Xdinary Heroes are at an interesting fork in their career, having recently lost their drummer Gunil under dubious circumstances. This comes on the heels of (in my opinion) their strongest title track yet. April’s Voyager quickly grew into a real 2026 highlight, as has their discography overall. I hate to see momentum get derailed under any circumstance, so despite all the drama I welcome new material.
New single Obsessed With Youth takes much of the drama that made Voyager so great and pulls it back down to earth. The song is more reserved in places, but makes room for plenty of dramatic catharsis. The guys know their way around a great chorus, and Obsessed With Youth is generous in its application of hooks. The chorus comes quickly and announces itself with plenty of rock band bombast. It’s the kind of song you want to sing along with at the top of your lungs, which is always a welcome quality for a band like this.
My favorite rock acts tend to use synth as a major weapon in their arsenal. My hope is that this becomes a bigger part of Xdinary Heroes’ repertoire, as it adds welcome texture to their tracks. Electronic elements make their way into Obsessed‘s post-chorus and offer a great moment of release following its tightly-wound chorus. All in all, it’s another easy hit for the guys in a period marred by uncertainty.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
Grade: B
The circumstances behind Gunil’s removal will always anger me but the song’s great.
8.25 (8, 8, 9, 8) for me
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This thing with Gunil is absurd. You know who doesn’t have to deal with shit? Virtual Idols! The PLAVE boys are on top of the world, no plastic surgery needed. They probably even get to date (hopefully keep their work a secret…) and who knows, maybe we can even have some virtual females in their videos one day 😲
Song is really solid. 8.5
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Gunil’s departure was poorly handled, I think we can all agree, but I just want to point out that any virtual idols with real human beings behind them are as ‘scandal-proof’ as any other human being (which is to say, not very).
Also I know you brought up plastic surgery thing as a joke, but I have to point out Noah of PLAVE has spoken quite freely about getting Botox done, which appeared to be entirely for cosmetic purposes (he couldn’t laugh properly for weeks and he and the other members did joke about it). Now Botox is one thing, but it’s also not for nothing that our group’s lightstick is in the shape of a dumbbell… if I had a penny for every time the members mentioned being on a diet and/or working out, I would have enough to order their new albums and plenty left over for postage lol. I’d personally love for them to feel like they don’t have to worry about any of these things unless they wanted to, but clearly they do.
They do get to keep their private lives private (for now, anyway) and that’s of genuine benefit. But that alone can’t and won’t absolve human insecurities or failings, let alone other prevent other people from coming along and trying to exploit them. Not trying to attack you at all! Just trying to remind everyone that kpop-facing virtual idols with real humans involved are not immune to scandal, real or imagined. To think otherwise is absurd.
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Xdinary Heroes rock genre sometimes leaned a bit too hard onto metal and grunge so it might not be easy for casuals who prefered pop rock most of the time to appreciate their discography. Personally, I really like how they managed to incorporate such rock genre into KPOP. The song might lacked catchy words or hook at first listen, but it compensated those gimmicks by building a strong narrative and serving powerful vocal moments when it counted. The song might not go viral in SNS, but it certainly left a lasting impressions for those who listened to the end. The whole album did not disappoint us either with strong B-sides like Give Up The Ghost, You Right There, and Love in dystopia.
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I live in a cave, so I had to look it up. Oh dear. To me, it sounds like Gunil was just done with being an idol, living the idol life. He’s a talented drummer with a degree from Berklee, so he should easily find work as a session and gig musician in the US.
As for the song, speaking of Gunil – the drum parts rock. The Song is simple melodies simply and straightforwardly done, with the embellishments coming from a mastery of their instruments. I hope it all works out for them.
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Learning I really enjoy when rock is meshed with electronic elements from this. I probably knew that subconsciously for a long time, but I also know it can take me seeing it expressed in words a few times to fully realize it lol, a big reason I love this blog.
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We are kindred spirits on this!
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This is pretty good too, quite the week here for k-pop.
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ahhh I love all the high notess! I didn’t know how they could top Voyager from earlier this year but I’m glad they’re continuing their streak of good music with this album. Give up the ghost is a highlight b-side.
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