Almost a decade ago, in September 2015, then-rookie girl group GFRIEND went viral because of a misfortune. While performing their single ‘Me Gustas Tu’ under a heavy rainstorm, multiple members repeatedly slipped and even fell on the wet stage. But the setback turned out to be a blessing: GFRIEND gained global attention for their resilience, getting back up time and time again, diligently finishing the performance to roaring applause.
The song would go on to become their breakout hit, and from then on, the sextet became a household name in K-pop – that is, until they suddenly left their label in 2021 and stopped releasing music. However, that “end”, as the group’s leader described at the time, also came with a windfall. The year after, three members of GFRIEND – Eunha, SinB and Umji – reunited and embarked on a new journey together as power trio VIVIZ.
“You never know, mistakes can also turn into opportunities, it’s all about the journey that you take,” says Umji over a video call with NME. It’s a fitting adage for the trio, who have since taken on a series of new challenges. Among them are a notable third place on season two of South Korean reality TV competition Queendom, holding their first world tour and releasing five mini-albums – including the latest, ‘Voyage’, which came out earlier this month.
“We debuted [as GFRIEND] when we were very young, so it felt like we were solely following the company’s concept, and that fit the group at the time,” says SinB, who is seated on Umji’s right side. “But as VIVIZ, it feels like we are doing everything from one to 10.” Upon hearing that statement, Eunha, who is on the opposite side, chimes in. “Make that one to nine, we have to give one for the company,” she jokes, prompting laughs from the whole room.
While VIVIZ have the refreshing energy of newcomers, they are also seasoned veterans with nearly a decade of experience under their belts. Working together for such a long time brings forward a unique connection, even if it doesn’t show at first sight. When looking back on their debut with GFRIEND, they all agree that not only have they matured, but the K-pop industry has also changed substantially.
“This job, like many others, is about human relations. It is about music, and performances, and singing, but at the core, there are people,” says Umji. “You gain experience on how to problem-solve, how to care for one another. And when some things hurt, how you deal with that, how do you grow up and move forward during those times.”
To SinB, starting over as VIVIZ has been the biggest challenge so far, one that they are still “in the process of overcoming”. Though, she believes that, as more and more people get to know about them, VIVIZ are slowly proving themselves. “VIVIZ is so important and so precious to us. It is our pursuit,” she says defiantly.
At the same time, though, the trio still hold their memories of GFRIEND close – and, as recently announced, they will soon be reuniting with their old bandmates for the group’s tenth anniversary next year. “We just want to show that we’ve been working hard, discussing and planning this,” Eunha hints. Even though there’s not much the trio can “publicly talk about” during their chat with NME, they tell fans to “look forward to it”.
VIVIZ hold a symbiotic relationship with their label, BPM Entertainment, and are involved in every detail of their projects and records. “Normally, they ask us what kind of styles we want to try,” explains SinB. “Even if we don’t have a specific concept in mind, we have discussions and build it up from there, because they cater [to anything] we have in mind.”
“Even if we have a concept that we want to pursue, it’s important that we first ask the company, ‘Hey, what kind of stuff do you think we should try?’,” adds Umji. “[While] we value our own perspective, we love to have some outside input. We’re open to a lot of stuff, and we want to really broaden our horizon as a group.”
For their latest single, the cheeky ‘Shhh!’, it was their agency which first suggested looking into Latin pop, before presenting a variety of potential songs for the trio to run through. “We considered the recording and the performance, and how we could appropriately do it to convey Latin pop, but make it VIVIZ’s style,” says Umji.
‘Voyage’ stands as the culmination of this teamwork, with Umji saying that the level of perfection and details they had to look into was “quite high”. “That’s the thing about us,” she continues, “Some people are like, ‘As long as my part is good, it’s gonna be fine.’ However, we give honest feedback [to each other] and we don’t only look at the final product, but at the big picture. This process makes a difference.”
Sitting right in the middle of the table and taking the lead on much of the conversation, Umji is the glue between her bandmates. While SinB is known for her iconic poker face and skilled dance moves, Eunha is an arresting vocalist with an extra-sweet personality. Umji, though, is a mix of both – or what fans would call an “all-rounder” – a talented dancer and a compelling singer, a cutie pie at one moment and a mischievous instigator on another.
Umji was also a late-bloomer when it came to creative work – SinB and Eunha had started to co-write songs during their time as members of GFRIEND – but she has since grown into her own, and notably was the first to place credits in VIVIZ’s discography. On their latest mini-album, Umji’s the sole lyricist on two of the project’s five songs: ‘Hypnotized’ and ‘Love & Tears’, the latter of which she also co-composed.
“While I was writing [‘Love & Tears’], I was exhausted because I wanted to do really well. So, I realised I needed to refresh myself, and I worked on ‘Hypnotize’ to take my mind off of it,” she reveals. “It felt like a fresh breeze. People say to me, like, ‘It must have been tough to work on both tracks at the same time,’ but it works way better and it was actually easier.”
Eunha explains that the lyrics for their songs are chosen through a blind test among the members, recalling how Umji was curiously quiet when they unknowingly picked her hard-wrought creations. “[Me and SinB] were like, ‘Why would she be so silent?’ It turns out both the lyrics we liked were written by Umji,” she says. “I just want to emphasize how great she is.”
“I swear, that was one of my best moments for this year, really,” Umji exclaims. “I was quiet, but my heart was like boom,” she says, mimicking fireworks with her hands.
This instance is just one of many that attest to VIVIZ’s unfailing synergy, and why they continue to blossom in an industry as fast-paced as K-pop. “Working as a trio has a great charm, it’s like the best of both solo and group,” Umji says. “If you listen to our music, you really feel the chemistry. If you watch our performances, you see the teamwork. But we’re also highlighting the individual characteristics of all of us. I just love it.”
VIVIZ’s latest mini-album ‘Voyage’ is out now via BPM Entertainment on Spotify, Apple Music and more.