For long-time fans, OH MY GIRL‘s “Coloring Book” is a must-listen comeback from 2017.
But when it first dropped, it almost killed off OH MY GIRL from the world of K-Pop.
Being the girl group’s sixth comeback since their 2015 debut, “Coloring Book” came at a time of high anticipation—based on how well the previous “A-ing” did.
“Coloring Book,” however, didn’t receive the same kind of love and attention from the critics and the public. IDOLOGY critic Kim Yoon Ha even commented, “It’s actually quite difficult to release the right banger at the right time.”
The comeback track, “Coloring Book,” makes great use of the “marching” sound that is unique to OH MY GIRL. However, the whole song becomes chaotic before it is deemed energetic. While it’s clear that the inspiration comes from the burst of colors, the composition doesn’t quite explode the same manner. The real bummer is the fact that the rest of this album is put together with great care, as usual. It’s full of chic pop grooves that highlight the eight members’ exquisite abilities to make their songs sound light and fresh. This goes to show… It’s quite difficult to release the right banger at the right time.
— Critic Kim Yoon Ha
Later, OH MY GIRL’s Seunghee revealed that the members struggled with the underwhelming performance of the “Coloring Book” album.
We were told that it would be over for OH MY GIRL if the new album that we’d put together would not succeed. I cried a lot, thinking that the team would end up disbanding. It was a tough time for all the members.
— OH MY GIRL’s Seunghee
Fortunately, OH MY GIRL’s following comebacks of “Secret Garden,” “Remember Me,” and “The Fifth Season,” all leading up to “Bungee” and “Nonstop,” topped charts and solidified OH MY GIRL as one of the most successful third generation girl groups!
Listen to “Coloring Book” here:
