Review: GI Tug At Your Heartstrings With The Emotionally Charged 'Echo' [AUDIO]

As the old song goes, what a difference a day makes.

On Tuesday, the South Korean girl group GI (an acronym for "Global Icon"), seemed poised for a major comeback in the world of K-pop, with their third single "Echo" scheduled for release the following day.

When Wednesday came, instead of a flood of hype pouring in about "Echo," many international GI fans awoke to the news that two band members, Aram and OneKat, were locked in an TVXQ-style legal battle with their record label Simtong Entertainment to terminate their contracts.

Coming on the heels of GI's November announcement that band member Hayun had left the group back in August, word the label was looking for three replacement members did little to assuage the fears of some fans that the group, previously best known for their so-called "tomboy" style, was veering rapidly towards extinction.

It is unfortunate that in all this handwringing over GI's future, little has been made of what a great song "Echo" is.

The unique blend of a hard-hitting dance beat with synthesizer bleeps and crashing swells that producer Monitor Punch assembles packs a powerful punch. But what really makes "Echo" a showstopper are the heartfelt vocal performances from the original lineup of a group that is far from another novelty act.

These are five performers who clearly have something to say and mean every line they sing.

Whatever ultimately happens with Global Icon, whether EunJi and Al continue as a two-piece, like TVXQ's U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin, or Simtong Entertainment finds them three new bandmates, there is no denying the musical power of these five women.

Though it is surely not the kind of publicity GI intended, "Echo" will stand as a beautiful reminder of what could have been, if these five original members had been able to make it work at Simtong.

Listen to "Echo" the new single by South Korean girl group GI (Global Icon) RIGHT HERE

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