Last week, EXO’s Chanyeol pre-released the incredibly soft Happy Accident as a teaser for his new album. When listening to that song, I hoped he had something with more bite coming down the line next. Throughout his solo career, Chanyeol has experimented with rock textures and that’s proven to be a good match for him. With Upside Down, he returns to that well.
The difference is that, in 2025 there are many more artists playing within this soundscape. What once felt daringly grungy now comes across as the latest in a trend, and that can dull a song’s overall effect. Upside Down turns up the distortion in an attempt to more fully explore the genre. While this may give the track a more “authentic” sound, it also makes it less pleasurable to listen to. I guess that’s the point, but I’m long past the point where I need my pop/rock stars to sound “authentic.” I really just want them to release killer songs.
Upside Down is not a killer song. It’s a killer mood, I guess. It’s a killer soundtrack to punching in walls and moping around dirty alleys. It’s a decent enough vessel to channel emotion, and there’s a place for that kind of music even if it might not be on my own playlist. While Upside Down has style in spades, it’s yet another underwritten K-pop track with forgettable hooks masked by in-your-face production. The chant-sung cadence of the chorus works well enough but feels more focus-grouped than a song like this should. Meanwhile, the verses exist to fill space, lacking the sonic or emotional pathos to truly compel.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Oh I don’t think its that bad, it just sounds song camped to be “sensitive guy pivoting to sound more edgy” which for most of us over a certain age sounds like exactly that. Worse, it sounds like it was song camped for a group and not for a solo, so it sounds like he is trying to hit all bases all at once.
The only time this really works in practice is when one can identify the guy playing the guitar by name.
… this is probably going to be a quiet thread, so I will share an aside about another hard rock idol Billy Idol. How different expectations are. Billy Idol has kids and grandkids now, posts about them often on social media. Including a kid from an affair in the 80’s. He said “I am surprised I don’t have more, because I was having sex with everyone back then”. See, I mean kpop can’t even come close to this, ever, it would never ever ever happen.
Here is one of Billy Idol’s recent songs. Answer: Steve Stevens. Popular session musician, Grammy winner, rock n roll hall of fame as a side-man, etc. Everyone should know him – he played The Guitar on the Top Gun theme.
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