[Review] YERIN caps off summer with the versatile EP ‘Rewrite’ and its bouncy single “Wavy”

YERIN has just made her third comeback as a soloist with her new EP Rewrite, which is always a welcome thing, as she’s consistently been churning out bangers as a soloist that are distinctly YERIN and distinctly GFRIEND. So it’s no surprise she’s comeback with another album that has that K-pop sound I’ve been yearning for since May 22, 2021.

Right from the start with “Wavy“, it felt like I was hit with a wave of nostalgia, as all those power-pop intros of days prior lead into YERIN’s vocal build up before it’s crashed into by the tidal wave of a chorus. Like “Loveade” before it, “Wavy” is your quintessential refreshing late summer song, washing away the bland taste of late August and bringing in a fresh taste for September. The music video also shows off a clear glass bead reference to make us sentimental before building back up for an even more energetic go at the chorus. Yerin’s beagle personality is prominently shown throughout, not just in the music video, but also the song structure as its nonstop energy flourishes throughout.

This contrasts with the second song on the EP. “SHINE“, a slower but just as powerful and nostalgic of days prior. “Permeate” is definitely a track I’ll be revisiting more, as there’s something about Yerin’s lower tone and jazzy instrumentals that were gripping me nonstop on both the first listen and on subsequent ones as well. I can already see the “Apple” comparisons for this track, and one of the things that stood out to me from this EP is how many of these songs have little hints or beats similar to GFRIEND songs and builds upon them or expands to new avenues. While not necessarily making that influence obvious, it’s something that a GFRIEND fan is likely to pick up on. “Save Me” is the next standout track on here, and this could’ve easily been the main track this comeback. While it doesn’t have that summer vibe, it has that addictive backing track and YERIN’s vocals sounding addictive throughout.

“One Thing” features Kim Dayeon of Kep1er, and while I can’t help but play this one over and over again, the … ‘One Thing’ that plagues it is that two minute runtime. While, yes, it doesn’t overstay its welcome, I would’ve loved to hear them go for just a minute longer at the least, which isn’t an uncommon complaint for releases these days. As a guest, Dayeon fit perfectly for this collab and I hope to see them perform this on a music show sometime this comeback. “4U” is the final song, and what a way to close the EP. This upbeat summer track gives you no breaks while showing off YERIN’s versatility as a vocalist, which is an appropriate conclusion since it applies to the whole EP.

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Overall, YERIN’s newest EP is one of my favorite releases of the year, as from front to back there’s a song for any K-pop fan, and if you’re a BUDDY then this one will specifically treat you well until whenever VIVIZ release their next album. So far, YERIN’s solo career has been my favorite to keep up with out of all the GFRIEND members because I didn’t know what to expect from her and didn’t think she would end up cultivating a sound I’ve been yearning for.

Honestly another standout performance that shouldn’t be slept on, rivaling my other favorite releases of this year from KISS OF LIFE and STAYC. I stated last time that QWER got rid of the bad taste from the week prior, and YERIN has taken it a step further by giving us the perfect way to cap off the summer releases.