“What if…?” is one of the most haunting questions in the world, and it’s an inescapable part of GFriend’s legacy. From 2015 until 2020, the six-member girl group carved out a unique and beloved space in K-pop. After company Source Music was acquired by Hybe, their future seemed brighter than ever with new resources at their disposal. Then, abruptly and to-this-day somewhat mysteriously, GFriend disbanded. The shining possibilities of their future as a group became mere ‘what ifs.’
In the years that followed, the members have successfully pursued new ventures, with the most prominent being Eunha, SinB, and Umji’s re-debut as Viviz. Still, there was a clear sense that GFriend’s legacy lacked closure, and the members themselves frequently expressed interest in reuniting. It’s a proper new year’s treat that as 2025 kicks off, GFriend have finally done just that.
Comeback single “Season of Memories,” is, simply put, pure warm-hearted fanservice. In the same vein as SNSD’s reunion comeback “Forever 1,” “Season of Memories” seems to address fans directly, affirming GFriend’s enduring affection for each other and their supporters:
The days we were in love won’t disappear
We came round and round and miraculously met again
A long time has passed, but I found you in the end
Connected as one, engraved as one
Within our kind season, we will stay together forever
The MV leans heavily on nostalgia, using the visual metaphor of a train to drop countless easter eggs; The designs of certain train sections reference past GFriend comebacks, and a montage towards the end of the MV literally projects old footage onto the train itself. The train set is also used to show GFriend literally coming back together, with the members beginning the MV alone in separate cars and ending it together, side-by-side on a shared journey.
The use of bubblegum-colored animations throughout “Season of Memories” helps enliven the meaningful, but occasionally cookie-cutter visuals. It also injects an element of fantasy into the MV, calling back to GFriend’s longtime adoption of ethereal and fairy-tale aesthetics. Another highlight are several MV-exclusive production choices in its final, tear-jerking minute, particularly a very effective use of silence.
Despite certain nice details like this, “Season of Memories” is ultimately a fairly conventional fan song, and some elements, like the choreography and styling, are noticeably lacking in creative oomph. That “Season of Memories” exists at all is a welcome miracle, but it does feel artistically anticlimactic. Perhaps this is because GFriend were not just at the peak of their popularity before their disbandment, but also the height of their conceptual experimentation. The ‘what if’ of their incomplete creative renaissance makes the conventional nature of “Season of Memories” sting despite its other merits.
Chief among “Season of Memories” good qualities is its mature graciousness. While the general public will probably never know the full details of GFriend’s disbandment experience, it feels safe to assume there were some shenanigans involved. Bitterness would be an understandable response, and probably is felt by members and fans alike. However, “Season of Memories” takes a different, largely celebratory tact, choosing to emphasize GFriend’s accomplishments and enduring connection as their central legacy.
Crucially, the song is not delusional or avoidant in its glass-half-full outlook. The track begins with the lines “I couldn’t believe it, like it would all disappear/We came round and round and met again in time,” a straightforward acknowledgement of the bumpy road that led GFriend to this moment. It is this knowing edge that makes the overall softness of “Season of Memories” seem kind, but not foolish.
“Season of Memories” feels like a goodbye, but not necessarily to GFriend. Instead, it reads as the long-awaited conclusion of an unfinished book which, by gracefully wrapping up unfinished business, leaves the door open for future adventures.
(Twitter/X, YouTube[1][2]. Lyrics via YouTube. Images via HYBE, Source Music.)
