As I stated in my previous review for XLOV’s Rizz, I really want to love this group. It’s frustrating when an act debuts with a legitimately unique concept yet can’t find the music needed to compliment that. I’m waiting for XLOV’s management to realize that their songs can be as compelling as their visuals, but they seem intent on feeding us scraps instead.
A track like Biii:-P represents so many of my gripes with the pop music of this moment. It’s one (annoying) idea repeated over and over again without development. The production’s dull, the running length is incredibly short and the main refrain (beep beep beep) could have been written by a toddler. It has a very impersonal AI sheen to it, which strikes me as the exact opposite of what XLOV stand for.
When the song isn’t incessantly beeping at us, the guys are either delivering dull sing-talk or sing-songy fragments of melody that seem cast off with no real intention behind them. I think this is all meant to sound whimsical and otherworldly, but to me it feels like a children’s song refashioned into a sleek, soulless bit of trend-chasing hyperpop.
| Hooks | 5 |
| Production | 6 |
| Longevity | 6 |
| Bias | 6 |
| RATING | 5.75 |
The short songs trend is a blessing.
6 (6, 6, 6, 6) for me. Jfc, imagine these guys with an OnlyOneOf-esque sound, it would do WONDERS istg
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is the question of course. OnlyOneOf. (… What are OOO up to these days? Did they disband or enter military?)
LikeLike
As far as I know, they left the company, but didn’t really disband yet, since some members are in military, they are prolly in an indefinite hiatus and we know how THAT usually turns out 🥴
LikeLiked by 2 people
The news here is actually better than you’d think! They have left their company and are going through their military cycles, which obviously doesn’t bode well, but KB (who’s already served) and Nine (who’s a 99-liner and thus has a little more breathing room) are currently working on an album together, for release in early 2026. They’ve got a hard road ahead of them, but at least there’s some evidence that they actually can write songs — I loved KB’s “Be Free,” for example.
It’s not clear whether any of the other members are going to be on the album, but at least all the social media posts seem to indicate that all the members are on good terms with each other. (Also now that they’re all independent, they’re openly acknowledging Love, the member who was mysteriously kicked out of the group a few months after “libidO” promotions.)
(My feelings on XLOV are about the same as everyone else’s: I’m rooting for them [especially Wumuti], but they definitely seem to be styling first and music second, and that wears out faster for me.)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Lol its always interesting to see how different people’s takes can be. This was fairly easily my favorite song on the album (though its wayyyy too short and its the main reason I havent actually listened to it too much). Maybe the prevalence of hyperpop is a bit of a microtrend rn, but even so im kind of a fan of it. It also makes sense for a group like xlov to explore it imo considering their genderless concept and how queer their audience is
LikeLike
I definitely agree that their music could be stronger and fit their concept better – my understanding is that Wumuti is heavily involved in their production and while that’s admirable, I’d love to see what he could do with a more experienced guiding hand.
That said, I haven’t been this captivated by a group’s stage presence since Ateez – they have the same spark to elevate music I feel meh about (Rizz) or even dislike (Bizness) through sheer charisma and talent.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Are you aware this accidentally posted thrice?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, and I find it deeply embarrassing but can’t do anything about it. I’ve had log in issues that have kept me from participating in this blog for months. Thanks for bringing it up.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’ll delete the extras. Don’t worry about it 🙂
(WordPress can be annoying.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
my mind immediately went to Beep by The Pussycat Dolls, an actual creative song that incorporates the beeping sound in the songwriting. this group should be doing that type of music, since PCD was a performance group as well (and as much as I would love a girl group with sexy music again, the ggs nowadays are just too young to pull it off) but they’re stuck doing generic TikTok music.
LikeLike
(in a surprising turn of events, ADP might have one of the best songs of the month)
LikeLike
It sounds promising, doesn’t it?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, at least the song is over soon enough, like a autoplay ad for something that goes beep beep beep. Could be anything, from apple to zappos and back.
The problem is launching with a concept that depends on other peoples’ artistic contributions to fulfill, on a budget in an era that doesn’t value budget.
I am old, old enough to remember when punk and new wave pop were generally on a budget so the artists had to get really creative creating their own style. Boy George, for example. Adam Ant. This group here today ain’t got that style.
LikeLike
My mum LOVES bringing up Adam Ant when she sees a well-dressed boygroup lmao. He paved the way!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I share the gripe about the song repeating one idea over and over again. Despite that I think this is the closest they’ve come to my personal taste in music so i appreciate it for that. The performance and concept are there I just want them to have 10s in the song department
LikeLike
This is surprisingly lower than I thought, although I get it. Said it before but there is no song on the EP that comes fully fleshed out, maybe the last 2 feel like full songs but still. Everything feels either a bit dusty at best (BiiiP and Drip Drip, and I kinda like those tracks) or mushy (sometimes Rizz, and DB, not saying that tracks full name and whoever gave that idea, I hate them).
I don’t even think I’d call this hyperopia in comparison to what I regularly listen to. It feels like Frost Children’s Oats From A Mug/Hearth Room (which is a very formative album for me but OFAM is also very much a short interlude within it all, and also, Hearth Room still had bursts of energy within its softness that makes it great to me).
Straight 7, more time in the lab.
LikeLike
fyi itzys 8 bit heart (off their newest mini) does hyperpop far better than the vast majority of kpops attempts to do so …..wonder if ur gonna write abt that as a buried treasure
LikeLike
honestly I think you just hate fun and don’t want the queers to have any. Lmao. This shit would have banged in 2009 on my myspace page
LikeLike
this trolling attempt is bad and you should feel bad about it
LikeLiked by 2 people
omg stfu, we don’t even know what nick’s sexuality is so don’t go throwing around that kind of shit lol people are entitled to their own opinion!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Fun doesn’t have to be crap. Their concept is crap. Their songs are even worse.
LikeLike
This blog is supposed to be about respecting other people’s opinions. If you can’t do that, then get the fuck out of here.
Honestly, this is the second time someone accused Nick of hating fun when that’s not true. (See this comment for context: https://thebiaslist.com/2025/10/20/song-review-boynextdoor-hollywood-action/#comment-161805)
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m obsessed with their concept, visuals and performance. I really want to love their music, but this is just not itttt.
There are some good ideas in there, but it feels so underdeveloped that it ends up sounding like a teaser. I get what the production was going for, but it needed way more work to actually land.
Imma Be and 1&Only were still way better than these last two singles. At least those had some actual substance.
They look insanely gorgeous though, ughhh.
LikeLike
ummmm…
anyways, how does everyone feel about from zero by linkin park now that it has been more than a year since release?
LikeLike
To my surprise, I’ve ended up liking this and Rizz quite a bit. This one is pure, silly fun. I think both songs are gonna be remixed and served in gay nightclubs in South Korea and probably around the world, much to the joy of everyone there.
Their songs ARE compelling to a wide swath of people and it makes me happy to see it. Their image, concept, and music have merged into this creation that is bigger than the sum of its parts. I’m really curious to see where this goes.
LikeLike
OK I will admit, the first 15 seconds of choreo here slays.
LikeLike
That’s the frustrating thing. They slay the choreo. They slay the looks. They slay the attitude. But, they are not given the songs needed to slay 100%.
LikeLiked by 2 people
For me, its the performance. It is over-rehearsed. For being pan-sexual punk-adjacent, there is no spontaneity. In this video, the whole audio is lightly lip synced. It is essentially a dance crew performance. The focus is more on making the right wink at the right time. This is common in contemporary kpop = knowing exactly where the camera is to make the right wink at the right time.
I know that back in my day, audio was often canned because live audio back when was Hard but the performance was still very authentic and exuberant.
For the kids here. Adam and the Ants. The audio is coming from the recording, but they are all playing and singing along at full volume and full effort. (The guitars are no plugged in. Adam is miles away from the microphone.) And yet watching it is so compelling and real. Also for the kids, FYI, Johnny Depp stole this look for Pirates of the Caribbean.
LikeLike