No “Stranger” To Unique Sounds: ONF Find Their ‘Identity’ in Their Latest Album

Since their debut, ONF (@wm_onoff ) has always had a distinct sound that sets them apart from the rest of the groups around them. Each of their members has a unique voice that adds to the individual color of their music and makes it easy for the ear to single out.

In their second full-length album, ‘ONF: My Identity’, each track has an atypical sound reminiscent of ONF’s previous album ‘My Name’ which featured tracks like “Beautiful Beautiful” and “Ugly Dance”. The 6 members of ONF have always shown their true selves through their music and encourage their fans, affectionately known as FUSE, to be themselves no matter what others say. With their individual concept of being two different teams, an On team, and an Off team, they come together to make something truly special.

ONF wastes no time starting the album with their title track, “The Stranger” which has an overall 80s theme song vibe to it. As we move through the intro with an isolated guitar melody, the drums come in to add emphasis on the beat as well as the lyrics. The instrumental could feel empty if it was any other group, but ONF has a talent for making exceptional use of the members’ vocal colors to fill space without overcrowding the sound. This track has a funky beat that is emphasized especially in the post-chorus with a form of scat, a jazz vocal style where a singer improvises a melody using nonsense syllables or wordless vocables. Each section of the track is distinct and clear, so much so that the listener can clearly hear who is singing in each section. Vocally, ONF explores more of their individual strengths and leans heavily into Wyatt’s deep register and Hyojin’s affinity for vocal slides into high notes. Minkyun’s voice is so unique that hearing it at the beginning of the first chorus sends a chill down the spine. The final chorus has built up to an apex where the lyrics change to “us” instead of “me” from previous lyrics. The instrumental reaches a peak and Hyojin, Seungjun, and E-Tion all play around with the melody and harmonies to bring the song to a close. The MV is full of mystery and detective work as the members try to find who the “Stranger” is, but as the lyrics suggest, we are all “the stranger” if we follow our hearts to achieve our dreams. The lyrics mention having the passion to pursue yourself over the rest of the world and looking to the future instead of focusing on the past.

Their second track, “Night Tale” starts with a funky synth riff that carries throughout the song and gives the track a retro vibe. With sensual vocals that play off each other, they sing of starting something with someone despite their past. They just want to dance under the moonlight and “Unbutton your heart” to get to know the person. Each person’s unique vocal tendencies are accentuated in this track playing to Hyojin and Minkyun’s flawless falsetto and Wyatt’s deeper tone used to express the intensity of the connection between them. Though this isn’t normal for a B-side track, there is a spot after the bridge where there is a breakdown of the instrumental, indicating a possible dance break with a live performance, as they have done in the past. This track is both emotional and sensual, proving that even an upbeat track can make a listener’s heart flutter. ONF as a whole has always been special, and one of the main things that sets them apart from other groups is that they are two separate teams formed into one. The ON team, consisting of Hyojin (leader), E-tion, and Minkyun, is responsible for vocals, and the OFF team, Seungjun (leader), Wyatt, and U are responsible for their performances, creating a well-rounded group that is optimized in singing and dancing.

The ON team’s track is titled “Nothing But A Stranger”, harkening back to the title track of this album. The overall sound is giving 80s style ballad with an emphasis on high notes and vocal runs. The lyrics are a continuation of the relationship from “Night’s Tale”, longing to be closer to this person who they are so infatuated. These three men have such beautiful voices that portray that sense of longing for something that is out of their reach, it will almost bring you to tears.

As for the OFF team, they are usually more intense with their tracks, and “Anti Hero” is no exception to that trend. Vastly different from the ON team’s ballad, Seungjun, Wyatt and U lean into the intensity that the OFF team always brings. This track takes a different approach than the rest of the album and sounds more sinister and mischievous than the rest of the album. U and Seungjun add some vocal flavor with their tenor and falsetto voices before the instrumental drops off and Wyatt’s cave-like voice fills your ears with a phrase in Spanish as the pre-chorus. Heavy guitars and drums add to the drama of the track and make the lyrics pop with every rise and fall. The lyrics tell the story of a person who blurs the lines between good and evil, making their way in the world with a grey state of mind after being forced by circumstances. They suddenly found themselves in the dark and had no choice but to light a torch and preverbaly set fire to their beliefs, becoming the anti-hero. The person they were trying to save made them lose everything and fall from grace so they resigned themselves to being the anti-hero in their story. The chorus lyrics change from a feeling of despair in the first one, to acceptance in the final chorus, inviting others to join them as anti-heroes.

Immediately following the dramatic and emotional ride of “Anti Hero”, "Good Place," a lively song with a light synth vibe that one would possibly hear from a groovy tv show intro with the solo flute-like melody. The all-around feel is dreamy and light-hearted, with lyrics that initially don’t match the happy vibe. The verse talks about anxiety and having to power through life despite all the bad things, and the chorus reiterates that you can make any place the “Good Place” if you put your mind to it. One of the unique things about this song is at several parts in the verses, one member would be singing and at the end of a phrase, it could either be one word or the last syllable, another member would sing that part and then it would go back to the original member. This was surprising to hear and gave those parts an elevated sound that wasn’t flat or monotone.

The final track in this amazing album is a lighthearted beat with lyrics describing how the members feel when they are writing songs for Fuse, their fans. The lyrics ask the listener how they are feeling about the track as it plays and then describe how the members feel when they can sing the melodies for us. The structure of this final entry is a lot less hard and fast, with pre-choruses and post-choruses sprinkled in. It feels like it is both scripted and ad-libbed simultaneously, which is a difficult feat. There is a feeling of comfort and coziness as the track plays, with each member vocalizing their love for writing music for Fuse. This is a great way to end the album and thank their fans at the same time. ‘ONF: My Identity’ is an album that you don’t want to miss with a wide range of rhythms, lyrics, and melodies to keep any listener vibe with at least one, if not, all the tracks. ONF continues to be the amazingly unique group we know and love, having so many titles under their belts makes every endeavor worth watching.

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