‘Tis the season of love GOT7’s latest album Breath of Love marks a comeback

While the world paused for months, the K-pop world didn’t. There were back-to-back album releases, online concerts and virtual fan meets. The most popular boy band, BTS’ recent nomination for the Grammys, and their English single, ‘Dynamite’ ranking No. 1 at Billboard Top 100, affirms the rising K-Culture.

At a time when K-pop is reaching new heights, boy band GOT7, known for their global audience, made their comeback of the year in April with their eleventh EP, ‘Dye’. After a month of promotions, the septet went on a hiatus working on their solo projects.

But, as IGOT7s (GOT7 fans) expected, the members were working on a bigger project: their recently released fourth full-length album, Breath of Love: Last Piece. The self-produced LP, with two singles (Breath and Last Piece), has 10 songs, of which seven have been written and produced by the members themselves.

‘Breath,’ the first song of the album is written and composed by vocalist Youngjae under his pseudonym, Ars. The mid-tempo track focuses on the members’ distinct vocals while capturing the essence of ethereal love in its lyrics. The whistle hook heard throughout the song adds a flavour to the rhythm and grabs immediate attention. The band kept the music video simple, strolling the streets of a calm city, wearing warm and comfy clothes. The use of pastel colours palette makes it all the more aesthetic.

The title track ‘Last Piece’, written and produced by leader J.B under his penname Defsoul, brings in a new sound with distorted guitar notes and synth. JB talks about being an incomplete puzzle without the lover who is the last and the most important piece. ‘Born Ready’ written by the eldest member and rapper, Mark, is an energising anthem as the vocalists experiment with verses in rap, while Jinyoung’s ‘Wave’ flows in contemporary R&B.

Youngest members, Bambam and Yugyeom have also contributed melodies to the album through ‘Waiting For You’, a mellow R&B track with mild instrumentals and soft verses, and the soulful ballad in honeyed vocals, ‘Thank You, Sorry’. A mid-tempo track blending mild instrumentation and rhythmic beats, ‘I Mean It’ begins with husky whispers, reminiscing the earlier days of GOT7 as flower boys.

Together the songs, cutting across mutiple genres, emphasise the group’s growth through their musical journey since 2014.