If you had to describe girl group myB’s debut in a few words it would be: blonde, bright and cute. While “My Oh My” adeptly avoids the latest ethereal, innocently cute Apink inspired concepts that have become commonplace in debuts, it still is routine and ordinary.
The MV for “”My Oh My” is your standard color-saturated affair. Bright and neon colors abound, from the set to the outfits. And, as you’d expect with K-pop, these things also veer to the nonsensical side of things. There are road signs beside a basketball court; mysteriously acquired police shields; the word “Baby” in huge letters on a box; and eye-sore plastic outfits.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YC5g5UcmFo]Within these sets is a “plot” revolving around the girls dealing with a “love bomb.” MyB peeks out of a bright red box at a group of boys playing basketball. Of course the girls are ooh-ing and aah-ing over the boys. After the boys leave, the girls rush out and discover a box that contains a colorful bomb. After playing hot-potato, they decide to run some tests and experiment with the contraption. This experimentation is so brief that there’s no real clue as to what myB is actually doing.
The ending is a bit open-ended, as well. What exactly was in that pink box? Who was intended for? Did the target open the box? One theory could be that the girls jerry-rigged the bomb to go off on the boys so they’d also have the same feelings. Perhaps others have better theories. Overall, the plot of “My Oh My” is disconnected and thin.
Understandably, plots can often take a backseat to the dance and close-up cuts of the group, which is the case for “My Oh My.” The dance break is the high point of the MV, and not for the music, offering a glimpse at the choreography. Other girl groups have debuted with energetic and hard-hitting choreography, but they often quickly resort to simpler choreography when having a comeback. While unsure as to what they’ll come out with next, myB is debuting with a few tougher dance moves.
Among some typical rowing moves and aegyo-filled poses, there are jumps, kicks, half-splits and what looks like a lot of cardio. Although these are brief moments, you get the sense that myB may have a lot to offer in the way of difficult, physical dance moves.
Just as the MV is bright, so is the song. It’s a typical upbeat pop tune, with a random dance break, and a catchy sounding hook.
That’s not to say there’s nothing present in the song that can garner a little bit of attention. First, the hook is sung like a chant, which makes it pretty catchy. “My Oh My” also dips its toes in the old school K-pop sound. It’s easy to imagine one of the older girl groups performing a similar song back in the late 1990s, and perhaps some did. As a firm supporter of indulging in a little music more than a decade old, I applaud the use of the older sounds. Going this route is a well played gamble. The group could do well to market themselves as a “newer” version of Fin.K.L or Sugar.
My oh my you’re mine all mine
I wanna listen to it once more, my heart
My oh my you’re mine all mine
Feels like my heart will burst
While not explicitly stated what the boy said, given the song’s context, it’s a confession. “My Oh My” details the ridiculous nature of romantic feelings. Shortness of breath, heart palpitations, overwhelming desire to stake a claim sound like the standard for infatuation. Given the young-ish nature of the group, these lyrics are fitting for them. Not overly aggressive or suggestive, it’s the sort of “young love” experiences that their likely target market — teenagers — would appreciate.
Naturally, some people are making comments regarding the … familiarity of myB’s package. This is K-pop, so “new” concepts are not going to happen, so why bother giving credence to those copying complaints? Yes, they are all blonde, and yes myB’s outfits are similar to others. But isn’t that the case with most groups?
It’s difficult to decide what to make of myB’s debut. At the very least, “My Oh My” is rather safe. They took ideas and styles that are trendy and likable. Smart, but mundane. There’s no real urge to be excited about them, but they do show some promise, particularly from a choreography standpoint.
MV Rating: 3/5
Song Rating: 3/5
(myB, YouTube [1], images via Maroo Entertainment, lyrics via pop!gasa)
