ONEWE is classified as an alt-rock band, and debuted in 2015, as part of the 3rd generation. They have five members: vocalist Yonghoon, rapper and bassist Giuk (a.k.a. CyA), guitarist Kanghyun, keyboardist Dongmyeong, and drummer Harin. 

Here are my credentials: This is (I think) the 4th full band I’ve covered on this blog, after The Rose, Lucy, and Rolling Quartz, but to be honest, besides that and the fact that they’re having a comeback today, I don’t know much about ONEWE. But I’m hoping to change that. So, let’s get into it!

Single #1: 1/4

Ring On My Ears was their debut, and right from the start I could see that they were something unique. As the pre-chorus began counting up and the instruments began slowly rising in the background, I honestly got excited, because it was clear they were gearing up for a climactic note, and thankfully, they didn’t disappoint! The lyrics are great, especially the line about a guitar pick slowly deteriorating, which is so unique. I also liked how much fun they seem to be having performing it, which is always great to see in an industry that can be very serious.

Single #2: 2/4

Regulus is a track I’d heard of before (in a thread about great k-pop lyrics) but never actually heard before. And the thread was right; there are some cutting ones such as “in this place where I’m breathing, there’s a flower resembling you.” The song itself is more melancholy than Ring On My Ears, though its choruses—especially the last one—veer more into power ballad territory, which is more my speed. I think I appreciated this track more than fully liked it, in parts such as the heavily autotuned ones, but I can acknowledge that it’s pretty strong.

Single #3: 3/4

Q goes for a more k-poppy style than the other two have, an autotuned electro track with some tropical undertones, and doesn’t quite go far enough in any of the directions it half-heartedly pursues to stick out to me. I did really enjoy hearing Hwasa’s voice with ONEWE’s, though, and appreciated how involved she was; I just wish they’d gone with a song that took fuller advantage of her talents. My favorite part was the groovy guitar solo after the bridge, which had quite a strong beat.

Album #1: ONE

From the name, I’d assumed End Of Spring would be a ballad in the same vein as Regulus, but it’s actually a really interesting mix of synthpop and a somewhat country whistling hook that worked surprisingly well together. It’s definitely light and summery, as befits the lyrics about the change of the seasons, but it’s a nice counterbalance to their previous work with its energy and sense of fun.

From the album, ONE, which combines the previous EPs with some new tracks, I enjoyed the light instrumentation and gentle hook of Reminisce About All, and the jazzy piano in Feeling Good. My hidden gem, though, was the funky Love Me, whose coffee shop energy soon spirals into a fun breakdown. I also heard the rock version of End Of Spring, which I ended up preferring to the original.

Single #4: A Book In Memory

Parting goes back to the ballad world, with another set of cutting lyrics that, mixed with Yonghoon’s engaging delivery really had me glued to the screen. It’s a breakup song, naturally, and sad ones tend to be subdued, but thankfully, after its beginning, this one heads more in the angsty direction, going full-on anthem. This is the first track that’s felt like a continuation of core identity to me, and this style of rock ballad is a great fit for them. I hope it continues.

A Book In Memory sounded like a kdrama soundtrack from its first tender piano chords, and again I worried about being bored by a coffee-shop sound. But, the track soon goes into a more affecting one, with a skyrocketing electric guitar and softer strings to balance it out. The powerful chorus has a great build-up, and the falsetto in the bridge is lovely. That ending is excellent, and I don’t say that lightly. It truly feels like a performance, and I was tempted to clap when it ended, especially for Younghoon’s final note. 

From the single, Memory: Illusion, my hidden gem was the anthemic Aquarium, with its combination of rock and piano, and especially that guitar riff.

EP #1: Planet Nine; Alter Ego

Rain To Be goes in a more acoustic direction with a Spanish guitar that reminded me of SF9’s O Sole Mio, and then soon spirals into a faster-paced beat as water floods the stage in the MV and the band slowly becomes submerged. I was wincing internally the whole time; I hope they didn’t have to film this more than once. But it does work to get across the song’s frantic, desperate energy and to get your heart pumping, as all good rock songs should.

From the 1st EP, Planet Nine: Alter Ego, I enjoyed the heady percussion of Logo, the lovely strings in chiptune Veronica (a combination that shouldn’t work as well as it does), and the more toned-down ballad Cosmos. My hidden gem was Aurora, with its fast-paced guitar and perfectly executed desperate call and response chorus. Overall, an excellent EP.

Next time, we’re onto Part 2. Tschüss!