustration for the album’s cover. She previously illustrated the cover art for the group’s fourth mini-album, The Keys, and has shared updates on Twitter which occasionally feature her artwork.
The music video for “Like It Hot” includes different styling for the GWSN members: more colorful and vibrant styles during the day, and darker, more dramatic clothing and makeup during the night. They demonstrate a clear use of both visual and audio design to portray the contrast between the different parts of themselves. The English translation of the lyrics suggests that the light and darkness are referring to shedding light on the love interest’s secrets and asking them to be vulnerable.
Soso’s Return
This comeback was extra special for GWSN fans, known officially as Groo, because this comeback included all seven members, marking the first time Soso has participated in a comeback since 2019. Soso has been on hiatus since April 2020 due to an aggravated injury and mental health concerns, which caused her to sit out on promotions for The Keys.
On April 29, The Wave Music announced that GWSN would make a comeback with all seven members on May 20. The same day, Soso finally posted an update on Twitter, announcing her return from hiatus. The comeback was pushed back and eventually released on May 26, and the group hosted a VLIVE to talk about the comeback and answer fans’ questions.
[#소소] 안녕하세요 소소입니다 다들 기사 보시고 깜짝 놀랐죠?? 오랜만이에요 그루들 많이 보고 싶었어요? 이렇게 다시 멤버들과 활동하게 되었어요 열심히 연습하고 있으니 기대 해주세요! 앞으로 잘 부탁드립니다?❤
⠀#공원소녀 #GWSN #公園少女 #公园少女 #GirlsinthePark #소소 #ソソ #SOSO pic.twitter.com/B5QFTNyV3L— 공원소녀 GWSN (@official_GWSN) April 29, 2021
Enjoyed reading about GWSN’s mini-album The Other Side of the Moon? To catch up with recent releases, check out our coverage on Alexa and Bader AlShuaibi’s collaboration here!
Thumbnail courtesy of The Wave Music
