Review: Oneus - Black Mirror

You know an artist has been successful if said artist is being covered 57 years after his entry into the music scene, and 11 years after his passing. When looking at the hats, style, dance, and beat of Oneus's new single Black Mirror, it is hard to not think of Michael Jackson. At the same time, Oneus take influence from second-generation K-Pop artists such as SHINee, as well as the groovy production style commonly associated with Pentagon's Hui.

Oneus's career so far has been split between different styles. They initially debuted with dark and atmospheric EDM, before moving onto more lighthearted and fun sounds. They then switched back to a dark concept, before moving to fun and funk. Now, they are uniting it with the stylistic, retro-funk of Black Mirror, paired with a cinematic and stylish music video.

Lyrically, Black Mirror is about taking a break from the technology and pressures of the world, to just have fun. The song stops short of committing to any serious social commentary, most likely because fans have to stream with no emojis (oh sorry, I meant $+r30m n0 3m0j1) online. But whenever the songwriters' are aloud to write anything properly, it comes out great. "It might be heaven's joke, stuck in a square frame". Some love lines are added for the teenage fans too, but the overall message comes clear.

Musically, Black Mirror sticks to a classic funky dance track with some K-Pop updates. The hooks are quick and fun, each keeping things engaging. Over here, it is the little things that make the difference. The piano chords in the pre-chorus, the MJ-Esque screams in the second verse, and the piano chords paired with the disco strings in the first half of the middle 8.

Speaking of which, this song has a great bridge, culminating in a climactic, K-Pop rap. In fact, this song is recognizably something only K-Pop would make. There are rap segments in the second verse, trendy vocal effects, and a slinky slowdown and build-up for the chorus, a trick popularized with Wanna One's 2017 mega-hit Energetic. Each of these do make the song somewhat more generic among the K-Pop sphere, but it saves it from overall genericness when it comes to funky tracks.

Oneus have had issues maintaining success after their initial debut, and after their underwhelming Road to Kingdom run. And while I doubt Black Mirror will return them all their lost fans, it certainly is their best step since Valkyrie.

Rating: 9/10

Image Source: Danmee