ONEW Drops 3-Title-Track Single Album 7 Months After TOUGH LOVE

SHINee's ONEW posted an Instagram Story on September 30 that had fans piecing together exactly what was coming next: a grid graphic, Zico's handle, and just enough negative space to make everyone start guessing. It turns out the image was a preview of the teaser poster for Tic Tac Toe, the second title track from his upcoming single album Chakgak, officially unveiled at midnight on the 2nd.

The song title borrows directly from the classic two-player game where opponents take turns marking O and X until one completes a row, and the concept translates into the music itself. ONEW and Zico trade off their distinct vocal colors throughout the track, building the song's momentum in alternating passes rather than stacking on top of each other. It's a structurally clever framing for a rap-and-vocal pairing, and the teaser poster makes the idea visual: both artists are positioned diagonally across a grid, each anchoring their own corner of the composition.

The casual styling in the image adds a relaxed contrast to the game-theory concept, with both artists bringing their own energy to what looks like a deliberately low-key shoot. Fans reacting to the teaser have been quick to call it a natural fit. The rap and vocal combination is exactly the kind of pairing ONEW's solo era seems built to explore.

Building a single album from three different directions

Chakgak arrives about seven months after ONEW's fifth mini-album TOUGH LOVE, released in March, where he also showed off his production instincts. This time the structure is different: three title tracks, each pointing in a distinct musical direction, with collaborators chosen to pull out different sides of his voice.

The first title track, Mind Games, featured YUJU, a fellow SM Entertainment vocalist known for her clear upper register. Tic Tac Toe with Zico shifts gears entirely, swapping warmth for something more kinetic. Whatever the third title track holds, the pattern ONEW is setting up suggests he is less interested in establishing a single sound than in mapping how far his range can stretch across one release.

Tic Tac Toe previews on October 7 at 6 p.m. KST. The full single album Chakgak follows on October 20 at 6 p.m. KST across major streaming platforms.