We're starting off the review calendar on the right foot with Oh My Girl.and "Secret Garden." It's been two years since their last appearance on the blog, and three years since "Closer" - their magnum opus - was released. In the years since their debut they've mostly been misses for me, as I generally gravitate away from their cutesy style. Mimi can spit fire though, which combined with my burning desire for them to have another comeback like "Closer" means I'll always make time for a new Oh My Girl track. Let's see what we got.
This is what the world has been waiting for. Something along the lines of "Closer" has finally been released to the world. January 9th is a glorious day for Oh My Girl fans everywhere. Seriously, this song sounds fantastic. Crystal clear voices from start to finish creates enchanting audio. Everything is right up "Closer" alley with the soothing sounds and gentle driving instrumental. As always Yooa leads the charge and her work across the track manages to be both inspiring yet in line with how the rest of the members sound throughout the "Secret Garden." Even Mimi got to sing a little! Which reminds me...
Words cannot express my outrage at "Secret Garden" omitting a rap. Rap god Mimi deserves a better fate than this. Hell, I don't think she got anything in "Coloring Book" either (I don't want to listen to that hot mess again to verify) so there is no excuse. WM Entertainment you fuckers. Also worth noting is that the bridge in "Secret Garden" is nowhere as good as the one in "Closer," even though the latter had a far more repetitive section. Perhaps it's unfair to compare the two songs, but when you've waited two years for a successor, it's difficult to ignore the similarities and thus draw comparisons.
JinE's departure meant that Oh My Girl had an odd number of members. Formation-wise this is a good thing with the whole one member takes center yadda yadda. Creativity-wise though they take a hit since the intricacies of having an even number of dancers is what made those choreographies challenging and distinct. The dance of "Secret Garden" isn't anything special, as none of the movements or formations really stand out. However, while they might not be anything special, the dance moves fall in line with the song very well. Like the vocals, it gives "Secret Garden" that delicate, flowing feeling. I'd hesitate to call the choreography ethereal as well, but it certainly does a good job matching the rest of the song. Poor Jiho has to sit on the side for some of their live performances because of her ankle injury, but she's a trooper and does some if not most of the hand motions / moves in unison with everyone else. Aww! I can definitely respect that.
Full disclosure I'm still in the learning process of identifying Oh My Girl members not named Mimi, Yooa or Arin. With that said, I don't think any particular individual stands out in the visuals department so somehow my brain will twist my incompetence into understanding. Does that sentence make sense? No? It's okay I'm really only killing time and words here because the MV is pretty standard. The girls look nice (Arin's over 18 right) and the dance shots do, too. There's some fancy editing involved but that's really about it. Sweet visual effects aside, nothing of importance is gained or lost in this music video. That awkward moment at 1:32 though.
After muddling around with some different concepts, "Secret Garden" is a refreshing reminder that Oh My Girl can 100% rock this mysterious, ethereal style. Their voices are all very soothing and blend together beautifully. With a good supporting cast in the instrumental and choreography (and a slight assist by the video's special effects), the hype in the return to this form is well deserved. The bridge is lacking and even more lacking is the nonexistent Mimi rap. "Secret Garden" is a welcome addition for sure, but I can't help think about what could have been. The tough question nobody is asking is: would you rather have this style song without a fiery Mimi rap or the messy dance pop track with a quality rap?
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