GFriend

GFriend

Company type	Girl group
Industry	Music
Founded	2015
Founder	Source Music
Defunct	2021-05-22
Headquarters	South Korea
Products	Music albums, EPs, singles, concerts
Owner	Source Music (until 2021)

GFriend (stylized in all caps; ) is a South Korean girl group established by Source Music in 2015. Comprising six members—Sowon, Yerin, Eunha, Yuju, SinB, and Umji—the group made their debut with the EP Season of Glass on January 15, 2015. Despite being under a relatively small label, they quickly attracted attention by securing several rookie awards.

Their position in the music industry was firmly established in 2016 through their third EP, Snowflake, featuring the title track "Rough", which achieved number one on multiple music programs. That year also marked the release of their first full-length album, LOL. In 2017, the group's fourth EP, The Awakening, garnered over 100,000 pre-orders, reflecting significant commercial success. Later that year, they issued their fifth EP, Parallel, which was subsequently re-released as Rainbow.

During 2018, GFriend broadened their discography with the sixth EP Time for the Moon Night and the special EP Sunny Summer. They also ventured into the Japanese market with the compilation album GFriend 1st Best, conducted their inaugural concert, and embarked on an Asian tour. Their 2019 output included their second studio album Time For Us alongside their seventh EP Fever Season.

In 2020, GFriend completed their "回" series with two EPs and a third studio album. This period was notable as they became the first female group to participate in a Grammy Mini Masterclass. The group disbanded on May 22, 2021, following contract expirations that led all members to depart from Source Music. Subsequently, Eunha, SinB, and Umji formed Viviz in 2022 under BPM Entertainment.

In September 2024, GFriend revealed plans for a reunion commemorating their tenth anniversary in 2025. Their comeback single album Season of Memories was released on January 13, 2025, accompanied by a concert tour.

2015: Debut with Season of Glass, Flower Bud, and growing acclaim

On January 15, 2015, GFriend introduced their debut EP Season of Glass, containing five tracks. The lead single "Glass Bead", crafted by Seo Yong-bae and Iggy, entered Gaon's weekly chart at number twelve. Promotions began the following day on KBS' Music Bank. The music video for "Glass Bead" ranked ninth among YouTube's "Most Viewed K-Pop Videos Around the World in January 2015". On January 28, Billboard recognized GFriend as one of the "Top 5 K-Pop Artists to Watch in 2015".

Their second EP, Flower Bud, along with its lead track "Me Gustas Tu", was released on July 23. The group commenced immediate promotions on Mnet's M Countdown. International attention surged after a fan-recorded video captured them persevering through a slippery stage despite multiple falls—highlighting their dedication and professionalism—particularly Yuju, who endured five falls and injured her finger. GFriend stood out as the sole girl group nominated for the "Best Korean Act" at the 2015 MTV Europe Music Awards, competing alongside male groups such as BTS and Got7. On Gaon's Year-End Top 100 chart for 2015, "Me Gustas Tu" ranked thirty-eighth in sales, while both "Me Gustas Tu" and "Glass Bead" appeared at eighteenth and forty-fourth respectively on Bugs' Year-End Top 100 list.

2016: Breakthrough with Snowflake, initial music show victories, and releases of Showtime and LOL

On January 25, 2016, GFriend unveiled their third extended play, Snowflake, highlighted by the title track "Rough". This song marked the conclusion of GFriend's high school-themed trilogy, following the earlier singles "Glass Bead" and "Me Gustas Tu". Promotional activities kicked off on January 26 through SBS MTV's program The Show. Snowflake entered the Billboard World Albums Chart at position ten, while the "Rough" music video secured the third spot among the "Most Viewed K-Pop Videos Globally in January 2016" on YouTube.

On February 2, GFriend achieved their inaugural music show trophy for "Rough" on The Show. Over the course of 2016, they accumulated a total of 15 music show wins, including triple crowns on M Countdown, Music Bank, Show Champion, and Inkigayo. This accomplishment ranked them second in terms of wins among girl groups that year, trailing only behind Apink. Additionally, "Rough" topped the Gaon Chart’s First Half of 2016 rankings.

On June 15, it was confirmed that GFriend would join Mamamoo as cast members for a new installment of Showtime. Subsequently, on June 29, Source Music announced preparations for their debut full-length album, LOL, which stands for both "Laughing Out Loud" and "Lots of Love". The album was officially released on July 11 with "Navillera" as its lead single and garnered over 60,000 pre-orders worldwide. On July 19, GFriend secured their first music show victory for "Navillera" on The Show.

At the close of the year, YouTube listed "Rough" and "Navillera" as the second and tenth most viewed K-pop music videos among South Korean audiences in 2016. Both tracks also featured prominently in the 2016 Bugs Year-End Top 100 chart. Billboard included "Rough" at number thirteen in its compilation of the 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2016: Critic's Picks. During the 2016 KBS Song Festival, GFriend's rendition of "Rough" reached peak audience ratings of 10.3%. Furthermore, Gaon Chart’s Year-End Download Chart identified "Rough" as the highest downloaded song throughout 2016.

2017: Debut fan meeting, releases of The Awakening, Parallel and repackaged album Rainbow

Source Music announced on February 23, 2017, that GFriend would return with new material scheduled for March 6. Four days later, their fourth EP was revealed to be titled The Awakening, featuring "Fingertip" as its lead single. Pre-order sales surpassed 100,000 copies, setting a new personal best for the group. The EP debuted at number five on the Billboard World Albums chart.

In April, GFriend hosted their inaugural fan meeting event named "Dear Buddy", which quickly sold out upon announcement.

On August 1, they released their fifth EP titled Parallel, led by the single "Love Whisper". The following month saw the release of a repackaged edition called Rainbow, featuring "Summer Rain" as its primary track.

2018: First solo concert, release of Time for the Moon Night, Japanese debut, Sunny Summer, and "Memoria"

GFriend commenced 2018 by holding their inaugural solo concert, titled "Season of GFriend," on January 6 and 7. The group entered the Japanese market through a contract with King Records. Their sixth extended play, Time for the Moon Night, achieved the top position on Gaon's Download, Album, and Social charts, with domestic sales surpassing 84,000 copies. This release placed them alongside Girls' Generation and Twice as the girl groups with the most Top 10 appearances on the Billboard World Albums Chart, each having five entries. Throughout the promotional period, "Time for the Moon Night" secured six music show trophies, becoming the first track in 2018 to win all major music program awards.

In May, GFriend promoted their Japanese compilation album Kyō Kara Watashitachi wa ~ GFriend 1st Best ~, which was released on May 23 and reached number 10 on Oricon’s weekly album rankings. On July 19, they unveiled their summer-themed EP Sunny Summer, which entered Billboard's Social 50 chart at number 30 just one week after its release.

On October 10, the group debuted their first Japanese single album, "Memoria /夜 (Time for the moon night)", which achieved a number six debut on Oricon’s weekly singles chart and ranked fifth on Billboard Japan’s top singles sales chart.

2019: Time for Us, Japanese singles, Fever Season, and Fallin' Light

On January 14, 2019, GFriend released their second full-length Korean album, Time for Us, led by the title track "Sunrise". This album became their best-selling Korean release to date, surpassing 86,000 copies sold according to Gaon. They followed up with their second Japanese single album, "Sunrise (JP ver.)/La Pam Pam," on February 13 and then issued their third Japanese single album "Flower/Beautiful" on March 13.

The seventh EP from GFriend, Fever Season, was launched on July 1 with the lead single "Fever". The eight-track EP included an instrumental version of its lead song. Simultaneously, they bolstered their presence in Japan by collaborating with pop act Sonar Pocket on the single album Oh Difficult – Sonar Pocket×GFriend, which was released on July 3.

On November 13, GFriend introduced their first Japanese studio album, Fallin' Light, featuring its title track as the lead single. This album compiled all of their previous Japanese releases beginning with "Memoria" along with new material, solidifying their position in the Japanese market.

2020–2021: "回" series and disbandment

On February 3, 2020, GFriend returned with their eighth EP titled 回:Labyrinth, headlined by the single "Crossroads". This comeback was notable as it marked their first release following Source Music’s acquisition by Big Hit Entertainment in 2019.

Their ninth EP, 回:Song of the Sirens, was released on July 13 featuring "Apple" as its lead track.

In October of that year, GFriend issued Japanese versions of these projects: 回:Labyrinth ~Crossroads~ came out on October 14 and 回:Song of the Sirens ~Apple~ followed on October 21. Their third Korean studio album, 回:Walpurgis Night, was released on November 9 with "Mago" as its lead single.

On May 22, 2021, all six members departed from Source Music upon contract expiration, resulting in GFriend’s official disbandment. Subsequently in 2022, members Eunha, SinB, and Umji formed a new group named Viviz under BPM Entertainment.

2024–present: Tenth Anniversary Reunion Project

On September 24, 2024, Source Music announced that GFriend would come together again in January 2025 to commemorate their tenth anniversary with a special project.

During her inaugural solo Asia fan meeting on October 26, Sowon performed several GFriend tracks and shared her thoughts about the reunion on her YouTube channel, stating, "We never officially disbanded. I have been eager for four years to take the stage once more, so this brings me great joy."

In November 2024, Ilgan Sports revealed that the planned January 2025 project would involve an album release, though specifics regarding its scale and theme were not yet disclosed.

The commemorative album titled Season of Memories, honoring GFriend's tenth anniversary, was unveiled on December 2, 2024, and officially released on January 13, 2025. It was preceded by a pre-release single launched on January 6. The group conducted three concerts at Seoul's Olympic Hall from January 17 to 19, followed by a series of four shows throughout Asia in March.

Members

• Sowon () — leader
• Yerin ()
• Eunha ()
• Yuju ()
• SinB ()
• Umji ()

Korean albums

• LOL (2016)
• Time for Us (2019)
• 回:Walpurgis Night (2020)

Japanese albums

• Fallin' Light (2019)

Ambassadorship

In 2019, GFriend was appointed as the Global K-Market Ambassador by Shopee Indonesia. Their involvement greatly enhanced the brand’s K-Wave influence, resulting in an eightfold increase in Korean product sales on the platform. They also achieved top ranking in Indonesia and placed seventh worldwide in the Best Brand Category at the 2019 Top Brand Buzz Awards.

Reality shows

Year	Title	Notes	Reference(s)
2015	GFriend! Look After Our Dog	Consisted of 12 episodes
	One Fine Day	Four episodes filmed in Cebu, Philippines
2016	GFriend – Where R U Going?!	Seven episodes shot on Jeju Island
	Mamamoo x GFriend Showtime	Eight episodes in total
	GFriend Loves Europe	Eight episodes recorded across Austria, Hungary, and Slovenia
2017	The Friends in Adriatic Sea	Five episodes filmed in Italy and Slovenia
2019	GFriend Summer Vacation in Okinawa	Ten episodes shot in Okinawa, Japan
2020	GFriend's Memoria	Season 1 with four episodes filmed in Chuncheon
	GFriend's Memoria Season 2	Six episodes filmed at YangYang Gaenmaeul Beach
	GFriend's Memoria <ONE HALF #1>	Three episodes total
	GFriend's Memoria Season 3	Seven episodes recorded in Gapyeong Hanok Village
	GFriend's Memoria Season 4	Three episodes filmed at Buddy High School featuring a variety show format
2021	GFriend's Memoria – New Year's Party	Two episodes aired
	GFriend's Memoria – The Cooking Show	Two episodes with a variety show concept
	GFriend's Memoria – Detective GFriend	Two variety show-style episodes
	GFriend's Memoria – Talk Show	Two episodes presented as a talk show
	GFriend's Memoria – Home Together	Three episodes focusing on dormitory life and personal hobbies
	GFriend's Memoria – Game Friend	Two variety show episodes featuring gaming competitions

DVDs & Blu-ray

• GFriend – Where R U Going? (2016)
• 2016 Season's Greetings
• 2017 Season's Greetings
• 2018 Season's Greetings
• 2018 GFRIEND 1st Concert "Season of GFriend" (2018)
• 2019 Season's Greetings "Be In Full Bloom"
• 2018 GFRIEND 1st Concert ENCORE "Season of Gfriend" (2019)
• GFriend 1st Photo Book "여자친구" (2019)
• 2020 Season's Greetings
• 2019 GFRIEND ASIA TOUR in Seoul Go Go GFRIEND! (2020)
• GFriend 2nd Photo Book (CHOICE) (2020)
• 2021 Season's Greetings

Online concerts

• GFriend Online Concert: GFriend C:ON (2020)

GFriend 1st Asia Tour: Season of GFriend (2018)

Concert dates

Date	City	Country	Venue	Attendance
January 6, 2018	Seoul	South Korea	Olympic Hall	6,000
January 7, 2018
February 28, 2018	New Taipei City	Taiwan	Xinzhuang Gymnasium	5,000
August 2, 2018	Osaka	Japan	Namba Hatch	Template:N/A
August 5, 2018	Tokyo		Toyosu PIT	3,000
August 26, 2018	Quezon City	Philippines	Kia Theatre	Template:N/A
September 1, 2018	Hong Kong		Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre	Template:N/A
September 8, 2018	Seoul	South Korea	SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium	8,000
September 9, 2018

• The pair of concerts held in Japan were titled "Summer Live in Japan 2018," coinciding with their Japanese debut activities and forming part of the Asia tour schedule.

GFriend 2nd Asia Tour: Go Go GFriend! (2019)

Concert dates

Date	City	Country	Venue	Attendance
May 18, 2019	Seoul	South Korea	SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium	40,000
May 19, 2019
June 29, 2019	Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia	Malawati Indoor Stadium
July 20, 2019	Singapore		The Star Performing Arts Centre
July 27, 2019	Bangkok	Thailand	BCC Hall
August 3, 2019	Hong Kong		AsiaWorld–Expo
August 23, 2019	Jakarta	Indonesia	The Kasablanka Hall
August 25, 2019	Quezon City	Philippines	New Frontier Theater
August 31, 2019	Taoyuan	Taiwan	NTSU Arena
November 17, 2019	Yokohama	Japan	Pacifico Yokohama

GFriend 10th Anniversary Concert: Season of Memories (2025)

Date	City	Country	Venue	Attendance
January 17, 2025	rowspan="3"| Seoul	rowspan="3"| South Korea	rowspan="3"| Olympic Hall	rowspan="3"| 9,000
January 18, 2025
January 19, 2025
March 9, 2025	Osaka	rowspan="2"| Japan	Zepp Osaka Bayside	Template:N/A
March 11, 2025	Yokohama	KT Zepp Yokohama	Template:N/A
March 14, 2025	colspan="2"| Hong Kong	AsiaWorld-Expo, Runway 11	Template:N/A
March 22, 2025	rowspan="2"| Kaohsiung	rowspan="4"| Taiwan	rowspan="2"| Kaohsiung Music Center	Template:N/A
March 23, 2025	Template:N/A
March 29, 2025	rowspan="2"| Taipei	rowspan="2"| Taipei Music Center	Template:N/A
March 30, 2025	Template:N/A

GFriend Spring Tour 2019: Bloom (2019)

Date	City	Country	Venue	Attendance
March 3, 2019	Osaka	rowspan="4" | Japan	Zepp Osaka Bayside	Template:N/A
March 15, 2019	Nagoya	Zepp Nagoya	Template:N/A
March 20, 2019	rowspan="2" | Tokyo	rowspan="2" | Toyosu PIT	rowspan="2" |6,000
March 21, 2019

Concert appearances

• 2021 New Year's Eve Live hosted by Weverse (2020)

Awards and nominations

GFriend received their inaugural major accolade for their debut EP Season of Glass released in January 2015, earning the title "Best New Female Artist" at the Melon Music Awards in November that year. Additionally, they were honored with rookie awards at the 5th Gaon Chart Music Awards, the 30th Golden Disc Awards, and the 25th Seoul Music Awards.

Their initial victory on a music show came with "Rough" on The Show dated February 2, 2016, during which they achieved a total of 15 wins. Promotions for the subsequent single "Navillera" brought in another 14 wins, establishing them as the girl group with the highest number of wins within a single year—29 in total.

The track "Rough," featured on their third EP Snowflake, earned several distinctions from late 2016 through early 2017. These included Song of the Year – January at the 7th Gaon Chart Music Awards, Best Dance at the 2016 Melon Music Awards, and Digital Bonsang at the 31st Golden Disc Awards. In recognition of their impactful original content, Dingo Music presented them with a "Special Grand Prize" in 2020.