Uniquely named boy group AlphaBAT has made a comeback with “Oh My Gosh.” And, oh my gosh, is this video charmingly cute!
Given the “Pass Out” teasers, and member I:ota (aka Illow) releasing a mixtape, expectations were that the rap line would be doing their own thing. Or, at the very least, the song would have a strong hip-hop feel. Boy, did that not happen. Instead, AlphaBAT lets loose their inner cuteness.
This isn’t the group’s first time going in the cuter direction. AlphaBAT’s debut wasn’t exactly in-your-face, “bad boy” hip-hop group. Nor were their follow up singles. In fact, their last comeback “Tantara” was the only tough concept they’ve had. However, “Oh My Gosh” has taken them to another level.
“Oh My Gosh” is a love-at-first-sight love song. While, in general, the lyrics are the typical clichéd expressions of desire, there are some that would make the listener do a small double take.
Plop plop, I’ll throw a stone
So the waves in your heart will ripple
I’ll sacrifice my body, even more than Shim Chung
I’ll dig deep into you wow
With references to a surviving pansori folk tale and clever turns of phrase, the lyrics keep the song a bit fresher. This isn’t quite the typical stale love song.
The music plays up the cute factor as well. The instrumentals are mostly electronic but have some light strings and piano included. When the electronic music drops out, and the strings/piano are all that’s left, it adds an extra sense of sentimentality.
The rappers even get in on the action vocally. They use little lifts and spacing in order to uplift the feelings of the track. This is important since two of the rappers have deeper voices, and the vocal effects manage to make them sound happy.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1WTC2kzz4s]Cute MVs are generally not my thing. The all-consuming sweetness of typical K-pop cuteness is disconcerting and sugar-rush inducing. When it comes to boy groups, very few can pull off the concept in such a way that it comes off as charmingly dorky. Thankfully, “Oh My Gosh” manages to be more adorable than awful.
The plot is rather simple: boys meets female, are attracted, and then try to woo her. One boy gets her attention and manages to charm her with his focus on his friends. It’s the details that make this video cute and attractive.
One big part of this MV being attractive is the female lead. She’s no coy, bashful girl. The young woman is a professional who won’t be distracted by a group of cute boys (unless said boy is J:eta). Her utter disinterest and “no time for games” attitude makes her a joy to watch. She is not easily swayed by their attempts to woo her.
The members of AlphaBAT manage to not look like lecherous creeps stalking a woman. If anything, they play themselves: a group of guys partaking in a photo shoot. From the appearance of a manager and their matching outfits, you know this isn’t AlphaBAT playing a character, but rather AlphaBAT playing AlphaBAT. They pose and are playful for the camera.
The group just happens to have a crush on the photographer and attempt to gain her attention with things like a stuffed toy and water. So, within the photo shoot plot is the love-line sub-plot. The group seems to be split into two teams: Team G:amma (B:eta, I:ota, D:elta) and Team H:eta (J:eta, C:ode, F:ie, E:psilon). Each team tries to help one member win over the photographer but fails. It is the rather inattentive J:eta who wins in the end. He isn’t even trying and initially seems unaware as to what is happening. Why else would he cock-block himself? That is an interesting little twist.
Interspersed with the storyline are dance scenes. From what is shown, the dance doesn’t appear to be too overly sentimental. Until you get toward the end and see a couple of members bust out some aegyo. There is also the personification of adorableness: the side-to-side head bob. That is an instant smile-maker.
Yes, there is a lot of use of the word “cute” and its derivatives in this review. There’s no better way to describe the MV. No, it’s not B1A4-cute or Boyfriend-cute, but that doesn’t make it any less adorable.
MV/Song Rating: 3.75/5
(AlphaBAT Official, YouTube [1], images via Simtong Entertainment, lyrics via pop!gasa)
