Here are my credentials (again): This is 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!

(Read Part 1 here)

Single #5: Star

Star is another single, and, as befits the name, has an otherworldly feel to it, with the twinkling piano and very light guitar. It’s also a rock ballad, make no mistake, but instead of a more climactic moment in the choruses as the past few tracks have done, its best part is the bridge’s high note and buildup, which doesn’t quite have as good a pay-off as it could. But I will say, its final vocalized moments are a great way to end.

EP #2: Planet Nine; Voyage

Universe takes a different route from the music videos so far, spotlighting the people (or very cute border collies, in one case) who make life worth living and who comfort you when you’re down, while you do the same for them. It’s been a while since a k-pop music video has made me teary, but I’m a sap; I should’ve known it would be a song like this that would do it. Kanghyun’s guitar solo was excellent, and I couldn’t help smiling at the point of the video where they all run away together into the distance.

From the 2nd EP, Planet Nine: Voyager, I enjoyed the harmonizing between Yonghoon and Dongmyeon and the instrumental-led outro of Envision and the slowly building acoustic backing of From, which becomes a perfect send-off. Montage was my hidden gem, though; its climactic EDM and fiery electric guitar was great to listen to, and reminded me of ATEEZ at its best. Also, I appreciated Universe more in context with the rest of the EP.

Single #6: Roommate

Roommate is up next, and is more subdued, a love song from the members to each other as they marked their seventh anniversary. It’s self-reflective and at times sardonic: “we were so immature”, “counting the steps taken, we will know when we grow up”; but all incredibly heartfelt, and I found myself really caring, even when I knew nothing about them.

Single #7: Still Here

Still Here is light-footed and ethereal, similar to the opening of Star, but unlike with Star, it doesn’t really get out of that softer sound until well into the track. It’s another track that I more appreciate than fully enjoy, but I want to reiterate that I really mean that they’re excellent songs when I say it. ONEWE do excel at this style.

Album #2: Gravity

Gravity is all in English, which, while not unusual for a k-pop group, is surprising for ONEWE since none of them speak English as a first language and they’re so known for writing their own lyrics. The song is breezy while still being electronic rock, and more minimalistic in style than is usual for them. Though it’s definitely fun, especially the guitar break, I don’t like the somewhat anti-drop in the chorus and how empty it sounds. I also would rather have a song in Korean with excellent lyrics than a song in English with decent ones.

I didn’t have a hidden gem from the album.

EP #3: Planet Nine; Isotropy

It was actually seeing Beautiful Ashes on my weekly check-in of upcoming k-pop releases that led me to going, “huh. I don’t think I know anything about them. Guess I will now!” I assumed it would be a breakup song from the title, and it is, but of course, what could be simple is elevated by great voices, orchestral swirls, a strong piano, and a guitar solo. It does a solid job balancing the catharsis and the melancholy both present throughout. I may have just heard it a couple hours ago, but it’s quickly moving up my ranking of their singles. Giuk’s voice especially really stood out to me here too.

From the 3rd EP, Planet Nine: Isotropy, I enjoyed the return of Veronica’s video game synths in Meteor Shower, the more downtempo coffee-shop sound of Kiss In The Rain, and the pop-rock fun of Pleasant, which was a perfect way to end the album. But, my hidden gem was Shoot It Out, with its great build-ups, drawn-out high notes in the chorus, and expansive guitar riffs.

Album #3: WE; Dream Chaser

The Starry Night opens with a synthier edge than any of their singles have had thus far, and piqued my interest almost immediately. From there, the song operates on a percussive yet light-footed beat as it shuttles towards the main event: that chorus. The way it melds their rockier edge with kpop hallmarks and even a bit of their tendency towards ballads is just great, and the song takes off (pun very much intended) every time the chorus comes around while not sacrificing any of the emotion in it either. It’s honestly one of my favorites, and the way that hooks feels more and more like a sledgehammer every time only makes me like it more.

This album is the first that came out after I became a fan, and I’m happy to say that there was so much I liked. I enjoyed the Wonderland references and painful nostalgia of Alice, the frenetic video game energy of Traffic Love, the trilling piano in Rise Again, and the coffeeshop sound of All I Love. It was so hard to choose a hidden gem, but as of now Alice and the punchy, emotional Sole Star are my top contenders. Every time I keep thinking that ONEWE’s hit their peak, they prove me wrong and make a better release. I’d be annoyed by the number of remakes I’ve done if I wasn’t so impressed.

EP #4: MAZE; Ad Astra

Maze, has a lot to live up to, both after the Ad Astra EP’s great intro (more on that in a sec) and ONEWE’s past singles. But it hits the ground running, absolutely, with a jaunty piano, a strong EDM sound, and some delightful brass. I really liked both the track’s sense of fun and the instrumental post chorus, even though I’m not usually a fan. As for the MV, it may be their most entertaining, poking fun at the idea of chasing aliens by showing the boys run around using their instruments as extraterrestrial communication devices (a la the Golden Record). It’s such a kpop song, in both its musical style and its humor, and I mean that as a high compliment. I think it needs a bit more time to grow on me, but I’m sure it will.

From the EP, it was so hard to choose a favorite. There was the album opener, Lucky 12, which is an anime intro if I’ve ever heard one, Hide & Seek, which may have the EP’s best hook, but I think I’ve settled on Beyond The Storm. Not only does it have what’s probably one of my favorite sounds in a song—the hard-won, glorious slow burn—but the style feels especially apt for ONEWE, fresh off of the heels of a series about voyager far from home. It feels like a triumphant return.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this. In this review, I’ve found that ONEWE is what I wish WINNER had been. While I’m not always in the mood for a ballad, I can’t deny how talented they are—Yonghoon and Kanghyun especially—and I can’t help but be moved by such great lyrics. You can tell that they’ve written the songs themselves, with how earnestly they deliver them and how passionately they perform. I didn’t skip a single song, not even a ballad or two. They seem to truly love their music, and each other, which can’t be said for every group I’ve covered. Besides that, I enjoyed watching them bicker and tease each other, which made me laugh thinking of my own friends. They may not have made me a WEVE, but they’ve certainly made me a fan, and certainly earned my respect.

My Top 5 songs are A Book In Memory, Rain To Be, Aurora, Love Me, and Parting, with Montage and Beautiful Ashes as honorable mentions. ONEWE gets a 9.5 out of 10 from me, which is absolutely not what I expected when we started this, but seems appropriate to their talents and how much fun I had during this deep dive. I may have done this on a whim, but it was a nice boost to my week, and I hope that this kind of discovery of someone I didn’t know becomes more of a regular thing.

Also: I think I’ll soon be going back through their singles with a friend of mine, so stay tuned!

Next time, we’ll be doing a special review. Tschüss!