Throughout her solo career, GFriend’s Yerin has tried on a few musical guises. Her bright vocals and undeniable presence have served her well throughout these various sounds and continue to do so on new pop/rock single Awake.
Awake exists in a lineage of similarly-constructed songs over the past year or so. It seems that everyone — especially soloists — needs to have their own angsy rock track in 2025. Like any musical trend, this results in an overstuffed market where only the very best material rises to the top. Awake is perfectly serviceable but not unique or ear-catching enough to rise above its competitors. If I were making a playlist of these songs, it would exist somewhere in the lower half. There’s nothing inherently “bad” about anything here but there’s also nothing that makes me want to hit the replay button. In fact, I forgot everything about Awake moments after it stopped playing.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.25 |
