As the season of spring manifests itself, it spreads joy to the environment through the arrant bloom of flowers, the livening of nature and the appearances of the K-pop pixies who brighten everything with their fun and gorgeous lullabies. OH MY GIRL made their comeback with their 7th mini album NONSTOP in April. Described as a “girl-power” concept by member YooA, this album incorporates OMG’s bright charm with musical excellence and a dash of bubbly sass. Its conceptual brilliance cannot be overlooked as it is posed as a visualisable board game to the listeners.
01. ‘Nonstop’
If there’s one thing OH MY GIRL excels at, it’s appealing to the masses while maintaining the quality of their content; ‘Nonstop’ is a title track exemplary of that. It is a candy-like confessional song thriving on beaming synths and a light percussion. The addictive hook which is sung in a playful and saccharine tone is the most memorable part of the song. The chorus would have been more impactful had it been sung but it’s fitting nonetheless. Right after the first chorus, a new trap beat is introduced into the song which saves it from the monotonous tone of the song. It takes a more sassy route as MiMi shows off her rap skills with the provided beat. It is also well-crafted conceptually as some of the lyrics relate to the image teasers.
“If one day we were stranded on a desert island” and “If you want, I’ll move back two squares” are lyrical references to the desert and dice depicted in the teasers. It’s presented as a fun game as the listener is stuck on an island and they have to find their way through a game of dice.
The honey-toned vocals and luscious melody make the song feel like a sugar-coated candy. However, it fails to rival the best releases from Oh My Girl.
02. ‘Dolphin’
Dolphin is the radio-friendly song that was suggested by the artist IU. The pre-chorus builds up anticipation with its dynamic bass and fuller instrumentation but the chorus fails to deliver accordingly. The track is supported by light percussion and sweet vocals but it lacks any outstanding factor that might pique one’s interest making it the weakest track on the album.
03. ‘Flower Tea’
A ballad as sweet as its name, ‘Flower tea’ starts off with floating piano keys. The song progresses with the addition of strings and light percussion. The chorus hits the sweet spot as the previously faint instrumentation becomes more dominant. However, the constant melody can come off as a bit stagnant and ballads generally tend to lack any interesting musical factor. It’s a good composition for a song meant to be driven by emotions rather than intricacy.
04. ‘NEON’
‘NEON’ stays true to its title as the futuristic synths, bouncy percussion and echoing vocals paint the imagery of a busy city lit by neon lights. But the bubbly vocals are reminiscent of OH MY GIRL’s standard sound.
The intro to the song has a very distinct sound, barely one of K-POP. This track adds diversity to the album with its rather somber mood and OH MY GIRL prove themselves to be capable of nailing any concept or sound. It is the boldest track on the album with a punch packed into it.
05. ‘Krystal’
‘Krystal’ is another track with a fitting title as its bright and sparkly sound is reminiscent of a crystal. Opening up with glistening synths, ethereal sounds and percussion that gradually grows more dominant, ‘Krystal’ is the embodiment of the OH MY GIRL sound – an auditory fairy-tale with musical inventiveness and a tint of nostalgia. Exquisite instrumentation combined with soulful vocals is the recipe for this song. The fluttering bridge builds up to transit into the final lush chorus of the song and comes close to perfection as no moment in this song is off-putting.
Overall, the album is a bit tedious with the addition of the mediocre and typical sounding tracks: it fails to be consistent in terms of quality. However, it is a good collection of effervescent and light-hearted pieces that do a great job at contenting the heart.
Source: KS Daily
