One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Wait (from Love Shot – 2018) Wait feels like a song that belongs on one of EXO’s holiday albums. Over a subdued, acoustic guitar instrumental, the track brings unique texture to the group’s standard r&b balladry. It suffers from appearing so early … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Unfair (from Sing For You – 2015) Promoted as a sub-title track alongside Sing For You, Unfair finds EXO at their least guarded, offering a loose arrangement perched over a swinging, piano-infused instrumental. The song gives the guys a chance to showcase … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Two Moons (ft. Key) (from Mama – 2012) As EXO’s earliest rap song, Two Moons had a precedent to set. To help accomplish that, the track enlisted SHINee’s Key as a counterpoint to Kai, Chanyeol and Sehun. I’m not sure he was … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Twenty Four (from For Life – 2016) I can tell you right now, I have absolutely zero interest in a trap Christmas song. Twenty Four’s concept feels like the worst of trend-chasing, and it results in a forgettable entry to EXO’s winter … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Trauma (from Love Shot – 2018) Trauma is a slick funk groove in a discography full of them, and could be easily forgotten because of that. And truthfully, EXO has released better songs of this genre before. But Trauma is not to … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Transformer (from Exodus / Love Me Right – 2015) With a militant hip-hop beat and distorted electronics, Transformer stands as one of EXO’s more aggressive tracks. It’s also one of their most fascinating. The verses are phrased with hip-hop flow even when … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Touch It (from The War / The Power Of Music – 2017) EXO’s The War/The Power of Music album was filled with great grooves, and Touch It’s placement near the end means that it could get lost in the shuffle. However, right … Continue reading →

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 →