Battle of the B-Sides:: GFRIEND: Rainbow

 One day, I'll be able to get to a boy group again. I decided to put the suggestions into a roulette wheel and do it that way because I just couldn't decide which one of them. I love roulette wheels, I've decided. Throw some options in there and then something else can decide instead of me. This is actually one of the newer submissions on The Form (with no way to make sure you see that I've already done it because you didn't leave any identifying or contact information so I have no idea where you found this to get it to you), so the turn around on it is only like a week. I wish I could do them in the order that they're given to me. Alas, my attention and whimsy is fleeting.

So, the usual background information. Rainbow, the album, is their first repackage album based on their fifth mini album. It was released a month after that with two new tracks: Summer Rain and Rainbow. Summer Rain is the title track, so would be eligible for a Greatest Hits post if someone would like to give that to me, but the one I'm currently interested in is Rainbow, the fourth track. Lyricist is Mafly, who has worked on a few GFRIEND songs, a few Girls' Generation songs, some Monsta X songs. Actually, it's a pretty decent list of groups that Mafly has worked on. Probably the biggest name is I by Taeyeon, but the two I'm most interested in are Love Paint (every afternoon) and Overcome, both by NU'EST. So, I like that. The composers are Fuxxy (who seems to have worked mostly on Chung Ha songs and also some other artists', like Ilhoon, tripleS, ARTMS, BTOB, and The Boyz), Anna Timgren (a lot of Chung Ha songs again, with some TWICE, IVE, LOONA, and fromis_9, among others), Vincenzo (again, Chung Ha, but also ILLIT, Ilhoon, Enhypen, BVNDIT, and ALL(H)OURS, but two songs that really caught my attention were Magnetic by ILLIT and Gemini by Jun (Seventeen)), and Any Masingga (once more, Chunga Ha songs are dominant, but also Ilhoon, CLC, ARTMS, tripleS, BVNDIT, BTOB, and DreamNote). Fuxxy also arranged it. And this isn't a b-side that won any awards sadly, but if the submission is accurate, then this is one of the more beloved b-sides from GFRIEND, which is exciting for me to discover.

Oh, you know I love the pretty piano and electric guitar combo. That's stunning. It's a stunning intro that rolls around to be the same at the beginning as at the end. Full circle. Beautiful. I really enjoy songs that have a frame like this, because they're usually musically narrative and have a specific flow with movements and events. And there's such a soft fluffiness surrounding the firm core of the song, that really, I'm just enjoying this one. It's so pretty. 

And the vocals? I'm pretty sure I'm listening to actual angels here. Vocally too, this is such a stunning song. We've got solid ad-libs that add an extra level to the chorus at the end, allowing for a good build up through the song. Thank you, whoever suggested this one. This is going in my The Soothes playlist. 

And I get why this is apparently a beloved b-side for the group. This is a song about soft love and hope so bright that when the fiercest storms are raging, they promise that the storm will be over eventually. And I try not to comment too much on current group statuses, but given what the group and the fans have endured the last four years, almost five, a song that promises nothing is impossible is a valuable and precious thing. This was so early in their career that the promise becomes even more special because it's untainted by what would come later. 

We saw the impossible happen with their reunion this year for their tenth anniversary.

The downside to listening to songs on repeat as I do is that the emotions, when I feel them, get to settle into my chest. The reason it's a downside is because I hate crying and this song gives me all the soft fuzzy feelings. Unfortunately, I cannot help but shed tears. So, here we are. It's the rare song that makes me cry and that's exactly what this one has achieved.

Oh, listen to that fanchant. This was from 2018, the year before 2019, which is a duh statement, I'll grant you, but 2019 was a significant year in the GFRIEND story. 

It seems that I've become maudlin. 

Okay. 

Happy feelings. This was 2018, only three years after debut. Everything about this performance is beautiful. The costumes are beautiful. The choreography is kind of exactly what I was hoping for if the song had choreography (sometimes the b-sides don't). And the ending of this song is absolutely gorgeous. The way the backup dancers unfold from the group is stunning. Whoever was the lighting designer for this concert deserves a round of applause. 

And here we go, seven years later. That should put you directly into when Rainbow starts, but if it doesn't, you are looking for 13:32. The absolute cutest part of this clip is that they're doing the choreography for the song in tiny. I don't know if they rehearsed it or if they were doing it off muscle memory. I don't think it really matters. What does matter is they clearly feel the song needs the choreography.

And the harmonies? It's harder to hear during the recording and also during the concert stage, but you can hear them so clearly for Killing Voice. Bless whoever decided to make sure that part was included in this snippet because that's so soft and lovely. Also, there's a very clear and distinct present maturity that I'm so in love with. 

Warning for strobing lights in the next video.

This one is a fancam from their 10th anniversary concert, and I really like how there's no mess and no fuss. You just get to see all of the choreography as you'd see it in a concert. 

Although first, shout out to the costuming because they look stunning.

Again, the lighting is gorgeous and so fitting. It looks like they've got a bit more power to their choreography here than they did in 2018, which makes sense because they're all fully adult women now. Just beautiful. I love it.

And there you have it. This one is a little bit shorter, but the song did make me cry, so that should be a recommendation in and of itself. In short, basically every element of this song is perfect. It is a beautiful song that deserves its place in many playlists.

If you've got any songs you'd like to submit for me to cover, drop a comment on this post or you can use The Form. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the song!