SM and Mystic Entertainment have collaborated frequently since 2016’s Dream, and the digital Station platform has proven to be the perfect avenue for them to do so. The agencies have teamed up once again for Dinner, performed by EXO’s leader Suho and quirky singer-songwriter Jane Jang. Hearing of this pairing, I went in fully expecting some sort of folksy ballad. Luckily, the results end up being more interesting than that.

Dinner is a modern r&b slow jam. Some might be tempted to add “future” to that descriptor, as this seems to be the trendy buzzword of the moment. Either way, the song pulses with undeniable atmosphere. Jang takes the first verse, putting her airy, distinctive vocals to good use. This style suits her surprisingly well, even if you might assume that such a genre would cater more strongly to Suho’s strengths. His smooth tone fits the song like a glove, offering an effective foil for Jang’s more scene-stealing approach.

This synergy is no more apparent than during Dinner’s second half. The two voices meet with an addictive blend and elevate what is otherwise a pretty repetitive melody. The instrumental stays at a hush throughout, offering little more than a bare-bones beat and dreamy, intangible synths. It all comes together in a much more affecting way than I’d expect from such an unassuming production. It may not scream “title track,” but Dinner would be comfortably at home on the latter portion of any EXO album.

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