One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Lights Out (from Universe – 2017) Ending EXO’s 2017 winter album in theatrical fashion, Lights Out is as close to a torch song as the group has given us. Its impassioned melody rises and falls over a piano instrumental. Lights Out is … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Let Out The Beast (from XOXO / Growl – 2013) Let Out The Beast is the kind of track that screams “dance performance.” Built around a high-energy r&b beat with tense strings and insistent chirps of synth, Beast is as much a … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Lady Luck (from Exodus / Love Me Right – 2015) Opening with distorted vocals that sound like the pop song version of blowing a raspberry, Lady Luck retains this unconventional bass even as additional elements are added to the instrumental. Its production … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Into My World (from Countdown – 2018) Taken from EXO’s excellent Japanese album, Into My World feels like the soundtrack to some neon-hued sci-fi epic. Its electronic backbone pulses loud and proud, giving the track an immense energy. The production even throws … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Hurt (from Exodus / Love Me Right – 2015) Even when EXO tracks brood, they usually do so over an interesting hodgepodge of instrumental elements. Hurt perches itself atop an aggressive stomp and sweeping, distorted synth. It opens like a dark carnival … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! History (from Mama – 2012) Though their discography boasts more ambitious material, History has always felt like a flawless distillation of EXO’s sound. Its effortlessly funky groove combines a bhangra-inspired beat with icy, stuttering electronics and a strong kick that anchors the … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Heaven (from Ex’Act / Lotto – 2016) Sandwiched between more experimental tracks on EXO’s underrated 2016 album, Heaven’s exuberant, laid-back funk pop offers a welcome respite. The song is nothing unusual, but its piano-fueled production has a engagingly old-school aesthetic, augmented with … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Heart Attack (from XOXO / Growl – 2013) Heart Attack draws that amorphous line between dance track and mid-tempo. Its energy isn’t particularly high, but its fast-paced vocal delivery gives it a loose, playful appeal that slots it nicely alongside superior tracks … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Good Night (from Universe – 2017) Good Night’s gentle, electronic piano-infused balladry is what special winter albums are meant for. As its title suggests, this plays as a smooth r&b lullaby. So, saying that it might put you to sleep isn’t necessarily … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Going Crazy (from The War / The Power Of Music – 2017) Opening with a frantic synth loop and dramatic sweeps of strings, Going Crazy promises drama to come. And though the track never fully lives up to that mood, its creeping … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Girl x Friend (from Sing For You – 2015) Looking at its title alone, you can probably guess that this is going to be one of EXO’s more lighthearted efforts. And as a special holiday release, that amiable energy is well-targeted. A … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Forever (from The War / The Power Of Music – 2017) Forever is the kind of lumbering, almost industrial beast that SM boy groups do so well. Its arrangement has a tense energy, constantly on the build without ever reaching a sense … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! The First Snow (from Miracles In December – 2013) It’s hard to beat acoustic guitar and sleigh bells during the holidays, and The First Snow knows this. EXO’s vocals are taken full advantage of  here, offering a warm bed of harmonies over … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! First Love (from Love Me Right – 2015) Anchored by a plodding piano line, First Love is the sort of hesitant r&b track that often shows up on the second half of EXO albums. The melody and phrasing are interesting here, particularly … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Falling For You (from For Life – 2016) Unabashedly festive, Falling For You is the musical equivalent of a warm holiday party on a snowy day. Bolstered by jubilant brass and splashes of vocal harmony, the track has a lush, upbeat swing … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Fall (from Universe – 2017) Fall opens with a simple arrangement of acoustic guitar and percussion, but soon grows more grand with haunting, layered vocals and distorted synth. The chorus is among EXO’s most idiosyncratic, possessing a uniqueness of tone like nothing … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Exodus (from Exodus / Love Me Right – 2015) One of the few genuinely upbeat tracks on the initial version of EXO’s 2015 album, Exodus hearkens back to the r&b-laced dance pop of the early 2000’s. It pulses on a nimble electronic … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! The Eve (from The War / The Power Of Music – 2017) Opening EXO’s 2017 album with a dark blast of creeping pop, The Eve takes an almost militant approach to its verses before pulling back to a vocal-rich pre-chorus. The chorus … Continue reading →

One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! El Dorado (from Exodus / Love Me Right – 2015) A fan favorite, El Dorado is a perfect representation of EXO’s signature sounds. You’ve got the moody r&b of the verses, largely carried by the group’s smooth vocals. Then there’s the towering … Continue reading →