'ONF:MY SELF' album review

I was on vacation this week and didn't listen to much new music - so instead of a weekly round-up, I'm doing a quick dive into ONF's new album, track-by-track.

Open The Door

I feel a little wishy-washy about this track. It's a sound I really like on ONF - dramatic and emotional and grand - but I feel like it's been nerfed by some specific choices. The second verse completely kills the momentum, and I'm not sure I'm sold on the latin choral breakdown (it sounds a little thin?). The intro is goofy as hell and I don't understand why the vocal sample sound out of tune? There are things I do like though! I think the chorus is really catchy and powerful, and I like how the strings are arranged a lot. Their vocals never disappoint. I really like the grandiosity of the final chorus, too.

I can't help but think about how absolutely transcendent "Bye My Monster" is, which this track is clearly trying to replicate. But where this song stumbles, "Bye My Monster" soars - once it hits the first chorus, it doesn't lose any momentum whatsoever even when the arrangement pulls back. I think we'll be chasing that song's high for years to come - it's nearly impossible to reach those heights with quite so much grace.

Bad Dream

The afrobeats trend has gotten to ONF at last - a genre that I feel conflicted about existing in kpop at all, though that's a whole other discussion. Luckily, the drums are really the only part of the genre that's made it into "Bad Dream" - the rest of the instrumental reminds me of some of their really great synthwave tracks (like The Realist). Their voices are incredible on this track - big shout-out to Minkyun for that transcendent bridge.

Not a super standout track amongst their discography, but a really pleasant and well-constructed one. I can see myself putting it on a playlist here and there.

Escape

This is what I'm TALKING ABOUTTTTTTT!!!! I already wrote about it in last week's wrapup but I will hoot and holler about this track to anyone who will listen.

This kind of synthy, funky, electric dance music is ONF's absolute bread and butter. It's dripping with dense harmonies and synths that wobble and slide all over the place. I love the way the verses sit in this darker, grittier mode that contrasts so delightfully with the way the chorus breaks free into a bright, soaring beast of its own. Going back and forth between the two is smooth and natural in a way that's really difficult to pull off.

It reminds me a lot of some of their other incredibly strong tracks in this niche - Slave to the Rhythm, Goosebumps, and Secret Triangle, to name a few. I'm really glad they're choosing to promote this as their b-side because for those who bounced off the title track, I think this one will scratch that ONF itch.

Mirage

I don't have much to say about this song, really. It's really sweet and nice, though I think the midi horns in the chorus are kinda goofy. ONF always sounds good on these tracks even when it's not to my taste. Love to hear Wyatt and Yuto singing a lot more lately! Shout-out to Minkyun on this bridge too, he sounds good as hell.

Silver Lining

This song trends a little saccharine for my taste, though I do like it better than "Mirage." It calls back to some of their earlier work, attempting to capture that youthful, earnest kind of feeling. I like the chorus a lot and I hate the bridge. I think this is also just a case of me not loving this kind of generic pop-rock that's taken over the industry over the last few years - I'm sure this track is really going to speak to someone out there!

Once In a Red Moon

This is the other song on the album that made me stand up and say "we are soooooooo back." I need ONF to make infinite synthpop/synthwave songs and inject them directly into my veins. I do think this song loses momentum in the second verse, but the chorus is so transcendentally good that I can't be too mad. The synth choices over the breakbeat drives forward with so much velocity that you get completely swept away with it each time it hits. I really love it.

This album is really a testament to the incredible synergy between ONF and Hwang Hyun after so many years together. Even when songs don't hit for me, it's undeniable how much this producer-artist relationship defines everything ONF makes, even with other songwriters/producers involved. While they hop around genres and experiment with new sounds, every single track feels intrinsically ONF - like it could never have been made by anyone else.

Anyways. I love them so much. My next big project is doing a definitive track ranking and breakdown (like my one for SHINee). See you soon!