One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Thunder (from Overdose – 2014) Thunder has a wonderfully late-90’s/early-00’s throwback appeal. It’s an uncluttered pop/r&b track with a straightforward groove and subtle use of symphonic synths. This provides ample opportunity for EXO to showcase their vocals. Members like D.O. and Baekhyun … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! They Never Know (from Ex’Act / Lotto – 2016) Opening with a soulful touch of organ and scratchy LP ambiance, They Never Know aims for languid nostalgia and mostly hits the mark. Melodically, it’s a pretty simple pop song, but the members’ … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Tender Love (from Love Me Right – 2015) When EXO’s Exodus was first released, I felt that it could have done with more upbeat album tracks. Thankfully, its repackage brought the slick funk of Tender Love. This is one of the group’s … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Tactix (from Countdown – 2018) I never see anyone talking about Tactix, but it’s one of my all-time favorite EXO songs. This is no surprise, as the track carries many of my preferred traits. Relentlessly upbeat electronic production, an ultra-memorable chorus and … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Sweet Lies (from The Power Of Music – 2017) Sweet Lies’ atmospheric r&b targets an EXO sweet spot, and allows the guys to stretch their vocals over a languid soundscape. The song is plagued by so many modern musical elements I despise, … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Bird (from Bird – 2019) Following up on their excellent 2018 Japanese album, special single Bird was the first EXO track to feature only six members. It’s an oddly generic effort for the group, but succeeds thanks to a strong chorus and … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Stronger (from Ex’Act / Lotto – 2016) EXO often closes their albums with a more subdued song, and Stronger definitely fits that description. Essentially a piano ballad, the track has many peers within the group’s discography. It slots neatly between material like … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Stay (from Universe – 2017) Taken from EXO’s third winter album, Stay is a traditional piano-led mid-tempo augmented with a few unique instrumental touches. It’s even produced to sound like it’s spinning on an old record player. The chorus brings in some … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! The Star (from Miracles In December – 2013) You all know I don’t believe in the concept of “guilty pleasure,” but if I would classify any EXO song under this label it’d be The Star. As a holiday release, it’s free from … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Smile On My Face (from Don’t Mess Up My Tempo / Love Shot – 2018) As the closest that the Don’t Mess Up My Tempo album comes to a ballad, the atmospheric, mid-tempo Smile On My Face offers a soothing respite from … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Sign (from Don’t Mess Up My Tempo / Love Shot – 2018) Pounding forward on jolts of dubstep distortion, Sign is as pure a distillation of EXO’s core sound as you’re likely to find. It’s a percussive beast, formed by an industrial … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! She’s Dreaming (from Ex’Act / Lotto – 2016) She’s Dreaming feels like a song painted in watercolor. Its edges all bleed into each other, powered by a warped, off-balance instrumental that gives the entire track a languid, dreamlike mood. Beyond the obvious … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Run This (from Countdown – 2018) EXO’s Countdown doesn’t have a bad track, but Run This is probably its most inconsequential. Trying on bad boy posturing in the most obvious way, the song is little more than shouts and grumbles competing with … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Run (from Overdose – 2014) EXO songs often have a slightly experimental bent to them, so it’s always surprising when the group goes full-on pop. Run does not have a self-serious bone in its body. It’s the kind of anthemic track clearly … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Promise (EXO 2014) (from Love Me Right – 2015) Despite its title, Promise (EXO 2014) was released in the middle of 2015 as part of the group’s Love Me Right repackage album. The track blurs the line between ballad and mid-tempo, borrowing … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Playboy (from Exodus / Love Me Right – 2015) Gifted to EXO by SHINee’s Jonghyun, Playboy carries all of his melodic and production quirks. As such, it seems better suited to a solo Jonghyun performance than EXO, but it does allow them … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Peter Pan (from XOXO / Growl – 2013) Like its title might suggest, Peter Pan is one of the most lightweight pop confections in EXO’s arsenal. But, with a discography as dense as theirs, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The song’s … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Overdose (from Overdose – 2014) Before Overdose’s 2014 release, the song leaked online. This is rare for a K-pop track — especially back then — and the fact that the comeback was postponed several weeks due to the Sewol Ferry Incident made … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Ooh La La La (from Don’t Mess Up My Tempo / Love Shot – 2018) When Ooh La La La was released last year, it was heralded as the “sexy track” from EXO’s Don’t Mess Up My Tempo album. While this approach … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! One And Only (from Ex’Act / Lotto – 2016) Melding retro synths with airhorns (!), One And Only’s introduction is a little disorienting. It’s the odd track that manages to feel both languid and brisk, thanks to an insistent beat underlined by … Continue reading →