Tag: ONF

While we are patiently awaiting the second part of ONF’s 2nd studio album, here is my review of the first part of ONF: My Identity, which was released back in February this year. Leading the 6-track album is the title track The Stranger. Once again, ONF did not disappoint with their album release, almost reaching the same heights as last year’s mini-album release (see info below). I ranked all the tracks highly, half of which received a 10/10 from me. For more of my thoughts on the album, keep on reading.

Before the release of this album, we last saw ONF through their 8th mini-album, Beautiful Shadow, which was led by the amazingly superior Bye My Monster.

1. The Stranger (Title track) – Click here for The Stranger’s full review. (9/10)

2. Night Tale – Following the title track is Night Tale, a cool electro funk number. While the song is under 3 minutes long, Night Tale packs quite a bit into its short span and effectively uses the time to make a punchy number. I really like HYOJIN’s ad-libs at the end, as well as WYATT and E-TION’s rap/rap-speak delivery in the second verse. The rest of the members’ deliveries also appear strong. The instrumental break, particularly thanks to the retro touches, definitely makes for a worthwhile dance break – exactly what the SEUNGJUN and the group gave us when Night Tale was performed on stage. (9/10)

3. Nothing But A Stranger – Next up on the mini-album are the unit tracks, with Nothing But A Stranger from the ON Team (HYOJIN, E-TION and MINKYUN). It is an R&B track that showcases what the unit is all about – vocals. I love how dreamier the melodies of Nothing But A Stranger gets as it progresses, allowing the trio to really whisk us away with their warm and comforting vocals as the song progresses. (10/10)

4. Anti Hero – The OFF Team (SEUNGJUN, WYATT and U) takes over the album with Anti Hero. The track features a rock-based track that is definitely exciting and powerful. The rock style reminds me of TVXQ’s Red Sun. I find myself head-banging along to the choruses each time I replay the song. Their rapping and vocals are on par with the instrumentation in terms of power and intensity, with WYATT’s deeper voice put on full display during the pre-chorus sequence, and SEUNGJUN and U’s vocals working perfectly in the chorus. (10/10)

5. Good Place – Good Place is probably the most unique and intriguing track on the album (and probably in recent times in KPOP overall). It is a fun house and tropical blend track, which doesn’t sound too out of the ordinary. But it also features a cool flute synth accompaniment that just gives Good Place something different to separate it from the rest. I like how the melodies and vocals were ‘easy on the ears’, which is also channelled throughout the rest of Good Place, which makes for an intriguing listen overall. (10/10)

6. Collab – Continuing on with the upbeat vibes from the previous song is Collab, a bossa nova-influenced track. It is a more mellow and pleasant track compared to the others on the album. But it is still very bright, bouncy and has some boldness to it. I liked how pronounced their vocals and rapping were over the top of the instrumentation, and the brass elements were very appreciated. It is more on the ordinary side, however. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9.3/10

ONF made their Beautiful Shadow comeback in April, led by the single Bye My Monster, which is still a fantastic track after just over six months. Joining the title track are four additional side tracks – all of which were just as high calibre as Bye My Monster. You might think that I am a bit 10/10 happy with this mini-album. But honestly, no side track was skippable. And being a bit trigger-happy with the 10/10s has led to this mini-album being my blog’s highest-rated release in 3 years! Only two albums have received the same rating – TAEMIN’s Want and Kim Sung Kyu’s Won’t Forget You. But it isn’t the highest-rated album on the blog ever – only one mini-album has achieved that (guess which one). But for now, here are my thoughts on Beautiful Shadow.

1. Bye My Monster (Title Track) – Click here for the full review of Bye My Monster. (9.5/10)

2. Aphrodite – ONF goes funky in Aphrodite with an electronic instrumentation. It definitely made the track fun. Some moments stray away from the funkiness, such as the dramatic and serious outro and when all the members sing together throughout the bridge. All brought a slightly different dynamic to Aphrodite but didn’t disrupt the flow or energy that the song and members were exuding. Speaking of the members, they brought strong vocals and rapping, intensifying the song even further. (9/10)

3. BREATH, HAZE & SHADOW – Changing up the flow of the mini-album is this middle song. Following the intense and funky Aphrodite and preceding the pop Chemical Type, BREATH, HAZE & SHADOW takes us into the balladry domain. The instrumental is composed of strings and piano, making a beautiful background. The vocal work from all the members was superb, and I loved how powerful they got towards the song’s end. You can definitely feel all of the emotions in the song. Stunning is definitely how I would describe the song. (10/10)  

4. Chemical Type – Following the ballad, Chemical Type definitely packs a lot of oomph in its instrumentation. The pop track had me vibing along to the song. And from this, I had a lot of favourite moments in Chemical Type. The very unfiltered, vibrant instrumentation in the choruses was one of the highlights I enjoyed. The electric guitar that came through in the end felt like icing on the cake. The “My my chemical type” rings in my mind even after the song ends. WYATT’s part in the second verse, which moves between rap, vocals and then back into rapping, was another highlight. The rest of the vocals were powerful and complemented the oomph packed into the song. (10/10)

5. Slave To The Rhythm – I remember being intrigued by the title of the final song. It sounds like a very conceptual track that needed a slinky instrumental to feel alluring and commanding. The groovy synth bass was a vibe and had everything I had hoped for the track. There is a disco influence in Slave To The Rhythm, which was an appropriate era to draw upon. The instrumental break at the end was my favourite, but the dramatic ending was a close second. I liked how ONF’s vocals just glided along, and this highlighted the rhythm. Another 10/10 for this mini-album. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9.7/10

After completing their military enlistment at the same time in June 2023 (a first in KPOP to navigate the biggest cause of prolonged hiatus in male KPOP groups), ONF returned in October 2023 with their 7th mini-album, Love Effect. It is their first comeback since their special album release of Storage of ONF in 2022 in the midst of their military enlistments, which featured the title track Your Song. Love Effect (the mini-album) features a total of 5 songs, including their latest title track of the same name.

Overall, this new mini-album is a solid way to ease us back into ONF, with the title track itself borrowing that similar sound profile that I personally liked from their title tracks that they released prior to the military enlistments in 2021 (i.e., Beautiful Beautiful) and the others songs demonstrating the group’s variability with different sounds and genres. Continue reading to find out what my thoughts on each individual song are below.

1. Be Here Now – Kicking off the mini-album is the single Be Here Now, which lyrics are about the future that ONF wants with their fans (FUSEs). I really like the cheerful and feel-good vibe that the verses bring to the song, and the choruses are an inclusive extension of that thanks to the members singing together. Wyatt’s rapping in the bridge brings a playful vibe to the mix, while the only pre-chorus in Be Here Now is extremely pleasant (so much so, that it stands out to me). (9/10)

2. Love Effect (바람이 분다) – Click here for the review for Love Effect. (9/10)

3. Dam Dam Di Ram – ONF taps into hip-hop territory with this dance track, which to me sounds like a typical male KPOP group release. It just sounds plain and doesn’t really feel as exciting as some of their other tracks on this mini-album. Also, Dam Dam Di Ram is a lot more serious and heavier than ONF’s other releases, which is a departure from what we hear from ONF usually. That being said, there are some good moments and aspects to the song, such as Hyojin and Seungjun’s (formerly J-Us) unique vocals in the pre-choruses, Wyatt’s very low tone rap-speak in the second verse and the refreshing flute that features in the background throughout the song. (7.5/10)

4. Arrival – Whilst Arrival is also quite hefty and serious like releases from other male groups, I do find that Arrival does a much better job of showcasing ONF’s style and colour. Just check out the chorus, and I think you will know what I am talking about (if you have been a long-time fan of ONF). The synth wave instrumentation behind Arrival is a lot more dynamic and this definitely helps make the song more appealing. The detailing we hear in the background introduces some crunchy textures, while I felt was very cool. (8.5/10)

5. Wind Effect (바람이 부는 이유) – The final song on the album is (surprise, surprise) a ballad. It is a lovely song to end on, with a soft piano instrumental and pleasant vocals to round out of the mini-album. Given the title of this track is rather similar to the title track of this release, the lyrics of Wind Effect reads in as a potential lead into the title track – Wind Effect depicts the beginning of love, while Love Effect (the title track) depicts the falling in love. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.4/10

ONF’s Goosebumps is nominated for Best Music Video and Best Album in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support Goosebumps and your other favourite artists, songs and performance by clicking here to vote today.

ONF surprised fans with the announcement and subsequent release of Storage of ONF, a special album release for their fans. What made this release a surprise in particular is that 5 out of the 6 members of ONF are currently carrying out their military enlistment. And traditionally, this means that the members are on hiatus and do not release music during this time. But ONF has definitely gone the extra mile. In addition to new music and a new album, the group also prepared and filmed a music vided for the title track. This means that in an already busy last year when the members were heavily promoting Beautiful Beautiful, Ugly Dance, Popping and Goosebumps, ONF was also thinking ahead about their fans (Fuses) and making sure Fuses had their fill of songs for this usually empty period. It definitely puts a new spin on loyalty and shows their unrelentless commitment to their fans! Storage of ONF features the title track Your Song, four additional new tracks, and five remastered versions of previous title and side tracks.

1. Your Song (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Your Song. (9/10)

2. Runaway – Runaway brings me back to their early days, in particular to their Complete and We Must Love days. The vibrant tone and upbeat energy made Runaway super fun, while I liked the retro tinge that the song has in the chorus. The hooks were catchy and adds a neat punch to the song. The vocal work was solid and on point, while Wyatt’s deep rapping was well-delivered and kept up with the energy of Runaway. The addition of strings to Runaway during the bridge was quite a surprise, but it was very interesting and adds a very different dimension to the song. I think taking me back to their earlier days was enough to give it a 10/10, but everything else within Runaway proves that it is a 10/10. (10/10)

3. Traveler – Traveler tones down the energy and takes the form of a ballad. It is very nicely instrumented and quite piano dominant. As the ballad progresses, you get a very slight jazzy feel to the instrumental, which I thought was a really neat touch. I also liked the use of harmonies and backing vocals to form part of the instrumental for Traveler. The actual vocals were very dreamy and riveting. Everything in this track was a stunner. (9/10)

4. GUCCI – Whiplash is the first word that pops in my mind whilst listening to GUCCI. Following such a slow and peaceful track, GUCCI slaps you (quite forcibly, might I add, but not in a bad way) with its intensity and abrasiveness. It is quite an edgy track for ONF, but still feels like it within ONF’s repertoire. I feel like GUCCI would have been an absolutely cool track to see on stage, with high hopes for a really strong, cool and powerful dance routine to accompany the song. The hooks could have been a bit more fleshed out, but what we got was pretty memorable in itself. I also appreciate the fact that GUCCI managed to weave in quite melodic lines during its chorus. (8/10)

5. My Song – You might recognise the choruses’ melody of My Song, which comes from Your Song (this album’s title track). But aside from that similarity, the two songs have pretty much different. My Song instead is more orchestral centric with its instrumentation. And the different orchestral influences make My Song extremely alluring and captivating to listen to. I also liked how the vocals play into this, matching the orchestral sound for that part of the song. (9/10)

6. On/Off (Remastered Version) – On/Off was released back in 2017 as part of the mini-album of the same name and as the debut single for ONF. While I have not reviewed On/Off (both the mini-album and title track) before, I have decided to omit the track from the overall album score. However, you can still check out the remastered version of On/Off below.

7. If We Dream (Remastered Version) – If We Dream was released back in 2017 as part of the group’s debut mini-album On/Off. While I have not reviewed On/Off (the mini-album) or If We Dream before, I have decided to omit the track from the overall album score. However, you can still check out the remastered version of If We Dream below.

8. 86400 (Remastered Version) – 86400 was released back in 2018 as part of the group’s second mini-album, You Complete Me. I have reviewed You Complete Me before. And by extension, I have reviewed 86400 before, You can read my thoughts on 86400 through that album review. I have decided to omit this version of 86400 from the overall album score. However, you can still check out the remastered version of 86400.

9. We Must Love (Remastered Version) – We Must Love was released back in 2019 as part of the group’s third mini-album of the same name. I have previously reviewed We Must Love, which you can click here to read on my review for the single. However, I have decided to omit this version of We Must Love from the overall album score. But you can still check out the remastered version of We Must Love.

10. Complete (Remastered Version) – Complete was released back in 2018 as part of the group’s second mini-album, You Complete Me. I have previously reviewed Complete, which you can click here to read on my review for the single. However, I have decided to omit this version from the overall album score. But you can still check out the remastered version of Complete below.

Overall Album Rating – 9/10

The final album from 2021 that I will be reviewing is ONF’s Goosebumps, the group’s sixth mini-album. It follows a string of releases from the group in 2021, including Beautiful Beautiful (featured on their first studio album, ONF: My Name), Ugly Dance (featured on the repackaged version of their first studio album, City of ONF) and Popping (featured on their summer popup album of the same name). After the release of Goosebumps in early December, it was announced that ONF will undertake their military enlistment at the same time to reduce their hiatus. And by the end of the year, five members (excluding U, as he is not a Korean citizen) enlisted in the military, thus pushing the group into hiatus until (and I am guessing here based on the usual two year enlistment period) the end of 2023.

But while ONF is currently not releasing any music, they did leave us with Goosebumps, which features the title track of the same name and four other side tracks. Overall, Goosebumps was a terrific album that boasts high quality and enjoyable tracks. All the songs on here definitely throws me back to some form of ONF release, and has a unique tone that tells me that it is ONF’s album from afar. Check out the release below and let me know if you agree with my thoughts!

1. Goosebumps (Title Track) – Click here for the full review of Goosebumps. (9/10)

2. Whistle – Following the title track is Whistle, and it is a very creative and unique track on the lyrics front. Essentially, the members sing in a perspective a cat who is close by to their owner, who is actually a cursed human that is now being punished for their past actions in their human relationship with said owner. But they want the curse to end, and the only way for that to happen is for their lover to whistle. It is quite an abstract idea, but one that makes Whistle standout as a track. I like the sorrow, reflective and pensive tone the members take in this song, while I like the somewhat jazzy nature of the instrumental. There is a bit of bass and pop melody infused into the chorus, which makes it a strong centerpiece. But the best part of Whistle for me is the bridge, which had enough change to be different, but stay within the boundaries of the song. (9/10)

3. Fat & Sugar – Fat & Sugar is a return to the upbeat, vibrant and energetic energy that I associate with ONF. It takes a form of a funky hip-hop song that makes me groove along to the music every time I listen to the song. The chorus is extremely memorable, thanks to the repetition of the ‘I like bad things, Fat and Sugar, Fat and Sugar’. It does seem a bit childish (I remember passing over this song initially because of this childish tone), but it quite charming after many listens. I like the character they brought to the song through their vocals and rapping, which helped make Fat & Sugar so much more appealing than you think. (8.5/10)

4. Alarm – The album takes a turn with Alarm, this time entering ballad territory. It is a stunning piece. The verses were a bit typical and the instrumental is pretty standard for the ballad. But the stunning nature of Alarm comes during the chorus, where there is so much vocal layering. However, not once does it sound or feel overwhelming. It adds complexity to the otherwise simple track. Vocally, they sounded amazing throughout. The harmonies in this track are to die for. Talking about harmonies, the unexpected incline at the end of Alarm just makes the song even better! And of course, the swayable melody is also there. (10/10)

5. Show Must Go On –As mentioned in the introduction paragraph, this is ONF’s last album for a while. And a song titled Show Must Go On is very fitting for this hiatus. The direction that the song took us in was unexpected, however. But I love the fast pace nature of Show Must Go On and how it gives off and reminds me of the group’s title tracks. The fast pace nature also provides great energy and the chanting at the end is quite satisfying. It feels like ONF is going out with a big bang (in a way) with this release. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9.1/10