ViViZ is unique for a girl group, in a way being like a subunit since it’s composed of three former members of the now-disbanded group Gfriend: SinB, Umji, and Eunha. They debuted in 2022, around a year and a half after Gfriend’s last comeback.

Here are my credentials: I’ve been a Buddy (a Gfriend fan) since around 2021, and so I was really looking forward to ViViZ’s debut, but I haven’t really kept up with their releases since then, so I’m hoping to have a little trip down memory lane while also discovering some new tracks to enjoy.

EP #1: Beam Of Prism

Bop Bop is their debut, and as of the start of this review, the only song of theirs that I’ve heard. From the start, it’s more solidly poppy and bright than Gfriend’s work, with a simpler hook. To its credit, it’s not meant to reinvent the wheel or anything, and it’s pretty enjoyable for what it is. I do really like its chorus, and I’m glad that it doesn’t stop after the hook, but instead spirals out into a richer one. My favorite part would have to be the outro, though. Also, this is a bit of a digression, but the red-purple-blue color scheme for the three different members reminds me of LOONA Odd Eye Circle.

From the EP, Beam Of Prism, I enjoyed the hints of brass in Latin-Pop inspired Fiesta (though I wish it went a little further), the relaxed catchiness of Lemonade, and the percussive guitar of Love You Like.

EP #2: Summer Vibe

Loveade is solidly a summer track, and is appropriately peppy and fizzy for that. It’s actually more reserved than I expected it to be, existing more in an ethereal space with a minimalist chorus and no real show stopping moments. It’s more vibe-y than great in its own right, but it’s not a bad song by any stretch. I especially like the high notes in the hook, courtesy of Eunha, whose voice has always been a favorite of mine.

From the EP, Summer Vibe, though I enjoyed the dancy lightness of Party Pop, my hidden gem was Love Love Love. Though it’s not dissimilar to Loveade, it goes further in the bright and catchy direction, starting its chorus with a slowed-down confidence before going in a smoother, synthier direction. Basically, it should’ve been the title track.

Single #1: Rum Pum Pum

Rum Pum Pum is a special single, done as a collaboration with Universe music, but since ViViZ’s discography isn’t that large, I’m covering it here. It’s bolder and grander than most of their work so far, with what’s a pretty solid build-up but a little more empty of a chorus than it deserves. I do like this track in general, and I can groove to it, but it doesn’t leave much of an impression on me. Also, I don’t know what was going on in the music video, but I wasn’t a fan of whatever vaguely Egyptian / Middle Eastern…vibe? they were going for. It made me a bit uncomfortable.

EP #3: Various

Pull Up takes the confidence that made Rum Pum Pum more interesting, and interpolates a jazzier background, more attitude, and a stronger hook than ViViZ has had before. This is definitely their strongest work thus far, and the first that feels like it has its own identity. If I had one gripe, it would be that I wish the brass made more of an appearance throughout the whole song rather than be confined to small sections, but overall, I like this one!

From the EP, Various, I enjoyed the noir soundtrack jazziness and broken-up chorus of Blue Clue (my hidden gem), the quick footed, percussive chorus of Love Or Die, and the great, soothing vocals of Overdrive.

EP #4: Versus

Maniac builds on what Pull Up started; it keeps the minimalism, but instead of having a great pre-chorus and a let down like Rum Pum Pum, it goes for a more subdued build-up and then pushes through with an ethereal, deceptively catchy vocalized hook that really makes the whole thing. This is the first song that I’ve wanted to return to, and play again, because it’s quite unique, and that hook only gets better with time. I hope they go further in this direction in the future.

From the EP, Versus, I enjoyed the husky verses and slowly creeping chorus of Untie, the expertly controlled vocalizing in Overflow, and the comforting lyrics of Day By Day.

EP #5: Voyage

I was really looking forward to the release of Shh!, since it comes on the heels of their best release so far in Maniac, and I’m happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed! It combines Maniac’s ethereal quality and dramatic feeling with the kind of catchphrase chorus anti-drop that normally I would decry, but that works pretty well here, especially when combined with the pre-chorus’ hook. I really liked the final minute, from the expansiveness of the bridge to the elevated last chorus to the return of the bridge again in the outro. The best way I can put it is that this feels like a song with a 3rd gen outlook wrapped in a 5th gen bow.

From the EP, though I enjoyed the mix of sing-talk and smooth vocalizing in Cliche, my hidden gem was the sappy, nostalgic Love and Tears, which reminded me so much of Gfriend. God, I miss them.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this. First of all, it was great to see the members of Gfriend again, even in a limited capacity, and to hear their voices. They’ve always had (and still have) excellent stage presence, and it’s a treat to watch. For this review, I also rewatched their time on Queendom 2, including both performances and BTS content. I enjoyed most of their b-sides too, and discovered some great new additions to my playlists. I admit, though, it also made me miss Gfriend.

My Top 5 songs are Maniac, Pull Up, Love Love Love, Blue Clue, and Love Or Die, with Love & Tears as an honorable mention. ViViZ gets an 8.25 out of 10 from me, which is higher than I expected. I think one of the biggest issues here is similar to my issue with IVE, which is that a lot of their tracks, while good, don’t feel like they have an identity of their own. Thankfully, unlike IVE, ViViZ seems to be slowly finding their sound, and I think that their future looks bright if they continue on this path. I’m excited to see where they go next!

Next time, we’re back with a big one! Stay tuned! Tschüss!