After a seemingly long six months since their last release (Memory: Illusion), the five-piece band ONEWE delivered a magical reawakening in their first EP, Planet Nine: Alter Ego. The band consists of lead singer Yonghoon, guitarist Kanghyun, bassist and rapper CyA, keyboardist and vocalist Dongmyeong, and drummer Harin.
Who Is ONEWE?
Debuting under RBW Entertainment in 2019, ONEWE is the rock counterpart to idol group ONEUS (which Dongmyeongโs twin brother Xion is part of). Both have forged their paths very differently in the industry, with ONEUS gaining recognition through mainstream K-pop and ONEWE opting for the lesser-traveled indie route. The latter band, in particular, has had a fascinating scope of sounds as the members filled a previously hollow niche, even within the Korean rock scene.
With every member credited on the EP as a writer or composer, Planet Nine: Alter Ego is the exploration of all the different sides they have yet to show their audience.
Let It Rain
The lead single, โRain To Beโ is an uptempo rock song born from an inside joke between the band and its fans, WEVE. According to Kanghyun, whenever the band would have to go to work, it always seemed to rain on them. While none of the members enjoyed the rain (except Kanghyun), they all loved the idea of turning a gloomy concept into one bursting with joy and excitement.
โThe rain that flowed between the collar / soaked with memories /The days I meet you / will always exist where it rains,โ Dongmyeong sings.
Itโs a beautiful notion when you think about itโturning sadness into empowerment. The music video also supported this idea with a visually stunning set and subdued hue. As ONEWE stood at the bottom of an empty pool, clad in polished suits, the water began to fill up with no sign of slowing down, but neither did they. While most people would avoid the rain, ONEWE embraced every drop falling on their skin and every inch that continued to swallow them up. Previous releases like โRegulusโ and โEnd of Springโ have had gorgeous videos, but โRain To Beโ might just take the cake.
Inspiring, ambitious, and emotional, youโll find yourself coming back to this song to find a new hidden gem every time.
Through the Cosmos of Planet Nineโs B-sides
Conceptually, โIntro: Spaceshipโ set the tone as ONEWEโs first-ever intro track for an album. In the bandโs highlight medley, CyA explained this was the starting point for their journey to Planet Nine and completed the album. Its eerie opening mimicked the sounds of a spaceship preparing for lift-off, but the highlight was the distorted retro guitar synths blasting through the end. Although itโs unclear whether this was intentional, it seemed to foreshadow an 80s influence on another track down the line.
Throughout the third and fourth tracks, โAurora” and โLOGO,โ respectively, Yonghoon continuously proved vocally, thereโs nothing he canโt handle, and Kanghyun proved no ONEWE song is complete without his electrifying guitar solos.ย
Aside from โRain To Be,โ the final three tracks, โA.I,โ โVeronica,โ and โCOSMOSโ left the biggest impact upon first listen.
The full Korean title of โA.I.โ is โ๋ก๋ณดํธ๋ ์ธ๊ฐ์๊ฒ ๊ฐ์ ์ ๋๋๋ค,โ which means โRobots Also Have Human Emotions.โ Dongmyeong described it as a โcity pop track with some elements of jazz.โ Written by CyA, the song had been previously released on Soundcloud before it was recomposed into ONEWEโs style. Although the lyrics were meaningful and deep, the lighthearted melody was infectiously playful and addictive.
โVeronica,โ however, danced on the tropical side of fun in the sun. Recalling CyAโs distant kindergarten past, he was inspired to write a dedicated song about his first crush, Veronica. The island vibe was a glaring contrast to the rest of the bandโs discography but is welcomed with open arms this summer. As per usual, Harinโs godlike drumming skills were what kept the momentum going in ONEWE songs, and was blatantly evident here.
Finally, the EP reached its closing with โCOSMOS,โ a crown jewel among the other six tracks. With spacious details similar to the intro, the band instruments painted an endless sky of stars and constellations within the track. Itโs the one track that received unanimous votes for its placement in the album. According to Dongmyeong, fans would understand why itโs the final track after hearing it. With Yonghoonโs soft vocals towards the end, the listener is placed in a state of euphoria, hopefully feeling at peace with the 22-minute-long album. From the fansโ comments online, it seemed the responses were also unanimous.
i think i can confidently say that "cosmos" is one of onewe's most beautiful songs ever pic.twitter.com/GTmLP3PdSW
— via โ๐ชโน (@soIarblues) June 17, 2021
https://twitter.com/myweveday/status/1403736340231909378?s=20
onewe is literally not capable of making a bad song oh my god COSMOS SUPREMACY pic.twitter.com/9m0MTQ0sqx
— via โ๐ชโน (@soIarblues) June 16, 2021
ONEWE Levels Up
Various bands have existed throughout the K-rock industry, and each one has put its unique stamp on the world. With the members of ONEWE, their sonic landscape is incredibly colorful and they never lean too far into one side of the spectrum.
From soft rock, jazz, alt-rock, and even folk, they pushed themselves to new limits and know who they want to be. Planet Nine: Alter Ego was no different as it takes listeners on a cosmic trip of what rock music can accomplish. Whether itโs the dance-worthy bangers or the gut-wrenching ballads and mid-tempo numbers, ONEWE has yet to miss a single beat.
Listen to Planet Nine: Alter Ego on Spotify and Apple Music, and be sure to follow ONEWE on Twitter and Instagram.
For more content, check out EnViโs recent coverage of ONEUSโ Binary Code EP!
Thumbnail Courtesy of RBW
