Then & Now is a compilation album released by South Korean pop music group g.o.d in 2019. Consisting of new original songs and remade tracks, it is their ninth full-length release and first since 2014. It was released to commemorate the 20th anniversary of their debut.[2][3]
Overview
The album contains ten tracks, four of which are new original material.[4] A music video was made for the song "Snowfall", which was pre-released as a digital single. The first title track "Leave That Man" was specially composed and produced by Park Jin-young at the group's request, marking the first time Park has worked with them since they left JYP Entertainment and went on hiatus in 2005.[5][6] The second single "Eye to Eye" was co-written by rapper Danny Ahn and the lyrics utilize the titles of their hit songs from previous albums, the solo hits of vocalists Kim Tae-woo and Son Ho-young and the filmography of Yoon Kye-sang.[7]
The other six tracks are remixes of songs from their first four albums. The instrumental track for "Road", the lead single of their fourth album, was completely rearranged by MeloMance member Jeong Dong-hwan and features the vocals of solo singers IU and Yang Da-il, former Super Junior-M member Henry Lau and Jo Hyun-ah of indie R&B trio Urban Zakapa. The remaining five tracks were individually produced by each g.o.d member.[7]
Release
The song "Snowfall" (눈이 내린다) was released as a digital single on November 27, 2018, at 6pm (KST).[1] It was part of the group's promotions for their upcoming year-end concerts from November 30 to December 2.[8] The album was released on January 10, 2019, and is available in both digital and CD formats. The physical album also contains a 72-page photo book.[9][10]
Reception and chart performance
The album was listed by Billboard as one of the ten most anticipated K-pop albums of 2019.[11] Within 24 hours after its release, it topped local digital charts such as Mnet, Soribada and Naver Music.[12][13] In its review of the album, the Korea Economic Daily's entertainment-focused subsidiary newspaper 10Asia noted that the new songs were reminiscent of g.o.d's unique musical style and the remakes of the older songs highlighted the individual musical preferences of each member. The title track "Leave That Man" was singled out for praise by 10Asia and The Chosun Ilbo, the latter praising the "sensuous harmony, created by Park Jin-young's addictive melody and vocals of different colors".[14][15]Genie Music listed the album in its monthly list of recommended albums by domestic artists and cited Park's collaboration as a long-awaited highlight.[3]
The song, "Leave That Man", debuted at number 63 and two other tracks charted on the Gaon Digital Chart.[16] It ranked at number 77 in the monthly chart for January.[17]
