The Kraze

View Original

ONF Celebrates Life & Themselves in First Full Album, ONF:MY NAME

After debuting in 2017, ONF has finally released their first full-length album, titled ONF:MY NAME. The album contains 11 songs, including a complete version of their unreleased 2017 track “Lights On,” which is exclusive to the physical CD. The album opens with the bright track “Beautiful Beautiful,” and closes with an English version of the same song. ONF released the colorful music video for the track “My Name Is” one week ahead of the album’s release. With this new album, ONF is celebrating life and introducing themselves to the world one track at a time.

Let’s Talk Music

Tracklist:

  1. “Beautiful Beautiful” ♔

  2. “My Name Is”

  3. “온도차 (Thermometer)”

  4. “비밀 (Secret Triangle)”

  5. “The Realist”

  6. “On-You (Interlude)”

  7. “누워서 세계 속으로 (Trip Advisor)”

  8. “Feedback”

  9. “I.T.I.L.U.”

  10. “Beautiful Beautiful (English Ver.)”

  11. “Lights On (2021 Ver.)”

“Beautiful Beautiful”

An explosion of positive energy, “Beautiful Beautiful” is a pleasant surprise from ONF who grew popular thanks to their EDM-infused dark dystopian tracks like “We Must Love” and “Why.” While they are still set in a dystopian world, the group reoriented themselves last year with the release of "스쿰빗스위밍 (Sukhumvit Swimming)," now showcasing a brighter version of themselves. They continue that trajectory with “Beautiful Beautiful,” which is about loving yourself and appreciating all that life has to offer. The music video is inspired by cyberpunk sci-fi space movies like Space Sweepers, and follows the boys on their path to seek freedom in a controlled society by tapping into the positivity within themselves and those around them. The video matches the song’s uplifting message with the use of brightly colored sets, outfits, hair, makeup, and bright neon CGI and visual effects.

B-Sides

The album’s B-sides open with the track “My Name Is.” With minimalistic production, the song was co-written by all the members who use this opportunity to introduce themselves and the group to their listeners. The song’s lyrics are clever and witty, flowing more like a conversation between the members than a traditional song. 

The following two tracks are performed by the two teams within ONF. The ON team, made up of members Hyojin, E-tion, and MK, performs the smooth R&B track “온도차 (Thermometer).” The melody is easy on the ears and puts the focus on the beautiful harmonies performed by the members. The OFF team, consisting of Wyatt, J-Us, and U, performs “비밀 (Secret Triangle),” which stands in contrast to the previous track. The song is a hard-hitting EDM track that talks about a love triangle that is doomed from the beginning.

“The Realist” is a beautiful synth-pop track which paints a dreamy image, putting the listeners in a trance. Featuring distorted vocals, the song focuses on the conflict a realist faces about having impossible dreams. The track ends with a unique outro that is very different from the rest of the song and sets the tone for the next track on the album, “On-You (Interlude).” The interlude’s title is a play on the words “online” and “offline.” Inspired by the 2020 social distancing and self-isolation guidelines, the boys express their desire to meet their loved ones in-person rather than online. ONF then goes on a trip around the world, all the while staying in their room on the track “누워서 세계 속으로 (Trip Advisor).” Over a bright beat featuring a cowbell, the boys sing about all the places they are visiting through Google Maps’ street view feature and the travel website, Trip Advisor. 

The group slows it down toward the end of the album with songs “Feedback” and “I.T.I.L.U.” The mid-tempo R&B track “Feedback” features the members' sweet vocals and Wyatt’s melodic rap. The song was co-written by Wyatt and is a love song that expresses the desire to receive an answer following a confession. “I.T.I.L.U.” is an acronym for the phrase “I think I love you” and is one of the most beautiful tracks on the album. The track opens with a piano melody and builds up to a full string orchestral arrangement, reminiscent of EXO’s 2012 winter song “12월의 기적 (Miracles in December).” The song ends with a spoken outro where each member says the word “영원해” that translates to “forever,” making it a very appropriate ending for the storyline presented in the album.

The digital version of the album ends with an English version of the title track, “Beautiful Beautiful” which flows seamlessly without feeling awkward. The physical edition of the album closes with a 2021 version of “Lights On,” which was re-recorded due to being a fan favorite. The song features new composition and arrangement by composer Hwang Hyun

ONF:MY NAME is a cohesive album, showcasing all the aspects of ONF that fans have come to love about them since their debut. The album avoids dwelling on the 2020 COVID-era, and instead encourages listeners to find the light and focus on the positive energy in dark and hard times. 

“Beautiful Beautiful” Title Score: 8/10

“Beautiful Beautiful” MV Score: 10/10

ONF:MY NAME Album Score: 9/10

Total Score: 9/10