XLOV’s genderless concept is so welcome in K-pop and makes me want to support the group wholeheartedly, but I’ve struggled with the disconnect between their image and their music. This summer’s 1&Only became a sleeper hit for me, but even then the song felt much too straightforward for XLOV’s ambitions.
Sadly, new single Rizz is a step back. The title alone had my spidey sense tingling, as this kind of slang rarely points to a timeless song. And sadly, that word pretty much forms Rizz‘s entire chorus. The bulk of the track is composed of a highly repetitive hook that doesn’t modulate. The execution is melodically flat, targeting the same few notes over and over. Coupled with a sparse trap beat, the product feels utterly skeletal. They’re staking their entire claim on one or two pieces of melody. If neither appeals to you, you’re out of luck.
At two minutes and twenty one seconds, the song seems to know the limits of its ideas. In this way, the short running time is a boon. Any longer and Rizz might tilt over into full irritation. As it stands, the song feels more like an interlude within XLOV’s frustratingly mid discography. I can tell they have a string of musical classics in them just waiting for the right producer to harness. This potential only makes Rizz more frustrating.
| Hooks | 6 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I see shots of melody here and there, potential you can say, but it all is squashed by the weak trap production and that ugly chorus. Their concept is begging for better songs to do it justice.
6.25 (6, 6, 7, 6) for me. I lowkey expected you to give it somewhere in 6s or lower ngl 😭
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The song is too boring. Even if it was a bside, no real vocal standout justifies it’s presence even for that. I’ve seen potential in them, but are producers thinking genderless should be a lack of interesting choices we commonly attribute to one or the other? So much of their music exists in an space lacking identity. They should instead be pulling from what both bg and gg groups have at their disposal and use every tool instead of none.
6,6,6,6 = 6
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I am right with you, I do want to enjoy this group. They look amazing, the MUA is a genius, they seem to have nice voices (I haven’t heard them live, but they sound good recorded at the very least), they are FANTASTIC dancers. Yet the music is not up to their standards at all. They need a killer song ASAP with much better production than what they are getting. They need to find their Kenzie or something 🙃
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no shade but releasing a song called “Rizz” in late 2025 should’ve told you all you need to know.
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Never judge the book by its cover, I am still mad at how fantastic the concert version of Taemin’s The Rizzness is, he has no right to have me singing that at my age. He is too old for that and I am older than him 🤣
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Oh, the video is in that half-built round concrete building everyone uses at some point.
It sounds like an NMIXX or aespa leftover that those groups were wise not to choose. Its and idea and a half of concept that wears itself out quickly.
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I feel the interest of how I felt about i.met.u’s release this week. The song doesn’t do much for me but the guys salvage what they can. Bag bad back came up on shuffle immediately after rizz and you can see how lacking rizz is in dynamics and variation (and melody lol). Still love their concept and that will keep me checking them out, but that can only last so long without me loving a single song from them
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I sorta expected this review, I don’t wholeheartedly disagree but since my bias score is higher I liked the track better. Anyway, I beg you to listen to the whole EP, I bet you will find at least one or two songs to your liking. Drip Drip is my favorite track so far
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Imma Be grew on me quite a lot, but I agree that on the whole, their discography is nowhere near as strong as their concept or their potential. Bii:-P was pretty fun on the first listen. Even so, my favourite from them so far is the gashina cover and I hope some of their future music will go in that kind of direction.
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Why are we still saying “Rizz” in 2025? Let that word die already! Scent is my favorite song off the EP.
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It took a bit for me to articulate my take on this. The thing with XLOV is they know how to sell a song through sheer performance, they are very skilled in that department. And I say that because oh my god no group should get something so half baked like this, even if I am oddly amused by it right now.
I agree that there is a disconnect with their music and their mission conceptually, and I feel like it’s compensating for how emphatic XLOV is in their concept and their (apparent) sincerity (especially from, imo, an honest acknowledgement and embrace of queer expression). They need producers who are going to match that energy and let the music shine with them.
I guess it also comes from personally diving deep into a lot of queer, especially trans, pop and electronic artists. Frost Children, underscores, Jane Remover, DJ Galen, Jamie Paige, Vylet Pony, Yaz Lancaster, there is a whole world of music out there with so much care and passion poured into it, and while I’m not asking for pure emulation of that scene, there is so much to look into re: musical styles honed within the queer community itself.
TLDR; 6, their music production needs more tlc than it gets, although I admittedly like biii:-p and drip drip quite a bit.
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JaimeP mention! Love When Spring Comes. I second your thoughts on this group’s music; the only song from them I’ve liked at all has been 1&Only
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