My Fave OnlyOneOf Songs

It’s time!

Or alternatively titled: my fave OnlyOneOf sOngs.

OnlyOneOf or OOO (I use both interchangeably) is a six member group created by 8D Creative. The members are KB, Rie, Junji, Mill, Yooujung, and Nine. I’ve been a very casual fan of since 2019.

I think “Sage” was their first music video and song I was addicted to. I’ve been meaning to watch more videos of them to learn more about them.

But I always get distracted with other groups. So today, I want to talk about my fave OOO songs. Like my previous fave articles, these will be recurring articles. Every like idk maybe 3 or 4 albums I’ll do a follow-up post. But think of this as a part one or a series.

I strongly believe OnlyOneOf is incredibly underrated and underappreciated. I’m not the best at explaining music, but there’s literally no one out here doing it like them. The biggest example of this is their undergrOund idOl series.

Each member has a solo song with a physical album/photobook, and a music video attached. They promote the song for about a month, and there’s a larger story connecting them all together.

You see other members featured in each video. It’s just such an amazing process to watch play out. We’re currently at the halfway point (since OOO has 6 members now).

Rie’s solo releases on October 26th, and from the teaser, I think it’s gonna be good. I feel like one of the biggest complaints about 4th gen Kpop is how similar the groups are.

And I agree to some extent. You have so many groups that sound incredibly similar, have similar concepts. But you also so many have groups from smaller agencies that don’t get nearly as much attention, and they get unfairly lumped into just another (boy/girl) group.

So let’s talk about OOO and some of my favorite songs to get you started on your journey into becoming a lyOn.

Background on 8D Creative

Feel free to skip this part and get to the tunes or to the part that’s related closer to OOO’s creation. I kinda went into a rabbit hole during this part. I just wanted to know the difference between 8D Creative and 8D Entertainment. Long story short, there isn’t much difference anymore. One got dissolved into the other.

So I decided to break it up into two sections. This first part is more of the business side. But if you’re curious more about OOO’s early creation and final group, skip to the next segment.

I was a bit confused on which name to refer to their label as. I’ve always used 8D Ent in conversation. But from what I found out, they only started using the entertainment name somewhat recently in 2020.

8D Creative made two subsidiaries in 2019, RSVP, the label specifically for idols and who OOO is managed by and WIP, which is the actor focused label. RSVP was renamed and integrated into 8D Entertainment.

This information is interesting to me because I know a lot of companies diversify and have other streams of income. But I didn’t know a healthcare organization is their parent company (Kyungnam Pharm Healthcare).

I always wondered how OOO had money despite not being that well known of a group, that answers a lot of questions, lol.

This place along with having an idol and actor segment also dabble in eyewear (IVSI), food service (8DCity Café, which is how 8D originally got its start, and three other restaurant brands), a jewelry store (Thief & Heist) and a beauty products company (Féerien).

Idk I just thought that was all interesting. If you have any interest in the business side of Kpop, I hope you found this tangent interesting, lol. I got this information from Wikipedia, btw. Oh, one more thing before going back to OOO, Kang Hyewon, formerly of IZ*ONE is one of their labelmates.

I didn’t know that, lol. I didn’t watch Produce 48 or really follow too many of the members close enough to really know which labels they were a part of, other than like Jang Wonyoung. We love a good it girl.

8x8x8, LOONA, & Jaden Jeong

Anyway, back to OOO, we uh, can’t talk about OOO’s creation without talking about LOONA, BBC, and Jaden Jeong (LOONA’s former creative director and OOO’s current creative director).

Long story short, the group that is now known as OnlyOneOf was announced back in December 2016, by Blockberry Creative.

The name used at the time was 8x8x8, because this was going to be their debut date. I distinctly remember Orbits not being happy about this announcement, lmao. Like, we barely have shit together with LOONA and y’all want to through a boy group into the mix?

So the integration of OOO into the Loonaverse (I guess?) was Love (former OnlyOneOf leader and member) being the love interest in Vivi’s solo song (“Everyday I Love You”) and album. I didn’t realize this was him for one, and two, how come we never talk about that?

Well, I guess because OOO ended up debuting under a completely different label. And he left the group unexpectedly in August 2021. But this was really the last real mention of 8x8x8 in LOONA media. Wiki says “Chaotic” (Odd Eye Circle’s song) was going to be the debut song for 8x8x8. But once it ended up being a Loona song, that was pretty much the end of 8x8x8 talk.

But then Jaden Jeong (who was speculated to have left BBC) posted a picture on Instagram about OnlyOneOf and them debuting in May 2019 and things have been full swing ahead since. I’m not gonna talk too much about Jaden Jeong and potential beef with BBC.

One, because most of it is speculation. Two, I just don’t follow him enough to really have any insight on anything. I’m literally just here for the groups and music. As long as they’re good, I’m good.

I have 12 group songs I want to talk about. I have to include solos on here because they’re also some of my most listened to OOO songs. Plus, I want to have this done before Rie’s solo, which I’m 95% sure I’m gonna love. So let’s get started!

sage

I still get soooo hype hearing this song. The “mmmm nana” part in the chorus gets me every time. I’m a huge Junji blonde hair with his half up and down ponytail look here. I haven’t started collecting OOO photocards yet, but I will be getting a ton of blonde Junji ones.

And while we’re talking about Junji, tell me why I forgot he has his abs out in this music video? I thought this was a recent thing (libdO era). And how did I forget about Mill’s red hair?

I love that on him. I also love these red outfits they’re wearing in the music video for “Sage”. It’s one of the first things that comes to mind when I think about this song.

This is a weird ass music video. Especially the beginning with… Well I still don’t know what’s going on there. Is that a goddess they’re asking forgiveness from? Idk. Song slaps.

I didn’t know that Candace Sosa, who wrote “Euphoria”, “Love Myself”, and “Mikrokosmos” for BTS, also composed “sage”. I need to look at composers and writers more because it’s always so interesting to me.

desert

I thought it would be fun to cover my fave songs in order of discography appearance because I noticed some albums I had more fave songs off certain albums. So, I figured it’d be easier to listen to them in this order. “desert” is a chiller vibe than the upbeat, instrument heavy “sage”.

“desert” is an OOO song I forget about sometimes, but when it does pop up on shuffle, I never skip it.

heartbreak terminal

“heartbreak terminal” is another song I forget exist, but I love it. It’s like an in between pace song. Like it’s not as slow as “desert” but nowhere near as upbeat as “sage”.

Okay, on to unknown art pop 2.1.

dOra maar

I think this is the best way to experience “dOra maar”, next to like in person. Idk why I didn’t like it that much on my first few listens, but one day I was listening to all of OnlyOneOf’s songs in the show and “dOra maar” popped up, and I realized I really loved it.

I think my initial dislike was more of me comparing it to “sage”. Which doesn’t make sense because tempo wise, they are completely different.

I think, one of my favorite things about OOO is the large amount of midtempo songs they have. That makes up almost all of their library. You don’t get too many slow, boring ballads out of these lads.

“dOra maar” is just one of those songs you can sway to and have a good time vibin to. It’s just a God tier song. I don’t make the rules.

picassO

I like the drama of the remix. I didn’t notice the slight difference in the two until I listened to all my OnlyOneOf saved songs on Spotify over the last few days.

There are more drops, and I don’t want to say autotune. But like vocal changes. I think the remix is a bit slower too. But yeah, “picassO” is a slightly faster pace song. This song was on dot point jump and unknown art pop 2.1.

designer

“Hey boy, it’s cold.” Yooo “designer” is a bop. I think this is a fan fave. It has to be. It’s sooo good. I think “designer” is in my top 5 fave OOO songs for sure.

It’s a faster paced song, I guess, similar to “sage”. Definitely dancy. There are elements of “designer” I hear in the chorus of “Angel”. You can tell these songs come from the same album (Produced By [], Pt 1), in a good way.

Angel

There’s a music video for this? WTF? I had no idea. You know it’s gonna slap when you hear Jay Park’s “Gray”. Another strange music video, but I like it. I love a neon green and black moment. This explains the audio visualizer for “designer”.

On to Produced By [], Pt 2.

a sOng Of ice&fire

One of my favorite OnlyOneOf title tracks. GroovyRoom is another producer you can trust to make bops. I love Mill’s rap in “a sOng Of ice&fire”. It’s a part that I always look forward to. It’s a slightly unpopular opinion, but I love a music video where the primary focus is the choreography.

I really love the styling in this music video too. OOO tends to have flowy and slightly oversized fit on the members. At least for the tops. Their pants are usually a slim fit. Not like skinny jeans, but a slim, straight leg.

Oh boy, it’s Instinct, Pt. 1 time.

libidO

Instinct, Pt. 1 (and 2) are my favorite OnlyOneOf albums as a whole. I feel like OOO was feeling a little more experimental during this era, but they also gave us the catchiest songs. There’s this balance of new and old during these eras.

It wasn’t alienating at all. I’m glad they started getting some attention during this time. It was so difficult for me to not just put all of Instinct, Pt. 1 on this list. I highly HIGHLY recommend listening to this album in full. But for now, I’m just gonna put the title track, “libidO” on here.

There’s so much to talk about. Let me start with Junji’s gray hair. I love gray hair on him. This long hair and bangs combo was such a perfect time to be alive to witness in action. In hindsight, I didn’t realize how much “libidO” was setting things up for the OOO solo songs. Love to see it.

OOO wear white a lot. In this music video, it’s a mix of white and a very light gray. But idk if that’s a visual contradiction. Because most of their songs have a theme of lust, and white is typically used to represent purity… Yeah, I think it’s on purpose the more I think about it. I really do listen to OOO’s music more than watch video content of theirs.

byredO

Okay, I will include my most favorite b-side from this album, “byredO”. I love the whistling intro. I think OnlyOneOf just make siren music. That’s how I’m gonna describe their music for now on.

Maybe it’s because this release is a bit more fresh in my mind, and like my coming back to making OOO a priority group, but this era does hit differently for me.

On to Produced by [myself].

? (questiOn mark)

Man, Produced by [myself] is soooo good. I think this one is considered more of a single album. Definitely my favorite single album to date. It took me the longest time to decide on a fave song.

I go back to “? (question mark)” the most. But I highly recommend listening to this full single album.

I love how fast you get thrown into “? (question mark)”. It starts with the chorus at full speed, and then you don’t get room to breathe for a good 30 seconds. I love it. The pace is your typical midtempo OOO song, but it’s the way this one is structured compare to previous songs that really sticks with me.

And now to our last song and album, Instinct, Pt. 2.

ultimate bliss

Surprising? No, not really. Lmaooo, I think this might be my favorite OnlyOneOf group song. Definitely my favorite b-side. This song has the same hook on me that “sage” did when I first discovered it back in late 2019.

I’ve talked about this song a few times on ATK already. But I just have soooooo much love for this song. From the beginning instrumentals, the vocals, and Nine, Nine just runs this song. I don’t know who I thought had so many lines, well probably Yoojung, but Nine was all over this song, omg. Am I lowkey a Nine stan? Wild if true. I guess we’ll have to wait for his solo to confirm.

This song is just so addicting. It’s like a rush of adrenaline. I feel like my soul has been cleansed. It’s a healing song for me. Totally one of my favorite songs period.

So I talked about loving Instinct, Pt. 1 & 2 a lot, however, I gotta address the title track from Instinct, Pt.2, “skinz”.

“skinz” makes sense as a follow-up to “libidO” but I don’t like the execution of it. Idk what that muffled guitar like filter they have in this song, but I hate it. I need the less altered version of this song. I appreciate them trying something new, but this wasn’t it.

Now, the rest of Pt.2? “suit dance“(please watch this if you haven’t, it’s so good, theming is on point 10/10), “gaslighting”, and my fave I already mentioned, “ultimate bliss”, turn that shit up.

Alright, now that I’ve gotten the group songs out of the way, let’s talk about solo songs. I might update this part of this article as 8D releases the remaining member solos. Idk. But let me talk more about the first 3 that have been released.

Yoojung – begin

I’ve talked about “begin” already. But for a brief recap, as the first of OOO solos, I thought it was a great start. After having some time to give it room to breathe, I can’t believe I’m gonna say this, but it’s my least favorite of the three. I do love it.

There’s something theatrical about how Yoojung sings the chours. But I find this release being my least thought about. I do think “begin” is best listened to in the car with the windows down or sunroof open. I feel like it’s similar to other OOO songs I like where if it pops up I listen to it and like it but don’t actively search it out.

I didn’t talk much about the music video for “begin” in my initial review. Also, I did finally get my photocard from SubK. I guess they had some issues with the supplier, so I got it in the mail like a week or two later.

Anyway, Yoojung’s long blonde hair. I’m such a sucker for long hair, OMG. I like his shorter hair too. But this is such a fun look, and it suits him so well. I feel like KB though suits long hair more. Rewatching OnlyOneOf’s older music videos with short hair KB felt weird. I’m so used to long hair, don’t care, ponytail Kyubin.

When I saw the two together, there was enough time between “libidO” and the be/undergrOund idOl series that I forgot they were a couple during “libidO”. During my rewatch of “libidO” I was like… ohhhhh..duh.

I love music videos with a plot. And I love when they connect to a larger story. I think once all six solos have been released, I’ll have Yoojung’s in the top three. I definitely want more solo music from him. I love his voice.

KB – be free

Lolololol probably a bad take but I can explain. “be free” being my second fave of the solos atm is because of how fast it got stuck in my head. It’s a little faster paced than “begin”.

And I think the English parts made it a bit more memorable for me. KB’s “oops I got no id card” cracks me up every time. The chorus is like 50/50 with English and Korean mixed in, and it flows together so well.

I never really paid too much attention to KB’s voice, but now that I’ve heard a whole song with just his voice, I can pick it out easier than I could before in previous OnlyOneOf songs, and I love his voice too.

If you asked me the members I wanted a solo for prior to the announcement that everyone gets one, I would have just said Junji, Yoojung, and Mill. Just off the top of my head. So this series is perfect for casual lyOn like me who knows the members and music but not so much at a deeper level.

Edited & Added: January 9th 2023 (not planned lol)

Nine – beyOnd

Okay, I decide to update this article now that all the solos have been released. I didn’t enjoy Mill’s song as much as I hoped. But I did like the story for both of them. Actually, all of these did a wonderful job setting up a story and showing both perspectives. I love how they were like a mini drama.

I didn’t realize how much influence Nine has on OOO’s music. My initial reaction to “beyOnd” was, “Wow, this sounds like a regular OnlyOneOf song, just with Nine exclusively.” And that’s when I learned he arranges and composes most of OOO’s songs.

You learn something new every day. “beyOnd” is probably my second favorite solo now that they’re all out.

Junji – be mine

Here comes the booooy. Love and Junji were my main faves in OOO for the longest time. Now it’s more Yoojung and Junji. I’m a simple lass, I see a tall boy with long hair and a big nose and that’s my man 🤷🏾‍♀️. He’s also an Aries, so I knew I could trust him to give us the smooth and sexy solo we expected from him. And he did, plus more.

This is when I wish we got either two solo songs or like with Loona with how the second song on the album was a duet with another member. So since Yoojung was first, he’d have his solo and a remix like they “picassO”, but for KB’s album, there would be “be free” and whatever the song with both Yoojung and KB on it.

And then a Junji and KB song. Rie’s solo and a Rie Junji song. Then whoever is last get a song with whoever was last, like Olivia Hye and Gowon. Maybe that’s too on the nose. But I think it’d been fun. We see them in each other’s music videos, and they’ve been doing fansigns and photocards together too.

But back to “be mine”. This song is addictive to me, like “ultimate bliss” is. I can’t stop listening to either song. I love the music video. All of these are mini dramas, and it makes me so excited about the next one to drop.

I think at the frequency I’m listening to “be mine” it’ll be in my top songs of the year on Spotify Wrapped, lol. I just love it so much.

Wowww this ended up waaay longer than I expected, lol. I didn’t realize I had so much to say about OnlyOneOf. I hope y’all enjoyed this post. I had a blast writing it.

I think when all the member solos are out, I’ll make a separate article ranking them. Then my absolute faves will go in an updated version of this faves article or in my next OOO one.

Update, now as a writing (January 9th 2023), all the solos are out. So I decided to just add my thoughts on Nine’s song here. Instead of waiting to add it to a later post. Next OOO faves will literally just pick up from whatever the next album is and onwards.

What are your favorite OnlyOneOf songs? Did I miss one of yours? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Next up is Seoul Fashion Week content.

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Take care!

Ash 🖼️