Halloween Review: VIXX's 'On and On' is an unconventional Halloween classic

Now, even last year, I wanted to do a Halloween song special review, but I just could not find the time. This year I did, but I could not decide what song to pick. Since I decided to do one review each year, I decided to not open with Thriller and the Ghostbusters theme, for they are a little too obvious. Eventually, I decided to pick between On and On and the Kat-Tun solo Monster Night. In the end, I went with the 2013 K-Pop classic, just barely, though.

The whole theme behinds On and On is a little supernatural and a little sci-fi. On one hand, it is in space, and on the other, it has zombies. At the time, it likely was not intended as a Halloween track coming out in April, but since then, it has become an essential part of any K-Pop fans Halloween playlist, likely due to its influence over VIXX's discography.

Now, the name VIXX makes one think of the dark and experimental concepts performed by the idol group. Their horror themes, and futuristic ambition. However, in early April 2013, VIXX was very different. They were a rookie group with a light-hearted electro-pop sound with a video game concept. It was not very experimental, but their releases were nonetheless solid.

Time has been very kind to Super Hero and especially Rock Ur Body. Nonetheless, like Dreamcatcher's MINX work, they remain somewhat disreputed within the fandom. The darkest the group had went so far would be the sign in the background at the beginning of Rock Ur Body's MV, 'Children left unattended will be traded for donuts'!

However, On and On was the true re-beginning of VIXX. In many ways, it remains the rare successful reinvention of a K-Pop group. Compared to the light and hopeful material they had released so far, On and On's haunting instrumental reinvented the group.

Nonetheless, one thing stays continuous (along with quality): Ravi's cringe-inducing intros. This time, the heavy instrumental atmosphere actually strongly assists Ravi's voice, leaving this as perhaps his best introduction. Initially, the opening chords for this segment were a reference to Phantom of the Opera, but they now have been removed due to copyright claims. This is a shame, for they perfectly set the opening atmosphere. Regardless, it is hard to argue against the fact that the new intro music is still strong.

From the dramatic introduction, we are dropped into the speedy verses. The bouncing bass strongly contrasts with the gritty guitar, drums, and vocals. After a brief percussional flourish, too short to be noticed consciously, but enough to make an impact, a bouncy synth appears along with N's line. The line ends with a guitar crunch. The song, rather than opt for a full pre-chorus, sings a few merging lines with an elliptical melody leading directly into the chorus. Normally, this would be awkward, but it works great here, not elongating the song one bit.

The melody in the chorus is impeccable. Each note is drawn out into a group long-note. The rapid-fire in the second phase is also strong, assisted by the guitars attacking at full force. The key here, however, is the autotune. Normally, autotune can be an irritating distraction. However, here, the autotune spread throughout the song, creating a somewhat futuristic and dying sound. This fits perfectly with the track's theme. A subtle assist it has, one that I am sure many missed, is that the percussion loop pops in a lub-dub heartbeat format.

We are then dropped into the second verse, following a simple melody to the first verse. However, this time, the guitar riff in N's line is more pronounced, and the instrumental fade-out in the transitionary segment is limited. Also, since you know where the chorus is coming from, its anticipation strongly improves the chorus.

After the chorus, we make it into perhaps the song's most infamous segment; the post-chorus. The post-chorus did not appear the first repeat but now appears. For those uninitiated, the line is 'I need therapy, la la la la la therapy'. While K-Pop did not exactly gain fame for its lyrical prowess, this is among the most infamous lines within the genre.

However, I personally believe the line has been falsely maligned. If one reads the entire lyrics of the track, this infamous line makes more sense. The song is written from the point of a man in a failing relation. He is suspicious of his lover, and she seems to be using him, even abusing him. She laughs at him as if this is a game, and he lies confused. He knows something is wrong, he knows she is using him. However, he is stuck in a situation. He loves her, he minds being toyed by her, but cannot leave. He is stuck in obsessive madness. He knows that this is the case, but cannot stop himself. Sure, the 'la la la' is a tad unneeded, but the line makes much more sense in context, especially compared to the other infamous K-Pop English lines. Plus, it is incredibly catchy.

We are once again dropped into a new segment, this time the bridge, by a guitar riff. This time, the bridge is exclusively a rap by Ravi. Over the years, Ravi's rapping has become more controversial. His speedy, over-emphasized style is over-the-top and often can make or break for tracks. In On and On, it does more good than harm. Sure, it is cheesy, and that does reduce the song's artistic impact, but it is speedy and works just fine here.

After an amazing high-note, we return to the chorus, this time with a new lyrical arrangement. The production doubles down on its strengths, with the heavy autotune working absolutely perfectly here, and the guitar providing its best performance, along with the pounding heartbeat percussion. Everything that made the song good so far is great here.

Perhaps most haunting is the last two lines sung in the song. Prior to the post-chorus, it is sung 'I look at you as you take off and cry'. Finally, after the post-chorus, 'I am waiting for you once again, ready to get hurt'. On and On is a chilling track on an abusive relationship, and perfect for a Halloween night.

Rating: 9.75/10

Image Source: Fanpop