Crayon (song)

GOT7 announced their comeback with the EP 7 for 7 in September 2017, marking their first release in seven months. The lead single "Crayon" was unveiled on September 23, 2017, alongside the EP. The song was written by JB, the group's leader, who also participated in composing the track with Royal Dive. The title "Crayon" symbolizes the idea of painting one's life with vivid colors, reflecting the group's youthful energy and the theme of the EP, which celebrated their second anniversary as a group.¹

"Crayon" is a dance-pop and hip-hop track with a catchy chorus and a prominent EDM drop. The song's lyrics express a desire to color the world with the beloved's presence, using the metaphor of a crayon. The production features a blend of synth melodies, a driving beat, and rap verses from members Mark, Jackson, BamBam, and Yugyeom, while JB and Youngjae handle the vocal parts. The song is written in the key of C minor with a tempo of 128 beats per minute.

The music video for "Crayon" was directed by Jimmy Lin (VIA Production) and features the members in a vibrant, colorful set with playful scenes, including dancing in a room filled with crayons and paint. The choreography, created by the group's performance director, includes a signature "drawing" motion with their hands, which became a fan favorite. The video surpassed 100 million views on YouTube in 2021, becoming one of GOT7's most-viewed music videos.²

"Crayon" achieved commercial success in South Korea, debuting at number 1 on the Gaon Digital Chart for the week of September 24–30, 2017, and also topping the Gaon Download Chart. Internationally, the song reached number 2 on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart. The EP 7 for 7 also performed well, debuting at number 1 on the Gaon Album Chart and selling over 300,000 copies in South Korea.

Critics praised "Crayon" for its catchy melody and the group's charismatic delivery. Billboard described the song as "a fun, upbeat track that showcases GOT7's versatility," while Kpop Herald noted that the song's "playful concept" was a refreshing change from the group's previous darker concepts. The song was also included in several year-end lists of best K-pop songs of 2017.

While "Crayon" is a well-known GOT7 single, several lesser-known facts surround it. The song was originally written as a tribute to the group's fans, with JB stating that the lyrics were inspired by the idea of "coloring the world with the fans' love." Additionally, the choreography for the song was partially created by the members themselves, with BamBam contributing the iconic "crayon drawing" move. The song also has a hidden track version on the physical album, which includes an extended instrumental intro. Furthermore, "Crayon" was used as the theme song for the 2017 SBS variety show Master Key, which featured GOT7's Jackson as a cast member.³

EP

Extended play, a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album.

Gaon Digital Chart

The national record chart of South Korea, compiled by the Korea Music Content Association.

EDM

Electronic dance music, a broad range of percussive electronic music genres.