EXO’s Baekhyun possesses one of my favorite voices in K-pop, but our musical tastes don’t usually seem to align. His solo work has favored the kind of slow, vibey sound that too often feels like background music to me, even as those vocals pull me back in fits and spurts. New single Elevator is no different, bopping along a subdued beat.
I’ll write what I always write when reacting to songs like this: it’s all about the melodies. The production is largely cut and paste from so many other songs of this nature — trap beats and atmospheric synths. So without that element to grab hold of, listeners must focus on the vocal. Baekhyun sounds excellent as always, but the melodies aren’t doing much for me. There’s not a ton of range to the tune, preferring instead to repeat the song’s title in quick succession. Baekhyun tosses in some nice ad-libs toward the end, but even this feels restrained.
To compare him to another solo superstar, Elevator feels like Baekhyun in his Justin Bieber Yummy stage. The song is pleasant enough to pass the time, but someone of his caliber deserves music that’s more interesting and indelible. Elevator feels like a stopgap rather than a forward-pushing highlight.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.25 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
his voice is gorgeous, but i have to admit i find his solo music so dull…. praying he has an electro / synth / rock renaissance some time this decade (unlikely, but I can hope)
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He could’ve been our 3rd gen Xia.
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This is the type of sound I usually love lol! Funny thing is even JB fans say the Yummy/Changes era was a little bit of a miss and to me it’s everything. In a similar way, this song also gives me vibes of Ariana Grande in the Positions album, which I love too.
I’m not sure what it is that makes me gravitate to songs like this. I’m guessing it’s easy for me to like them due to how much the vocals stand out (you can’t deny that Baekhyun, Ariana or Justin are good singers) or it’s maybe how hooky and repetitive it gets so that the song remains in my head.
I can already feel I’ll replay the heck out of this lol. I’m also sure I’ll like the mini-album. Yesterday, I was going through Baekhyun’s discography, and I made sense of how much I like it. Despite not seeing myself as a fan of his, I think I might just be lol. I’ve enjoyed every single thing he’s put out so far.
Baekhyun, we need a full album my guy.
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More 7.5 to 7.75 range for me. I think it is solid but more for a b side unless I am missing the trends in Korea right now, which is entirely possible. Also, I call it “Yesung Should Have Been A Rock Star” syndrome wherein I wish vocalists would pick the music I like rather than what they like. As idol solo music is coming fast and furious these days, it is interesting to see fans grapple with this reality.
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which is funny considering Baekhyun released his own version of Yummy (Candy) in 2020 😭
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As an enjoyer of Baekhyun’s solo efforts (Cry for love on heavy rotation) and very frequent replayer of Exo (vibey?) tracks “She’s my lady” and “Playboy”, I actually like this mini a lot, especially Late night calls and Love comes back (if I remember correctly the titles…) so I guess there is a market for what this mini is offering haha
(I would love a theatrical title track in the mix, Exo’s Gravity or Eldorado style, but if Baekhyun’s team does not want to launch into this now, I can live with what he has already pulled in the past)
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2015 called and wants it B-side sound back.
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This is just Candy 2.0 but I would rather listen to Candy
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I love this man’s voice and would happily listen to him sing most anything, even if his solo music choices don’t always resonate with me. That being said, Elevator reminds me a lot of Candy, and while I still don’t like Candy all that much, for whatever reason, I do like Elevator quite a bit. This one’s smooth, playful, and goes down really easily. It’s probably my favorite on his new album, though I do also enjoy Chocolate and Love Comes Back.
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saying shit against baekhyun while praising other kpop is clownery no one on his level can be a multi talented artist. this album is so special because its his first time to write and compose a songs for an album he done everything snd continue exploring and growing if you dunno the story behind this album your ratings and opinion doesn’t allowed. BAEKHYUN IS THE KING AND HE IS INCOMPARABLE HE IS ABOVE EVERY SINGLE KPOP ARTIST.
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This is similar to Candy but candy is much more interesting sounding, with better production.
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As others have said, this reminds me of “Candy”. One place where “Candy” succeeds in being memorable is the bridge, especially the “na na naaa na na naaa na na naaa” vocal lines. “Elevator” doesn’t have any of those standout moments for me.
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