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Gfriend members talk about new album Walpurgis Night, the K-pop girl group’s ode to female empowerment, and why it channels witches

  • Gfriend’s latest album is their release third this year, and is all about aspirations and choosing your own destiny
  • The members talk about their growth as artists, and how the album reflects life as a woman in today’s world

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K-pop girl band Gfriend are channelling modern witches in their latest album Walpurgis Night. Photo: Source Music
Tamar Herman

Almost everyone seems to have a favourite witch these days, whether it’s a historically or culturally significant figure or one from their favourite television show.

Witches have been reviled for hundreds of years, and seen as otherworldly, demonic and heretical women in many communities. But with their new single Mago, K-pop girl group Gfriend have taken ownership of this symbol of female empowerment and created a new definition of what it means to be a “modern witch”.

Released on their new album Walpurgis Night, the disco vibing Mago – the word for “magician” in many languages – is revelatory and features lyrics co-written by members Eunha, Yuju and Umji.

“Walpurgis Night is a European festival celebrating the end of the winter that brings in the spring. People also call it ‘witches night’. We wanted to use this motif, and show ourselves as these confident witches bringing in the spring,” Umji said.

Preceded by February’s Labyrinth and July’s Song of the Sirens, the album continues the outfit’s musical journey through conflicts. The first album reflects the complex feelings associated with reaching a crossroads, as depicted in the single of the same name, while the second album deals with people’s temptations to go in various directions. The finale brings this path of growth to an end.

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