Here are my credentials (again): 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. Let’s get into it!

(Read Part 1 Here)

EP #3: Fall In Lovelyz

I listen to all of a group’s songs before watching the MVs, so I didn’t quite realize how Christmasy Twinkle was going to be until I pressed play. I know I’m really coming off like some kind of witch who’s allergic fun in this review so far, but there’s a special place in the empty cavern of my soul that holds only hatred for Christmas music. I know, I’m sorry. The best I can say is that, as songs like this go, it’s not bad (the vocals especially are really nice), but once again it’s not for me.

The songs of this EP honestly blended together for me, so I didn’t have a hidden gem, but if I had to pick a favorite it’d be Secret Garden, for its instrumental. 

EP #4: Heal

That Day goes the exact opposite direction from Twinkle, diving headfirst into the kind of bubbly summer sound that’s been a staple in kpop since the aughts. Just by virtue of that, it’s a step up from Twinkle, but I actually thought it was good on its own merits too. I liked the light-touch classical background, the poppier elements, and of course, the vocals, but my favorite part was probably that joyful explosion in the final chorus, which I admit brought a smile to my face.

From the EP, while I enjoyed the light backdrop of Temptation and the absolutely stunning vocals in Watercolor, my hidden gem was Shining Star, which marries Lovelyz’s bright classical sound with an energetic chiptune blast that I think works very well.

Single #2: Wag-zak

Wag-zak picks up where That Day left off, with a colorful beachside music video filmed in Okinawa, Japan (at least according to Namu). After a lot of videos that felt overly cutesy, I enjoyed watching the members have a seemingly more relaxed time goofing off with each other. At its best, Wag-zak reminds me of songs like WJSN’s Boogie Up and GFriend’s Sunny Summer, but it lacks a hook as strong as either of those. Still, it’s a sweet, fun song, and while I might not search it out, I still liked listening to it.

EP #5: Sanctuary

Lost N Found leaves the beach for a fantastical Garden of Eden, and Lovelyz’s classical pop sound. I think that the opening to this song is honestly one of their best, and if the entire thing lived up to its potential, it would easily be my favorite. But overall, I just feel like it’s missing something. If I had to pinpoint one change, I think Lost N Found focuses too heavy on making itself sound like a typical pop song and appeal to a broad market, instead of leaning into the things that could make it more unique. I know I sound harsh, but it’s mostly because I really think that this song has something great in it. It’s just not quite there.

From the EP, I enjoyed the soaring vocals of Like U and the soothing classical pop of Rewind.

EP #6: Once Upon a Time

When We Were Us is another entry in Lovelyz’s fizzy bubblegum pop sound, embodying spring from basically its first chord. Though I still feel like the song doesn’t quite deliver on the promise of the intro, I still enjoyed listening to it and watching the MV. The vocals are great as always, and I especially liked the final chorus, with the way each disparate element of the song clicks into place.

From the EP, though I found most of it comparable to the others, my hidden gem was Close To You. I feel like it nails all of the small faults I’ve found with Lovelyz’s work so far. It has a great build-up and payoff, it marries classical and pop perfectly, and it does all this without sacrificing the vocals that makes Lovelyz special.

EP #7: Unforgettable

It’s always tough reviewing a song whose title is shared by another that you love. In this case, when I saw that Lovelyz’s lead single for this EP was called “Obliviate”, my first thought was IU’s excellent “Obliviate,” which isn’t fair, I know. Putting my preconceptions to the side, this song is honestly pretty great, and as I listen more, it’s making its way up my list of favorite Lovelyz singles. If I had to find a fault, I’d say that the main chorus isn’t quite as good as the pre-chorus (few things are), but I can forgive it considering that it’s still fairly strong.

From the EP, I enjoyed the mile-a-minute rush of Dream in a Dream and the light touch of Never, Secret, but my hidden gem was definitely Worry Dolls. Led by acoustic guitar with Lovelyz’s classical touch, it’s also the last song on the last mini album, and feels like a fitting end to me. And that electric ending? Perfect.

Single #3: Dear

Though Lovelyz has, as mentioned, disbanded, they reunited a couple years back for a tenth anniversary single, Dear. Anniversary singles (especially with a looming disbandment or one in the past) are fairly formulaic fan songs, most of the time, but somehow they always end up being my favorite, and this is no exception. Set to footage of their reunion concert in 2024, Dear is a very sweet song that showcases Lovelyz’s vocals and is also a look back on how far they’ve come. A fitting way to end, I think.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this. As mentioned, I really didn’t know much about Lovelyz before this review, and while there isn’t a huge amount of content out there about them, I’m happy I was able to learn a little more. While editing, I watched their MTV Asia interview, as well as Mijoo’s appearance on Korean Englishman and Kei’s clips from her time at Death Note the Musical. I also had a good time rewatching their performances on Queendom, which I could appreciate in a whole new light. I especially loved Cameo and Sixth Sense (the vocals there are INCREDIBLE).

My Top 5 songs were Cameo, Worry Dolls, Destiny, Close To You, and Shining Star, with Lost N Found as an honorable mention. Lovelyz gets a 7.75 out of 10 from me. At their best I think Lovelyz is a lot like Gfriend. But the best thing about Gfriend is how much they evolved beyond their original concept, where it feels like Lovelyz hasn’t, even though they clearly have the talent to. A lot of people have said to me that my “bad” reviews must be the hardest to write, but to be honest, those are easy; once I can explain what I don’t like and what I think could be improved, the writing’s fairly smooth. A review like this, where none of the music is “bad” but just doesn’t capture me, is almost impossible for me. I wish I had better words to close out my thoughts, but I’m having trouble really articulating why I didn’t like Lovelyz’s music as much as I expected to. So I’ll just say that the members are very talented and I’m happy to see that their careers all seem to be doing well after the disbandment.

Next time, we’re onto another girl group, that I have covered before but want to take a second look at. Tschüss, 안녕!, and Goodbye.