Oh My Girl have had an incredible year. Their very successful stint on last years Queendom lent itself to an even more successful comeback in the form of Nonstop and has since shot the girls into near superstardom. As a long time fan, this has been very gratifying to see. This continued growth has seen many of the members embark on solo ventures, with YooA being the first to release her own solo album. Out of all the members, YooA is the member who’s always seemed most suited to a solo project and debut single Bon Voyage is a suitably gorgeous first entry.
On first listen, Bon Voyage left me quite cold. It felt too listless, too light to really leave an impact. Where was the hook? What was the structure? I was honestly quite confused by the whole thing. But all it took was another listen for everything to click into place. Bon Voyage is one of the most unique solo debuts I’ve heard all year. Both conceptually and to a lesser extent musically, it feels like Windy Day‘s younger sister. And for someone who loves the latter, this is a big bonus. The entire track feels incredibly light on its feet, coasting by quite nicely for its first 40 odd seconds. The use of synth textures and loops during the opening verse is just on point, creating an instant sense of fantasy and excitement. It sounds exactly like the start of a lighthearted, coming of age adventure and feels comforting in the best way possible.
But what really throws the track wide open is the expansive instrumental drop at its core. I’ve seen my fair share of drops but this one right here is special. I adore the looping tribal inspired chant layered throughout much of the first chorus and subsequent pre-chorus’. It really gives the track a unique soundscape and actually reminds me of my favourite song of 2019, Stray Kids’ modern masterpiece Miroh. And while Bon Voyage doesn’t come close to that kind of greatness, I really appreciate this unique approach. This combined with a gorgeous flute sample and layered backing vocals and we’ve got one of the most memorable we’ve heard all year. An additional refrain would have sealed its fate as an instant classic but I’m not complaining with what we have here.
And while the production really is incredible, YooA makes sure to not fall behind. She offers a suitably dynamic performance, restrained when needed and explosive when needed. She’s one of the best performers out there and while Bon Voyage isn’t the kind of infectious dance pop I was initially expecting, it’s one that’s a near perfect match between artist and song. This is easily the strongest Oh My Girl related single this year.
Verses: 8
Chorus: 9
Production: 9
Performance: 9
Final Rating: 8.75/10
KBopped 
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