Ong Seongwu, model and actor, best known as a former Wanna One member, released the digital single ‘We Belong’ on the 9th of January — a perfect gift to his fans, in the form of a long-awaited solo musical debut. While many of his former group mates have been actively releasing music following the group’s scheduled disbandment, Seongwu has, till now, directed his focus on acting and modeling. (A fact that may have something to do with the company he’s signed with. Fantagio is better known for managing actors than idols).
In these ventures, he has seen success — starting his acting career with the 2019 drama ‘At Eighteen’, in a lead role that gained him a fair amount of recognition, even winning him rookie awards. However, with his fans begging to be fed, and, perhaps, the musician in him unfulfilled, it was only a matter of time before he burst back into the Kpop scene — with a self-composed piece no less!
‘We Belong’ is solid R&B-Pop. An enjoyable listen from start to finish; a delightfully soothing mood. Bright and warm for cold-season-comfort. Smile-inducing, even. Charming vocals set your heart a-flutter, as he expressed his gratitude and love — ‘I’m nothing without you, so i wanna be with you’. Personally, I liked the absence of a full background singer ensemble. Instead, it’s entirely sung by him, allowing his sweet voice to be the stand-out feature of the song. Acoustic guitar and light synth make for a fitting instrumental accompaniment. The bridge, in particular, caught my attention, with it’s heartfelt emotions and memorable high notes.
He expresses his message effectively. ‘We Belong’ says oneness. In the face of an uncertain future, together is better than alone. Reflecting the meaning of his fandom name ‘WELO’ (‘comfort’ in Korean), he wishes for the song to be a comfort to the listener. The lyrics that stood out the most to me were his expressions of concern, worrying that he’ll fail to meet his fans’ expectations — “It felt like I couldn’t give you as much as you gave me”. By participating in composition, he wants his music to be a bridge between him and his fans.
The MV is beautiful and worth-watching. Dressed in stylish but comfortable attire, Seongwu shows off his natural charisma, commanding the viewers attention with his lovely smiles. He writes on a typewriter — paints a galaxy — holds a bouquet of flowers — filling up the screen, despite being the only person in sight. My own favorite part is the shot of the universe. There’s just something indescribable and enchanting about outer space. And in this context it has symbolic meaning too — a portrayal of unity under the same sky. At one point, viewers can see the letters ‘WELO’ in ‘WE BELONG’ highlighted in yellow, a pun on his fandom name (‘WE BELONG’ is also the name of his 1st Asia fanmeet tour, which started this month). All in all, the MV was a great match for the song.
This relaxing bop is a good way to start off 2020 on a cheery note. If the sound of an upbeat-yet-mellow R&B-Pop song, as opposed to the typical Korean winter ballad, appeals to you, I would recommend giving it a listen.
In conclusion, his solo debut fully met my expectations, and I’m looking forward to his future as a singer and composer.
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Music Video: 9.25/10
Music: 8.5/10
Vocal Quality: 7.75/10
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
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