Lovelyz: An Intro

Lovelyz were formed by Woollim Entertainment in 2014, with eight members: Jiae, Jisoo, Mijoo, Kei, Jin, Sujeong, Yein, and Baby Soul (the last of which, ironically, was their leader). At time of debut they ranged from 16-22, and are now 28-34. Lovelyz officially disbanded at their seventh anniversary in 2021, but have since reunited for two singles in 2024 and 2025.

Here are my credentials: I first heard of Lovelyz through the first season of the competition show Queendom, which aired in 2019. I was originally watching for (G)I-DLE, but found their performances interesting, and they’ve honestly been on my list since the beginning of this blog. As for the members, I’ve covered Kei’s solo album in my solo rankings, and I know a bit about Mijoo from her solos too, but otherwise, that’s it, so I’m going in about as blind as I can.

(P.S: Before we start, I had a ridiculously difficult time finding photos for this review and I’m really not sure why, since I haven’t had difficulties like that with other groups from their time. Either way, forgive me if the photos here aren’t as good quality as usual or not quite from the right era, and let’s get into it!)

Single #1: Good Night Like Yesterday

Unusually for a kpop group, Lovelyz made the choice to debut with a pop ballad, Good Night Like Yesterday, before their first official album. From the white dresses Lovelyz are wearing to the dramatic pops of red to the somewhat unnecessary slow-motion to the hazy, blurry filter that was basically ubiquitous then, the music video is just as 2014 as the song sounds. It honestly feels a bit like a K-drama OST, which isn’t an insult, but has never been a genre I’ve been very drawn to. I don’t see myself returning to it, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad song; it’s very clearly meant more for a Korean audience and that’s alright.

Album #1: Girls’ Invasion

The moment Candy Jelly Love began I found myself going: “wow, this is so much like GFriend’s Glass Bead.” Tea hair and plaid skirts abound, ladies and gentlemen. Candy Jelly Love follows a very classic kpop template, with its bubblegum sound, Drama schoolgirl aesthetic, and sense of cutesy humor, to say nothing of the amount of aegyo in the girls’ voices.

I know this kind of style is (or at least was) very popular, but it’s always rubbed me the wrong way, basically no matter who does it, be it LOONA in Hi High or WJSN in Happy or even GFriend, who I love, in their early years. I know the term “male gaze” is often used to refer to things that are deemed “overly sexy”, but it’s often under acknowledged in “cuter” forms like here. The way the camera focuses on their mouths when eating candy and their legs when they’re running is clearly intentional, and I don’t like the feeling that gives me. So needless to say, I didn’t really like the song or the MV but Lovelyz executes it well.

[Edit: it turns out I’m not crazy and the same sample from Glass Bead is in Candy Jelly Love. ]

From the album, my hidden gem was definitely Stranger ft Wheeseung. Not only do his and Lovelyz’s voices go so well together but they’re all excellent, and the song really stood out from the rest. There are also three non full-group tracks on this album: a unit with Babysoul and Kei, and solos from Yoo Jiae and Jin. My favorite was definitely Jiae’s—her voice is great and the song is simple but works well.

EP #1: Lovelyz8

If you’ve been a kpop fan for long enough, you’ll see Ah-Choo mentioned in many 3rd Gen kpop “Best Of” lists, and certainly in rankings of Lovelyz’s best. It’s difficult to put into words exactly what it is about the song that makes it stand out from the rest of their discography when it’s not quantitatively that different. The best way I can put it is that it takes the things that define Lovelyz’ strongest songs—a classical background married to bubblegum pop, a focus on the vocals, a music video based in humor, and that very classic kpop final chorus—and turns them all up to 11. A lot can be achieved by commitment, and for its faults, Ah-Choo never feels anything less than wholehearted.

From the EP, I enjoyed both the vocals in Hug Me and the bubblegum rush of Sweet and Sour (though I couldn’t see anything sour in it per se)

Single #1: Lovelinus

For You bursts out of the gate with bubblegum, which probably isn’t a surprise if you’ve read any of this review so far. That being said, here its sunniness is actually complimented, not exasperated by the music video’s storyline and some quite lovely lyrics about holding on to hope and being there when your loved ones need it. The fact that it was mostly shot either outside or in natural light is really nice, and a good break from the whitewashing studio lighting that still dominates kpop. I actually watched this MV twice: once to write the review, and once just to enjoy it.

From the single, my hidden gem was Circle; I really liked its build.

EP #2: A New Trilogy

Despite Ah-Choo’s popularity, Destiny was actually the first Lovelyz song I ever heard, from watching Oh My Girl give it a traditional makeover on the show Queendom. Though I admit I prefer the cover, the original is still gorgeous, and feels like it could be the theme to some kind of magical girl anime. It has such a lovely sense of whimsy to it, and though the song is simple in its structure, it doesn’t skip on the sense of magic. I only wish it had leaned in further.

From the EP, my hidden gem was the celestial, bubbly Fondant, with its surprisingly catchy chorus, but I also enjoyed both Dear You and 1CM. I think this is my favorite complete release so far.

Album #2: R U Ready? / Now, We

After the gentler, more classical-based Ah-Choo and Destiny, WoW! is a return to the tooth-aching bubblegum and frenetic energy of Lovelyz’s earlier singles. Though I like the verses, the chorus is…not great, to be honest. I kid you not, the actual lyrics are: “Blink, blink, blink, WOW; Tickle, tickle, tickle, WOW; Surprise, surprise, surprise, WOW.” Right. The best thing I think I can say is that I like how colorful the music video is, but that’s probably about it.

From the album, I enjoyed both the lovely instrumental of Night and Day and the excellent build of Hide and Seek, but I actually had two hidden gems! The first one is Cameo, which is definitely influenced by Lovelyz’s excellent musical-influenced performance of it. The second is The (just “The”), which trades Lovelyz’s usual straightforward pop for a rock-pop edged song with powerful vocals that I really enjoyed. I definitely prefer this to their first album, and maybe even to A New Trilogy, but we’ll have to see how I feel with time.

Next time, we’re back with part 2. Tschüss, 안녕!, and Goodbye!