On October 31, 2017, WM Entertainment announced Oh My Girl's comeback with new music planned for released some time in November. However, in mid-November, it was announced that their comeback would be delayed until January for "a goal of a more complete album". On December 23, WM Entertainment announced Oh My Girl's comeback for January 9 with the single "Secret Garden" alongside with their fifth EP of the same name.
Composition
The song was written produced by Steven Lee, with additional songwriting by Mayu Wakisaka, and Sean Alexander, and Seo Ji-eum. Alexander has previously been involved in composition and production for their single "Closer", while Seo Ji-eum is the lyricist for several of their previous singles, including "Closer", "Liar Liar", and "Windy Day". It was described by Billboard's Tamar Herman, as "a shimmering synth-pop title track ". The lyrics describe the process of a young woman growing up as "planting the seeds of potential internally to pursue their future dreams".
Chart performance
The song debuted at number 17 on the Gaon Digital Chart, on the week of January 13, 2018. The song charted for 12 consecutive weeks in the Top 100. "Secret Garden" also debuted at number 17 on the Kpop Hot 100 for the week of January 21, 2018. In its second week, the song peaked at number 10. The song was the 35th best-selling song in January, 46th in February and 74th in March 2018.
Music video
Produced by Sunny Visual for WM Entertainment, the music video of "Secret Garden" was directed by Yoo Sung-kyun. It was uploaded on January 9, 2018 on their official YouTube channel and also 1theK. The video showcases them dancing in a simple white set. Individual scenes reflects the lyrics of the song by depicting the members as young women discovering educational options and exploring career paths.
Japanese version
A Japanese version of "Secret Garden" was released on December 28, 2018 as their second lead single for their debut Japanese album Oh My Girl Japan Debut Album. The album was released on January 9, 2019 by Ariola Japan. The lyrics were translated into Japanese by Chie Itou, who was previously involved in translating the entirety of their Banana Allergy Monkey EP into Japanese.
