It’s been over a year since we’ve had a release from Oh My Girl, and they’re back just in time to drop the next summer classic. Since their last release in March 2022, member Jiho left the group as their original contracts expired, and the girls reorganized as six members while remaining fairly inactive until this new mini-album. Since their debut in 2015, Oh My Girl has found a viral hit in their B-side “Dolphin” back in 2020, which put the group back on the map in the K-Pop world. Now in 2023, the group is back with a fresh, upbeat summer concept to reintroduce themselves in a new era.

Oh My Girl has always been the type of girl group to present a lighter, cutesy sound in their music and concepts. That certainly reigns true in this comeback as well, with the title track “Summer Comes” featuring a classic, bouncy pop melody with a heavy focus on soprano vocals. Admittedly the opening is a bit jarring, with the vocals and melody clashing briefly in a flurry of sounds that can be overwhelming. It comes off as a bit of a mixing issue, at least to my ear, but it’s quickly redeemed as the first verse kicks in and the melody takes a back seat. In many ways, this is a tried-and-true Oh My Girl sound, so if that’s something you’ve enjoyed in the past then this is probably up your alley. There are a couple of rap verses thrown into the otherwise consistent melodic line, which is standard in K-Pop songs, though this group is definitely strongest in their vocals. 

For the music video concept, we see an interesting blend of classic summer flare coupled with an arcade video game theme. Who would expect a tropical island set followed by a vintage ice cream shop surrounded by zombies? It’s certainly unexpected, especially in a song that sounds so bubbly, but I kind of love it. The styling also shows quite a bit of contrast, with blue and white feminine outfits juxtaposed with a more punk schoolgirl style. Even though they are polar opposites, both outfit aesthetics are particularly striking and seem to tie together the two main themes of the concept.

Check out the music video for “Summer Comes” below, and find the new EP Golden Hourglass on your favorite streaming site.

Edited by Vivian N.