Review

Song Review: Chuu – XO, My Cyberlove

Several years after debuting as a soloist, former-LOONA member and actress/variety star Chuu has released her first full album. Full albums are meaningful for K-pop artists for a number of reasons, allowing them to craft a larger body of work and usually proving some level of longevity. Title track XO, My Cyberlove gives listeners the first taste of the project.

As with many (many!) current releases, the overall sound is a soft mix of quirky and subdued. Chuu’s voice has an appealing lightness and the song itself echoes this charm. It’s wispy, gentle and dulled of any possible edge. In another world, its percussion could be refashioned into a more resounding synthwave beat, but the production here opts to stay mainly in the background. On the plus side, this shines more focus on Chuu herself. However, it also makes for a pretty boring piece of music.

I feel a strange sensation when listening to XO, My Cyberlove. It’s as if I’m hearing the song from a neighboring room, detached and not quite fully formed. It’s atmospheric rather than tangible, which paints a vibe but fails to pull me into that vibe. Chuu has such star power in so many of the avenues she pursues, so I’m confounded by why the actual music would be this sleepy and uneventful.

Hooks 8
 Production 7
 Longevity 7
 Bias 7
 RATING 7.25

Grade: C

10 thoughts on “Song Review: Chuu – XO, My Cyberlove

  1. unrelated to Chuu per-say, but can full albums get more tracks than 9 tracks? And can we get repackages/deluxe versions back?

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  2. I enjoyed this song! I think it feels a bit more impressive than it actually is because it’s Chuu and I got a soft spot for her and her music. It sits on that corner of K-pop that’s sweet and breezy, though a a bit subdued like Nick says.

    I think what would make the song a little more interesting would be a stronger hook. I hate comparing it, but it might have benefited from some of the ideas of “Shoot (Firecraker)” by Chaeyoung. Still, I think it’s very pretty and Chuu is an awesome vocalist, I saw a live performance video (the mic was on) and she sounded powerful.

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  3. I quite like it, it’s nothing groundbreaking but melody is cute, weirdly reminds me of Taylor Swift Fate Of Ophelia. My main issue is the heavy autotune, like a cat hissing almost.

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  4. its my least favorite release of hers so far and not something i see myself coming back to but im glad a lot of people like it! im excited to listen to the album, she usually has great b sides so im sure ill find something more my speed

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  5. It’s cute, but I love the track Loving You a lot better on the album. I do think I enjoyed the EP that came before this more but I still really love Chuu ❤

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  6. I feel like it started off interesting. I was getting a bit of a Carly Rae Jepsen vibe. But I couldn’t get past the Cupid-esque chorus… any time that kind of beat kicks in, I get so disappointed and just leave. Her last mini was pretty fun though, but idk if her music is overall for me.

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    • I was hoping I wasn’t the only one who heard cupid-like production during the chorus, though I think my reaction was neither nor there. I just had to restart the tracks because I didn’t understand how we got there

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  7. Chuu is a great vocalist, her tone isn’t very idiosyncratic, but her voice cuts through on most songs you hear her on. I think the intro of the song (might just be the first verse) was actually very compelling, it’s rare for kpop to let vocals start a song doing 95% of the work. (Letting grooves settle in is also rare imo) The cupid esque chorus could’ve been used instead as a build to a more satisfying chorus. Thanks to the first verse, I got my hopes up, but the chorus is cupid but slower and missing the harmonies. Chuu is great, but I don’t really get what her management’s strategy is

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