[Review] Put It Back – ONF

Another mid-November comeback that I have yet to review (until today) is ONF’s Put It Back, the lead single off their 9th mini-album, UNBROKEN. Put It Back follows the release of the first part of their 2nd studio album, ONF: My Identity, and its title track, The Stranger.

Put It Back is good, but not great compared to ONF’s past hits. There are some elements that I really like that have me coming back to Put It Back. The super funky instrumental was the first thing that really jumped out at me. The concentration of prolific guitar twang and plucks makes Put It Back super cool and groovy. The hip-hop elements were also nicely handled throughout the song. Clear vocals and rapping are also present. The biggest problem I have with Put It Back is the lack of that really memorable hook and/or melody that becomes a defining feature of the song, as per their past hits. The “Put It Back” line that opens the chorus and its repetition as the post-chorus hook just doesn’t have that same ONF feel and boldness to stick with you, even after the song ends. This is most likely the result of decoupling ONF from Hwang Hyun, a long-term collaborator with ONF who has been behind many of ONF’s past songs.

The music video for this comeback was fairly straightforward, which I suspect is because budgets were cut back. For the most part, it featured close-up shots of the members, with the camera very close to them, as well as choreography shots around the stadium. The former offers what felt like a direct, unfiltered view of the members, which is a cool aesthetic. At the same time, with the latter, I appreciated how the production team used lighting, post-production and the outfits to give off different vibes and make it seem like entirely different locations.

ONF’s synchronisation and the smoothness of the ‘Put It Back‘ moves at the start of the chorus were the standout elements of their performance. Both were very cool to watch and appreciate.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8/10