Onwards is a short, progressive and vibrant track which is written specifically in the key of D major.
Onwards features a tempo of 112 beats per minute and is written in common time (4/4).
Onwards features a 32-bar melody, with 4 bars forming the coda.
At the beginning, Onwards features 4 bars of an introduction with live drums and piano. In the next phrase, we are introduced to a bass which forms the basis of the chorus. In the next phrase, a guitar is introduced which forms the basis of a verse. The chorus and verse is then repeated, and then we hear the penultimate chorus which follows the conventions of the past choruses, but the final phrase (which is another chorus) features the guitar riff heard in the verses.