Rookie group Close Your Eyes completely reinvented their sound with last month’s pre-release SOB. While I initially balked at the cringe lyrics and heavy vocal effects, that song eventually won me over through the sheer force of its dance beat. However, I still enjoy the guys best on smooth, vocal-focused tracks like their killer debut All My Poetry. Thankfully, new title track X brings them closer to this sound.
X splits the difference between Poetry‘s mid-00s r&b flavor during its chorus and more rhythmic, hip-hop phrasing during its verses. Close Your Eyes’s sweet spot is definitely the former, as this approach feels unique to them and compliments their vocals so well. Maknae Kyungbae has quickly become one of my favorite voices in K-pop, adding so much character to his lines. The song lights up whenever he takes charge, but the other members are no slouches either. X brims with confidence and polish.
It’s hard to know exactly where X will settle in the long run because each one of the group’s songs has taken time to unveil its full potential. X will likely follow the same trajectory, but for now I’m not hearing that indelible quality that ultimately made Poetry such a classic. Instead, X throws down a satisfying groove and vamps over it in between strong choruses.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
will there be a buried treasure for itzy?
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possibly/probably
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is it dyt?
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I think you just gotta wait and see what/if Nick posts.
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Correct 🙂
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At least Itzystan lives up to their name.
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I really like this one. It’s mining the 2000’s in a way that feels fresh. The music during the verses reminds me of a soft version of Kanye’s Paranoid and then the chorus is Justin Timberlake.
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CYE hasn’t disappointed since debut, I love this so much. this is the best song on the album so choosing it as the title track is correct.
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There’s a good groove to this, but by the time the bridge hit I was already feeling like this is a sound we’ve heard from countless other boy groups before (though this has a little more going for it than most of those).
The medley had a lot of interesting sounds so looking forward to hearing the rest of the album and see if it’s got anything noteworthy
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Well performed, well produced, but the song itself it just so unexciting. A song telling me “to the max” (or “to the x”) when it is to the mid.
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I love what they are doing. Definitely a stronger sound than their debut, but still somewhat different from what traditional boy group music sounds like. Snowy Summer was a bit of a grower, but it never fully wowed me. I finally managed to listen SOB and without really paying attention to the lyrics, I also liked it. I still think their debut is their best so far, but I like what they are showing us and I’m looking forward to their future. Vocals are a highlight
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It started stronger than it finished, but there was still good polish throughout, I just found myself getting a little bored of it. This is common for a first listen though when the music hasn’t had a chance to sit and brew.
For now, I’ll give it 8,9,8,7 = 8
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This is probably going to be a grower despite me already liking it, like All My Poetry. If this is the direction they wanna take then I’m happy it’s with this song.
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This is a good direction for them, darker but still with a smooth edge. I have to admit SOB has grown on me, mostly because of the performance (the hand choreo in the postchorus). Out of the rest of the album I especially liked Who’s Dat, which sounds like a cross between Ten’s Stunner and an early OnlyOneOf song.
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Close Your Eyes is just class
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It’s not the best, and definitely not their best. Still, it has its good points: the medley works, the dance moves are cool, and the concept has an edgy vibe. However, the lyrics are a bit of a letdown, and the overall sound feels far from original. I really like CYE and I really wanted to like this song and album.
I hope they find their own voice. This just isn’t it for me.
I give it 8/8/7/8 = 7.75 + 0.25 bias for CYE = 8.0
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