A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve.

Oh My Girl’s album is incredibly solid, making it hard to pick just one buried treasure. Though I eventually settled on Blink, I adore the abrasive production on Replay, the pretty pop melody on Dear Rose, the buoyancy of Parachute and the experimental shifts on Drift. All these tracks are in the 8.5-8.75 range for me, making them just as deserving of this feature.

I ended up going with Blink because I had specific things I wanted to write about it. First off is its producer: Darkchild. As a child of the 90’s, Darkchild (aka: Rodney Jerkins) is a big part of my musical tapestry. I love when he produces for K-pop. He brings such a clean, classic touch to his work.

Second is the vocal arrangement. I think one of the reasons I’m drawn to funk influences is the sense of warmth and spontaneity they bring to a track. To me, modern pop music can often feel a little cold and computer-driven. Vocal flourishes like Blink‘s “shoo bee doo” vamp bring a welcome humanity and depth to the production.

Lastly, I wanted to feature Blink because its grooviness and sunny disposition remind me of Oh My Girl’s Pink Ocean/Windy Day comeback, which is still my favorite album from the group. It’s so nice to hear them revisit the energy from earlier highlights like Knock Knock and I Found Love. They’ve got one of my favorite vocal lines in K-pop, and their voices match frothy pop tracks so well.