GFriend's Yuju gets emotional on new EP 'In Bloom'

GFriend's Yuju is returning with her first solo music in almost two and a half years with the EP "In Bloom," which she said was produced with all blooming organisms and feelings in mind.

Yuju of girl group GFriend will release her third EP, ″In Bloom,″ on Aug. 12. [AT AREA]

GFriend’s Yuju wants listeners to confront their deepest emotions with her third EP, “In Bloom.”

The upcoming EP is Yuju's first solo music in almost two years and five months since her digital single “Dalala” in 2023.

The six-track EP, set to release Tuesday, was produced with all blooming organisms and feelings in mind, the singer said in a written interview published by her agency, At Area, on Monday.

“Just as some emotions bloom with the sweet fragrance of flowers while others spread uncontrollably in the dark and damp like mold, I’ve allowed them all to flourish — true to the name 'In Bloom,'” Yuju said.

“My hope for everyone listening to this album is that, among the countless emotions that come and go each day, you hold no resentment. Whatever their shape or scent, may you let them blossom freely, and then release them gently, living each day with an open heart,” she added.

Yuju of girl group GFriend will release her third EP, ″In Bloom,″ on Aug. 12. [AT AREA]

The EP's lead track, “Reply,” was built on strong emotions that capture the singer's current emotions and atmosphere the best, Yuju said.

"'Reply' began with a simple thought: If I could write just one line in a letter to someone I once cherished deeply, what would I say?”

“On first listen, it may sound hopeful, but in truth, it carries a bittersweet weight since that letter might never reach the person it’s meant for,” she said. “I hope that feeling comes through to listeners.”

The singer also singled out a song loosely translated as “The Incident that Day” featuring Jeong Se-woon, known for being a contestant on the second season of Mnet's “Produce 101" (2017).

“It [describes a] love that is instant and disappears without a trace, leaving only impact behind — so painful that I thought it should not be called 'love' but an 'incident.'”

Yuju of girl group GFriend will release her third EP, ″In Bloom,″ on Aug. 12. [AT AREA]

Yuju thanked her fans for waiting for her music as she moved agencies to At Area from MZMC. The singer made her debut with GFriend under HYBE's Source Music in 2021.

“I’m filled with nothing but gratitude, so much that I can’t even find the right words to express it […] I want to fill the days ahead so that the time I was away will be forgotten,” Yuju said to fans anticipating her return as a solo artist.

“If I could meet each and every one of them in person, I’d tell them, with all my heart, how deeply I love them.”

Yuju of girl group GFriend will release her third EP, ″In Bloom,″ on Aug. 12. [AT AREA]

BY KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]