EXO have been inaugurated into my “K-Pop A-Z” feature, which means anything they release automatically gets a full review. To be honest, I’ve regretted that rule over the past few years since I haven’t vibed with the group’s albums since 2018.
Is there new work REVERXE any different? Read on to find out!
1. Crown // 2. Back It Up // 3. Crazy // 4. Suffocate // 5. Moonlight Shadows // 6. Back Pocket // 7. Touch & Go // 8. Flatline // 9. I’m Home
BACK POCKET
Sigh. We’ve really entered the part of the album that feels utterly disposable to me. So many groups end up releasing this type of pleasant filler as they age and I guess EXO is no exception. Back Pocket is completely fine but does nothing to distinguish itself as a necessary addition to their discography. The production has a nice, generic bounce and I welcome its mid-tempo energy in between sleepier songs. The vocals are — of course — polished and the chorus adds a bit of layering for texture. In a stronger album this might offer nice breathing room, but in an album devoid of highlights it just feels like wasted space.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.25 |
Grade: C
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
They definitely put the SM B-team on this one. I only like Crown
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s pleasant, and I like the bounce it has. I simultaneously find the way they emphasize the syllables in “pocket” to be endearing and mildly irksome, and I find the rap in the bridge more than mildly irksome. So while it’s pleasant, it’s not pleasant enough to see myself coming back to listen to it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nick, I just wanted to say, I am very fond of the reviews you do for literally every Kpop/most J-Pop MV that is accessible on Youtube basically, and it actually helps me find hidden gems I might have never seen before! I am actually still in highschool, yet I diversified my music taste so much compared to the average teenager. It is mostly thanks to you, as I go into every song without bias and see what interests my ears and what doesn’t. The funny part is, I have sort of come around to basically predicting what rating you will have for each song lmao, I had assume title track ‘Crown’ would actually be in the mid eighties since I compared it to ATEEZ’s Halazia which sort of gives me that same energy, except I think Halazia was slightly stronger and fuller in my opinion (I think the rating is still perfect but actually think Halazia is 8.75 now). I now have over 100 different bands in my playlist thanks to you! My favourite bands so far are: WayV, SHINee, Treasure, SF9, &Team, NouerA, JO1, BTS, Seventeen, Genic, TXT, Golden Child (I actually have the road to kingdom Wannabe mix in my playlist lol), and The Boyz!
LikeLike
Adding on to this, my experience when I first found this list was very funny lol. About 6 years ago, I was new to Korean music, but got interested by mainly BTS (I got introduced by their amazing ‘Dope’) and Stray kids (I have slowly fallen off the train with you LOL). I first found this place through the review of Skz’s Miroh. I thought the rating system was really cool and looked through other songs. At first, I was wondering why some were really low when at the time that was all the music I actually listened to. But today, I learned to explore new genres and bands and now very knowledgeable about the Kpop genre! Funny enough I started to create my own list of my favourite songs and rated them the same way you did BUT ON LITERAL GOOGLE SLIDES. ITS SO FUNNY
LikeLike
Thank you so much for sharing this comment! It really means a lot whenever anyone says I helped introduce music (and music criticism!) to them.
I don’t think you’re the only longtime reader who has become able to predict my thoughts on a song. 😂 I tend to be pretty consistent… for better AND worse!
LikeLike