Group SHINee’s Onew has made his return with a richer and more diverse musical spectrum.
Onew released his new single album ‘Illusion’ along with the music video for the title track of the same name through various music streaming sites.
Returning approximately seven months after his 5th mini-album ‘TOUGH LOVE’ released in March, Onew is set to captivate listeners’ emotions this autumn with his signature refreshing vocals.
Onew’s new album ‘Illusion’ is a record that varies the emotional textures born from the process where people interpret the same sights and experiences differently, expressing them across multiple genres and moods.
Notably, Onew demonstrated his musical confidence by boldly presenting triple title tracks for this album. Alongside the main title track ‘Illusion’, the album features ‘Mind Games’βa captivating vocal collaboration with singer Yujuβand ‘Tic Tac Toe’, enhanced by a feature from Zico, raising the overall completion of the album.
The main title track ‘Illusion’ playfully captures the narrative of projecting meaning onto the trivial actions of another person, wandering between reality and imagination, and ultimately falling into one’s own sweet conviction. Harmoniously blending a smooth flow with the strong yet dynamic rhythms characteristic of the UK garage genre, the track vividly brings out its emotional lines. Furthermore, the song was co-created as Onew communicated directly with top-tier overseas writers, with Onew himself participating in lyrics and composition to add sincerity.
The accompanying music video heightens immersion with witty direction. Onew’s expressions as he enjoys a seemingly perfect and happy day on a warm, friendly set evoke quiet amusement. However, a twist is introduced when Onew monitors the edited footage later, confronting a ‘truth’ completely different from the situation he experienced, maximizing the viewing and listening pleasure.
Having blossomed into a complete singer-songwriter through solo album work, Onew has proven his broad musical spectrum by packing this album with diverse genre attempts, collaborations, and exceptional producing abilities.
