ONEW is back with his very first full-length album ‘Circle’. Let’s dive right in!
Circle
We start off with the title track ‘O (Circle)’. This is a beautiful R&B track that has a great arpeggio synth line. It sounds super dreamy and is an incredible opening for the album. Together with the backing vocals you’ll be taken to higher hemispheres.
‘Cough’ is up next. This very mellow pop track has an acoustic guitar in the instrumentation and the entire song is like a warm hug.
‘Rain on me’ follows and brings us the first ballad. Onew has a way of making his voice so emotive like he knows your pain intimately. The acoustic band sound is great and when the strings come in during the bridge it just elevates the entire thing.
Next up is our only track with a feature. Giriboy is featured on ‘Caramel’. This is a jazzy pop track with a great rap verse and a lovely chorus. I love the layering of the different vocals, trumpets and the scat. It’s a vibe and I am in love!
Next up
‘Anywhere’ has a retro futuristic feel. Retro because of the keyboard but futuristic with the synths. It’s a vibe and with Onew’s falsetto, it is such a cool listen.
‘Paradise’ is a very cute, happy pop track. I like the playful strings in the instrumental. It’s such a romantic track, comparing the feeling of falling in love to heaven.
‘Expectations’ brings us a danceable beat. This mid-tempo pop track has some really cool instrumentals.
‘No Parachute’ is an indie pop track that has a very quirky tempo. I like the instrumentation a lot! The way he says ‘parachute’ in the chorus with the higher pitch feels like you’re just jumping out of an airplane. It’s fun!
‘Walk With You’ is a soft mid-tempo pop track that is a very smooth listen. It’s very wholesome and comforting.
The closing track is ‘Always’. We’re closing off with an emotional ballad with a piano instrumental that will hit you right in the feels.
Overall ‘Circle’ by Onew is a fantastic album. His vocals are, as expected, fantastic and he chose tracks that always have something interesting about them. This release begs for multiple re-listens.
Find it on Spotify here.
If you’d like to read about his previous release, you can read about that here.
