Warning – This is a very long album review! 

Wanna One has returned with their assumingly final release before their impending disbandment at the end of the year (even though that hasn’t been 100% confirmed yet). This final release comes in the form of 1¹¹ = 1 (Power of Destiny) – I couldn’t include the number bit in the title of this post as its format doesn’t show properly. The album consisted of 11 songs, including an intro track (which I didn’t include in the review), the title track Spring Breeze and a special CD only track.

2. Spring Breeze (봄바람) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Spring Breeze. (9/10)

3. Home (집) – Home is what I wanted when I mentioned something more energetic and upbeat in my Spring Breeze review. Home is an upbeat dance track, with a very normal instrumental and I admit that the song is quite linear throughout. Despite that, the song has impact, which does level out the linear nature. I thought the song’s instrumental had a decent build-up, which allowed the chorus to be very strong. Vocals were showcased in a very cool manner, with a very melodic factor reeling me in for more. The raps were perfect for the song. A right level of energy and roughness made it fit right in. I do hope they have a performance for this as I want one so badly. (9/10)

4. Flower Bomb (불꽃놀이) – Living up to the second half of the title, the chorus was explosive in comparison to the rest of the song. This is what I wanted with the song when I first heard the title. The burst of energy made the song robust and appealing. The vocals and raps were still at the forefront of the song, which was a concern at first given the nature of the chorus instrumentation. But I am glad that they were clear because their vocals in this song were a nice element. Besides the chorus explosion, I thought the delayed and staggered explosive nature of the final chorus was a really great way to make the song less repetitive and more interesting. (8/10)

5. One Love (묻고싶다) – I like the overall sound of One Love. It starts off as a typical R&B song, but it picks up into something a little more upbeat and intriguing. I really like the slight twist that follows the main chorus (the ‘One Love…’ lines) because it gave a punch to the song, which made it enjoyable (and hence that ‘typical’ nature disappeared). What makes this song even better is that it showcases the rappers (Daniel, Jihoon, Guanlin and Woojin), who usually do not get much limelight in some of the group’s other songs. The vocalists were also amazing, but I felt the song did the rappers justice. (8/10)

6. Deeper – Deeper is my pick for the most aesthetic song on the entire album. Not just the lyrics but I thought the sound was rather aesthetically pleasing. I thought the vocals (excluding the chorus vocals) and the raps had a heavy tone to them, which I guess goes hand-in-hand with the ‘Deeper’ title. I thought their echo-y ‘Deeper’ to be a very strong and interesting hook to the song. The vocals at this part seem to be like shouting, which contrasts nicely with the rest of the deep and husky vocals/raps you hear in the song. I thought the instrumental was nice, which went for a piano and drum beat mix. (8/10)

7. Hide And Seek (술래) – Hide And Seek is similar to slow ballad-like song on this album. Like most songs on the album, the vocals are quite crisp and clear. I thought the rapping added a nice dynamic to the song, particularly during the bridge. The melody of this song was decent, making me sway along to it. The only issue is that it doesn’t lose that typical feeling. It just feels like any ballad and that doesn’t really live up to the standard set by the other songs on the album. Hence, I find it to be the least captivating. But don’t misunderstand, the song isn’t terrible in any way. (6.5/10)

8. Awake – I think if we were to pick one member who stood out in the synth-heavy Awake, it would have to be Woojin. His rap sections were just so amazing. I really like the fast tempo of the song during the chorus and the upbeat nature was quite addictive. Vocally, the song was awesome. I thought the people who sang the chorus had the best bit of the song (besides Woojin’s rap sequences). It is one song that I personally want to see a performance, as I think they can nail it a dance to this song. Personally, it is one of my favourite tracks on the album. (9/10)

9. 12th Star – This song is only present on the physical album, so I wasn’t going to review it. However, after checking a lyric video for it on YouTube, it will be rather disappointing to miss out on talking about this ballad. There is a lot of emotion in this song, which you can hear behind the voices of both singers and rappers. I liked the many attempts to keep the song from becoming too repetitive, which is a common occurrence in ballads. The harmonizing at the end and the slight stillness in the instrumental kept the song appealing and impactful. (8/10)

10. Pine Tree (소나무) – Pine Tree is a touching tribute to their parents. It is a pop ballad that sums up their gratitude to those who raised them from young. With such an emotional song, you can’t help but wonder how their parents reacted to the song. Surely, some tears were shed, and smiles were formed. I felt like every member shined in this song. I am not saying that because it was for their parents. But I genuinely thought everyone was well-balanced with one another and no one really became showcased, so it was not just a song for their own parents but for each other’s parents, as well. (9/10)

11. Beautiful (Part II) – When I first heard the highlight medley, I was automatically drawn to this track. The reasons were obvious. It has a more pronounced ballad feel, with the much slower and more orchestral heavy instrumental in the background. There are a few familiar melodies and moments from Part 1, with a number of tweaks throughout the song. I like how with some of the lines that were the same between the two songs were sung in a different manner in this one, giving a new form to the older song. The rappers also had a fair amount of singing lines in this song, which I thought was nice (as they have good voices). Overall, Beautiful (Part 2) is a beautiful ending to the album. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.5/10