ONEUS Leaves a Lasting Impact in Debut
RBW Entertainment joins the debut frenzy with new boy group ONEUS! Rumors of the group’s debut, along with their brother band ONEWE, have been in the news for a surprising number of months now, and for a long time no one really knew how long the wait would be. After months of no news, the time has finally come for this group!
“Valkyrie”
The first thing you will notice about “Valkyrie” is that it’s not your typical K-Pop melody. Sure, there are familiar electronic and pop elements, but the distinct lack of a buildup and drop at expected points makes the song immediately intriguing. The beginning of the chorus features the recurring musical phrase that we hear at the very beginning of the song, and the drop occurs halfway through without any buildup. That mix-up of the traditional formula and the overall House EDM melody makes for a very addicting title track.
Visually as well, “Valkyrie” is very well put together. For a quick mythology lesson, a valkyrie was originally a Norse female mythical creature who would decide those who would live and those who would die on the battlefield. The creature took on different meanings as time has passed, but the use of the valkyrie in ONEUS’s case is clearly meant as a metaphor for a woman who is otherworldly, much like an angel.
That metaphor considered, the overall aesthetic of the video is ethereal, with a focus on the darkness each member sings of in a world without their valkyrie. Heavy use of black, white, and occasional neon lights makes for a captivating scene, and the ending of the video featuring black wings makes for a truly beautiful, visually told story.
The Album
Debut mini-album LIGHT US features seven tracks. It begins with intro track of the same title, a one-minute song that is surprisingly warm and sets the tone of the album. “삐뚤빼뚤” follows, a heavily electronic track that has a distinctly brighter feel from the title track, with a sense of playfulness. The title track comes next to calm down the energy slightly before moving into “Red Thread,” a soft ballad track transforming into light EDM that conveys feelings toward the red thread of fate.
“EYE CONTACT” picks the tempo back up with a more traditional pop/EDM mixed melody, which continues into “HERO.” ONEUS is clearly aiming for a musical sound that takes heavy influence from the EDM sub-genres, which can be heard in every track at different points. The final track “ㅁㅊㄷㅁㅊㅇ” goes in a different direction, however; beginning with a haunting tone, the beat picks up and quickly shifts into a very hip-hop-esque tune that sounds totally different from the rest of the album. It’s a nice addition to the otherwise predictable melodic lines, even if it seems somewhat out of place.
ONEUS definitely began their K-Pop careers on the right foot. The strong mythical themes used in the title track make for a captivating release on its own, and the overall sound of the album brings a different musical angle to the table with its heavy focus on EDM. Be sure to keep your eye on this new group!