There’s something admirable about a K-pop act from a small agency who just keeps on churning out material. XODIAC has never been in conversation with the big leagues of the industry, but they’ve released several comebacks a year since their debut in 2023. The quality of these songs has varied, and new single Phantom Fire feels like a missed opportunity to do something different.
The guys have opted for a slightly darker sound this time, cresting in the kind of bass-driven anti-drop favored by so many boy group tracks of the past. In fact, if you were to feed “typical boy group song” into a computer, Phantom Fire is what might emerge from ChatGPT (second verse trap breakdown and all!). I always say that these smaller groups can’t afford to play anything safe. If they want to stand out, they need to release music so unique or ear-catching that you’ll forced to listen. Phantom Fire is fine, but does nothing new and will likely fade from memory very quickly.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7 |
Grade: C-
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I like the vocal delivery here and there but yeah, the beat feels like something you could conjure up in GarageBand in like three minutes or god forbid, AI generate in 3 seconds.
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The main problem I have is that the songwriters picked a concept called “phantom fire” and I have no idea what they heck that means. Also, half the time it sounds like they are singing “Fatal Fire”. There is nothing with the song or performance per se, it just tries to make a bold statement and I haven’t the foggiest what it is all supposed to _mean_.
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Im actually a really big fan of Xodiac, and I personally thing Phantom Fire is really good, albeit my favourite songs by them are Calling, Throw a Dice, Lean on Me, and Heyday. Xodiac is a great group once you get into them, they have other music for people to try and have a variety. They are honestly really underrated. I prefer louder songs, so Phantom Fire is really simple and quiet for me but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. I appreciate your review on it, but please don’t be so harsh, especially some of the comments being kinda harsh, they are trying to put out their own kind of music they like and are happy with and get a crowd that they earned from their own work. They are great and make some great music, you could listen to a few other songs instead to get a different vibe, Alibi is great too. 🙂
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