Last fall, ONF went straight for our hearts with their refreshing “Effect” but now, they sing of the shadow that is cast behind puppy love, as they begin a new chapter in their narrative. Let’s take a look at ONF’s eighth mini album BEAUTIFUL SHADOW that portrays the duality of love much like the light and the shadow, and the music the members want to share with their fandom FUSE.
ONF - “Bye My Monster”
HYOJIN: The lead single in this album “Bye My Monster” is the complete opposite from the refreshing vibes that we showed you in our previous albums. It's an unforgettable song with a powerful performance, a classical flair, and intense band sounds. Focus while you listen to it, and you’ll fall in love with it before you even know it!
E-TION: This is a song that makes you feel the intense and emotional narrative of love. The mash-up of classical music and K-pop is really cool.
SEUNGJUN: I was completely drawn to the classical sound in this song from the get-go. I absolutely love the expressive melody as well as the lyrics.
WYATT: “Bye My Monster” is the song that best represents the concept of our BEAUTIFUL SHADOW album. You’ll get to see a more mature side of us in this dark vibe, and a performance that is reminiscent of contemporary dance like the lead single of our third mini album “We Must Love.” Also, I participated in writing the lyrics to this song. The song helped me turn the negative sides of myself to be more positive, so I hope that you can give this song a listen and feel energized.
MINKYUN: You’ll get to see the brooding charms of ONF with this song. I really hope that you watch our performance - both your eyes and ears will love you for it.
U: The entire song is one long highlight. It hits so many different emotions—it begins with the piano, turns “hip,” then sentimental. The performance is structured so that all the members can show off their charms. Stay tuned for a dark and powerful performance by ONF.
ONF - “Aphrodite"
HYOJIN: This is a song with a vibe that shifts multiple times to portray many different emotions. I particularly like the sound that changes throughout the song and the members’ voices.
E-TION: This is a really fun song. I think the bridge when the members all sing together is the highlight.
SEUNGJUN: The members’ vocals are rhythmical in this song. You can also feel many different vibes in a single song, which is a lot of fun.
WYATT: This is a song that accurately captures moments when you can’t quite understand what the other person is feeling. I think it’s a crowd pleaser with an addictive beat which adds to the allure of the song.
MINKYUN: The repetitive melody and rhythm in the chorus is addictive. There’s also a unique charm to the lyrics.
U: I love the rhythm in the chorus, and the part when the song pauses for a second is so much fun. It’s our first song with a high-pitch sound which caught me by surprise, but it was really different, and highlight worthy.
ONF - “Breath, Haze & Shadow"
HYOJIN: This ballad is my favorite song off the entire album. It is about dreaming of hope when facing the harsh reality: “This sigh I sigh will clear tomorrow like the fog.”
E-TION: The members’ harmony, piano, cellos play in perfect harmony which makes it perfect for spring.
SEUNGJUN: I think the highlight of this song is the opening of the chorus after the second verse. Hyojin’s sensitivity adds to expressing the feel of the lyrics and the emotions and made the song that much more relatable.
WYATT: This is the only ballad off the album. Everyone can go through a rough patch and feel anxious, and this song can soothe and console you. It gives me energy whenever I listen to it. If you focus on the lyrics, it feels like the members are telling you a story, and the calm melody will comfort you.
MINKYUN: The song that is accompanied by calm instrumentals is a story about having hope in the harsh reality. It’s a great song to listen to when you go out jogging or go for a walk when the weather’s nice and warm.
U: We have to have a ballad in our album. I was really nervous because I was in charge of the ending to this song, but I was happy with how it turned out. Also, Hyojin did such a great job singing the opening to the chorus after the second verse. I’m mesmerized every time I listen to it.
ONF - “Chemical Type"
HYOJIN: Your body automatically moves to the beat when you listen to this song. The rhythmical and fun sound is really charming.
E-TION: I am here for the bright rhythm and unique lyrics in this song. It’s a message for our fans—we expressed our team name “ONF” like our very own chemical formula.
SEUNGJUN: Listen to the first beat and you’re vibing to the music. I get pumped when I hear this song, and I think it’s the perfect song to listen to when you’re going out for a drive at night, basking in the lights from the neon signs.
WYATT: This is a song that perfectly describes the relationship between ONF and FUSE. The song is about how ONF came to this world thanks to FUSE, and that ONF can never leave FUSE.
MINKYUN: It is a song with a strong pop vibe. You can feel our unique brand of sunny, bubbly personalities.
U: This is my favorite song off our new album. I felt that the session and melody came together perfectly, which was fun to see. It’s a song that I want to sing at our concert.
ONF - “Slave to the Rhythm”
HYOJIN: This is a house song that is about how music makes my day free. You can see that our vocal expressions have matured a lot.
E-TION: The members’ groovy vocals and beat are so memorable - I feel uplifted when I listen to this song.
SEUNGJUN: The ever-changing rhythm is especially charming in this song. I recommend that you listen to it when it’s too quiet, and you want to get hyped up in a flash.
WYATT: I participated in writing its lyrics and composing the song, and it’s about falling into the rhythm of the song together. The fast beat and the melody that pairs well with it really gets you ready to have some fun.
MINKYUN: This song has a great beat and groove, so it’s a great workout song.
U: This song was the most difficult to record because there’s a lot of English in the lyrics, and you also have to get into the groove. There’s no choreography that goes with it, but I’m sure our fans would want to see a performance of this. (laughs)
SANDUEL(B1A4)、HYOJUNG(OH MY GIRL)、HYOJIN(ONF) - “366 Days”
HYOJIN: There are 366 days instead of 365 in 2024. I think this song fits this year the best. I think that the harmony that the three of us create is really memorable, and our voices sound great together. This song makes you feel warm inside, so I hope you give it a listen.
Timothée Chalamet - “Pure Imagination” (from Wonka)
E-TION: The melody that stays with you, and the hopeful melody gives me strength when I feel down. It lets me know that I’m not alone.
TAEYEON - “Dream”
SEUNGJUN: I heard this song in the JTBC drama series Welcome to Samdal-ri. I think the lyrics expressed the characters really well, and it resonated with me and lifted me when I listened to it. I highly recommend it. I like that it’s sad but there’s a bit of brightness to it.
YOUNHA - “Stardust”
WYATT: I love the calm melody and relatable lyrics. I think Younha’s highly expressive vocals really highlight the magical, dreamy atmosphere of the song.
Kim Sung Kyu - “60 Sec”
MINKYUN: Listening to the lyrics make you feel like you’re watching an episode of a drama. The story is unique too—its about falling in love then saying goodbye all in 69 seconds. I highly recommend this song because you can feel the young, fresh romance blossoming.
MAX - “STRINGS” (feat. JVKE & Bazzi)
U: This is a song by one of my favorite artists. I came for the beat and stayed for the melody. I highly recommend it.
HYOJIN’s recommendation: Hyojin(ONF) - “Let me be a small flower in your day”
E-TION’s recommendation: Emawk - “Noise.Jpg”
SEUNGJUN’s recommendation: ONF - “Summer End”
WYATT’s recommendation: Car, the Garden - “Stay”
MINKYUN’s recommendation: The Weeknd - “Out of Time”
U’s recommendation: MAX - “SUMMER '16”