Here are my credentials (again): Like…one and a half? I’d consider myself a casual fan of Fromis_9; I’ve enjoyed a good deal of their singles, I know a couple b-sides, and I’ll sing along if their songs come up on shuffle, but I really don’t know much about the members and I’m looking forward to learning more! Also, from a more logistical side, I’m just on the heels of a four week long SHINHWA deep dive, and I needed something shorter, more fun, and way less heavy. So, let’s get into it!

(Part One)

EP #4: Midnight Guest

If the songs so far have felt like a sunny day, DM is more like a night spent out. The synths are paired with a more disco-y beat, more confident lyrics and tone, and a stronger hook at the beginning of the chorus that pulls from the gentle build-up in the pre-choruses. Though it’s still fun, it’s another step in what’s a longer maturation process that feels appropriate for a group now all in their 20’s. Also, I have to say that their voices sound great in this one!

The EP, Midnight Guest, is more on the melancholy, downtempo side than their past works, but is still strong. I enjoyed the sleek beat and strong vocal of Escape Room and the soft piano backdrop of Love Is Around.

EP #5: From Our Memento Box

Stay This Way returns to the sunny, summery songs from Fromis_9’s beginning, albeit in a more grown-up way that gives it a nostalgic, sun-drenched vibe with the lyrics about taking a break once in a while. It’s light and bright, and feels like a lazy afternoon at the beach. I’m (shockingly) not a fan of the random rapping in the second verse, but other than that, I quite liked this one, especially the bridge and final chorus.

From the EP, From Our Memento Box (which is much more upbeat), I enjoyed the fizzy, bright Up And Down, the lovely lyrics in Blind Letter, and surprisingly, the anti-drop lead-in to the chorus in Cheese, which normally I’d dislike.

Album #1: Unlock My World

#MeNow marks many firsts: the first full album, the first release in almost a year, and the first comeback without Gyuri, who left after Stay This Way. That’s a lot for one song, and yet #MeNow pulls it off. Beginning with a chic minimalistic sound before spiraling into a deeper, quasi-anthemic track led by a strong drumbeat, it comments on perfection and self-image while still feeling hopeful and bright and carrying the energy of a highschool sleepover. I’m not going to deny it, when they all began to climb the fence and run away together and the final chorus kicked in, I really felt something.

From the album, Unlock My World, I loved the mix of well…attitude and earnestness of Attitude, which was probably my hidden gem, but I also enjoyed the lyrics of going against expectations in Wishlist and In The Mirror, the danciness of Prom Night, the excellent disco influences in What I Want, and the warmth in My Night Routine. 

Single #5: Supersonic

Supersonic again is a return from hiatus, albeit in a much more restrained fashion than Me Now was. It’s more on the electronic side than they’ve been before, and leans into chiptune and bitpop, while still being light on its feet. It’s perfectly fine; the main issue I have with it is that it’s nothing unique, and there’s nothing more I can really say. It also doesn’t help that it has a very similar name to Aespa’s smash hit Supernova, which, despite not being perfect, is a much stronger and more inventive track overall that has a tendency to get stuck in your head, and I can’t help but compare them.

From the single, I enjoyed the fun, tropical pop of Take A Chance, which I think would have made a better single.

EP #6: From Our 20s

With over a year and a surprising lineup change between Supersonic and Like You Better (both their first comeback as five people and their first comeback under , I wasn’t sure what to expect from it. But I needn’t have worried. “In a way, this isn’t just a moment” it starts, and from there it’s synthy, tailor-made for summer, and unabashedly joyful, everything Fromis_9 excels at. The chorus is sprawling and vocal-heavy in all the best ways, tapping into that sound of nostalgia with lyrics about their long friendship for what’s clearly a grand return. And that outro! It may be the best part.

Part of my enjoyment of it, I’m sure, is the relief of seeing them still together (despite being only five now) after so long, but it’s also that this is just a great song, and it’s quickly become a favorite of mine from them. If you’ll forgive the pun, I confess I like it better than many of their past titles.

From the EP, I enjoyed the strong drive and surprisingly catchy vocalized hook of Rebelutional, the rock edge of Love = Disaster, and the nostalgic sound of Twisted Love. This is a very strong mini-album; I’m happy to see that despite the lineup changes, they’ve maintained their sound.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this. I didn’t know much about Fromis_9 when I began this deep dive, and I’m happy to report that that’s changed, mostly from my watch of their “In The House” show, which gave me some great laughs. I enjoyed their voices more than I thought I would, and I also gained a new appreciation for how interesting and unique their music videos are. So, I can’t call myself a fan exactly, but I’m definitely excited for their next comeback! And who knows, I might become one in the future.

My Top 5 songs are Love Bomb, #menow, Pinocchio, Like You Better, and Stay This Way, with Rebelutional as an honorable mention. Fromis_9 gets an 8.25 out of 10 from me. Similarly to LOONA and Purple Kiss (albeit in a different style), I feel like the quality of their music is pretty solid and I don’t think there were any tracks I actively disliked. But there also weren’t any tracks that just grabbed me and made themselves favorites either. Don’t get me wrong, I would take their discography over a half-incredible, half-terrible one any day, but for now, there’s nothing that makes them truly stand out from such tough competition.

Remember I mentioned wanting a good discography all the way through instead of terrible and fantastic? Well…next time, we’ll be doing a pretty huge boy group, so stay tuned!