Debuting in early 2019, ONEUS are inching toward that all-important seven year mark when contracts will be up for renewal. Their presence in the industry has felt more muted these past few comebacks, churning out solid but inessential material that hasn’t quite lived up to their most enduring work. Now, after a series of solo singles, the guys are back with a new mini album and title track X.
For this song, the group has taken on a new sound: groovy pop rock with a slight new wave vibe. Opening with its chorus, X immediately stakes its claim with its catchiest melody. This tune winds in a cyclical fashion, instantly memorable but potentially grating after too many listens. I’m more impressed with the pre-chorus where the song opts for a more dramatic turn. X is so insistently bouncy that these spikes of interest are needed to keep the track from feeling too repetitive.
Overall, X strikes a nice balance between fresh and cool. Its vibe is upbeat and fun but feels mature enough for a group of ONEUS’s stature. It’s nice to hear a bass-driven track that doesn’t fall into some underwhelming, slinky anti-drop chorus the way so many of these songs do. Instead, X is laser-focused on its execution. There is not a moment of fat on its agile frame. It arrives, hits its mark, and exits — all in less than three minutes. You have to admire the efficiency.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
It doesn’t quite hit for me, I’ve been wanting to love a Oneus song again now for a couplee of years at this point……it didn’t happen with this title but it did on the album…Love Me Or Loser is my fave track of theirs in a good while.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Right now this feels like the sneeze that doesn’t quite happen, but I think it will grow on me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a great metaphor for this song!
LikeLike
I was really into oneus for the first four or so years of their career. However, I wasn’t finding myself enthralled with their music since “Luna”. X still doesn’t reach their highs (Seoho’s abscene is definitely felt) but its approach will probably make it stick with me longer. Hope the album’s good!
LikeLike
I’m definitely on the same page. If there was a trophy for the “most talented boy group gone worst”, Oneus would no doubt be the winners. Not to mention they’ve competed in 4 survival shows and they’re still nothing more than premium rookies, even more rookies today than 3-4 years ago. An interesting case study, but not exactly as a best practice.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Loved their debut song Valkyrie and LUNA was a great moment from them too. Other than that, their discography is all a blur to me
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s too highly polished. They over egged it. Didn’t give enough space for the groove to breather.
The speed for one is too fast, like they wanted something higher energy so they turned the speed up. Problem is, it is too fast to do any meaningful dance beyond little shoulder shifts and little foot kicks, like dancing on a crowded floor shuffling side to side. 0.9x is better.
On the same note – Something weird happens with the beat in the verse – right about 0:20 is the first instance but it pops up from time to time, that is slows down like a weird wobble. Another example – right at 1:02 sounds too slow for about two beats. When I play it at 0.9x it is more obvious. Is it the song or some video mastering issue? The verses seem slower than the chorus. Chorus kicks in and oh we are back to speed.
I am thinking that if the producers followed more like a Seven Nation Army style but make it kpop, it might have worked better. More raw and unscripted. Or scripted but make it seem more unscripted.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Adding – there are parts of this song that has a similar flair to Mamamoo “Hip” from 2019. Its not exact more like the propulsiveness here reminds me of the same there.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’ve lost interest in Oneus in recent years and that, combined with Seoho’s absence, almost made me not better checking out the track. I’m glad I did because I definitely enjoy the energy here. I can see the concerns over growing repetitive, but I’m not principally against having the best part of the song take the most space
LikeLike
solid EP though, not a single filler track and sonically cohesive by kpop standards
LikeLike
mamamoo’s “hip” is a good comparison above. I think this song is kind of like if “hip” had a baby with boynextdoor’s “earth wind and fire.” Unfortunately the whole is not nearly as good as the sum of its parts— this song just doesn’t really go anywhere.
LikeLike