Poking around the internet over the past few months, it feels like everyone is losing their collective minds over LOONA. And while I agree that the prospect of new music each month is exciting, I can’t say that much of the LOONA-related material has had longevity on my personal playlist. Maybe I’m just getting a little fatigued by a roll-out that feels as if it has stretched on forever. DAY6‘s Every DAY6 project suffered a similar fate last year — peaking early and sort of fizzling at the end.

So far, LOONA’s peak occurred with sub-unit Odd Eye Circle’s strong mini album and repackage. New member Yves followed up with a similar sound shortly after, but last month’s Chuu delivered a bit of a bore. Unfortunately, Go Won’s One & Only continues this slide, offering a b-side-worthy song marred by a problematic performance style. She’s billed as the upcoming group’s rapper, but rather than tackle a straight-up hip-hop track, One & Only forces her into an odd blend of cutesy and otherworldly. Handled well, this could have resulted in some interesting tonal collisions. Instead, it feels like a less-successful knockoff of Lovelyz‘ quirky synth sound.

It’s hard to consider One & Only‘s rhythmic segments as “rap,” since Go Won’s odd phrasing makes them feel closer to sing-song incantations. The pre-choruses deliver an especially jarring arrangement where she fires off a laundry list of lyrics with a strange monotony. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be creepy or silly — or both. Either way, it’s not a particularly polished moment, and there’s nothing else within the song’s generic melody to counteract One & Only‘s more grating choices.

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