Next up on the album review blitz is ONF’s summer special mini album, SUMMER POP-UP ALBUM [POPPING]. Featured on this mini-album is the title track Popping and four other new songs from the group. This new mini-album follows ONF’s first studio album earlier in the year, ONF: My Name, which is headlined by the title track Beautiful Beautiful. They also returned with a repackaged version of the studio album, retitled as City of ONF and lead by the title track Ugly Dance. It has definitely been a busy year for the group, but I am sure fans and casual listeners of the group are enjoying this abundance of releases.

1. Popping (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Popping. (10/10)

2. Summer Poem – Like the title track, there was a lot going on in Summer Poem. The very start of the song felt like an acoustic ballad before the first verse emerged with bouncier pop sound. The chorus concentrates that pop sound with a slight Latin-like tinge. The bridge goes for a sweet slow and tone down, before they ramp up to the final chorus with electric guitars and rapid synth beats. The final chorus begins with an anthem-like approach, before the song wraps up with a similar acoustic sound as how it started. Phew! Amazingly, Summer Poem was cohesive and actually flowed from one end to the other without being disjointed. If I were to be critical about something in Summer Poem, it would be bout the hooks – I wished they were as catchy as the title track’s. (9/10)

3. Summer Shape – ONF shakes up the album by going with a slow jazz number with Summer Shape. A complete change in sound following two bright tracks. For me, the song sounds quite nice, but I find it a bit slow for my personal taste. I do think it was an ideal track when you just want to kick back and relax after a long day with a beverage in hand. It is incredibly soft and highlights a different sound than what I remember ONF for. (7/10)

4. Dry Ice – Dry Ice is a mix of EDM and reggae, which is a pretty interesting and original combination (from what I can remember). It might be an odd combination to read in words, but ONF successfully pulls off Dry Ice in a coherent and flowy manner. I really like the burst of intense EDM that we get throughout the song, adding energy and impact to the song. The reggae, on the other hand, holds back the EDM and adds an interesting colour to Dry Ice. I noticed barely audible voices in the final burst of EDM at the end of the song. Not too sure if this is intentional and can’t make out if it is just ad-libs, but it is an interesting touch nonetheless. (9/10)  

5. Summer End – The Summer album ends with a song appropriately titled Summer End. The soft pop instrumentation coasts along and brings forth a smooth exterior to the song. The vocals in Summer End make the track sweet and the harmonies warm up the song quite well. Personally, it isn’t my cup of tea. But overall, a pleasant ender to the album. (7.5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.5/10