This track kind of passed me by until recently,  but even though it’s not brand new, I still wanted a chance to talk about it because it’s become one of my most-played tracks of the month. For those who don’t know, LuHan used to be one of the Chinese members of EXO. He left the group to go solo, and since then has become a massive star in his homeland. Most of his music takes cues from western trap and hip-hop, to varying levels of quality. On the other hand, Medals is a grand, super melodic ballad. This may be an obscure comparison, but the melody and production remind me very much of Swedish pop legend Alexander Bard’s work (if you don’t believe me, listen to any of Bodies Without Organs’ or Gravitonas’ ballads). There are little touches of guitar and structural elements to the production that just hit in all the right places. The way the beat drops in and out, coupled with LuHan’s somber vocals, lends the track a tremendous amount of weight. The second verse, in particular, is impeccably arranged. It’s by far the best thing he’s put his name to, and certainly one of the very best ballads of the year.