One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! 3.6.5 (from XOXO / Growl – 2013) 3.6.5 feels like a good track to end this (seemingly endless) K-Pop A-Z segment. It’s not a complicated or groundbreaking song, but it’s an unusually potent burst of pop energy within EXO’s discography. The track … Continue reading
Well, this song came out of nowhere! Boy group Cross Gene is facing a diminishing roster, with member Takuya the latest to exit in pursuit of new challenges within the entertainment industry. The group now stands as a quartet, and leader Shin Wonho is thankfully still among their ranks. Though he’s more well-known for his … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! White Noise (from Ex’Act / Lotto – 2016) The first thing you’ll notice about White Noise is its odd, herky-jerky percussion that feels as if its constantly fighting to keep up with itself. This helps to forge experimental verses that take a … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! What If… (from Exodus / Love Me Right – 2015) As someone who came of age in the 90’s, I have a total soft spot for this kind of r&b slow jam. For those of us who might remember, the vocal hook … 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! 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
We’ve been inundated with ballads lately, and they’re making me sleepy. Down-tempo December is nothing new, but K-pop seems especially subdued this winter. Even most of its holiday-themed tracks have been on the slower side. And really, there’s only so much that you can do with a standard Korean ballad. We know the template well. … 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
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. There are so many K-pop introduction tracks that I wish were … 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
Over the course of their two-year history, Stay Kids’ releases have existed as a pair of trilogies. Last year, the I Am series opened with the dramatic District 9 and concluded with the more subdued I Am YOU. Though the genre elements have changed, the group’s 2019 Clé trilogy has followed almost the same trajectory, … 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
I don’t often write about English-language releases by K-pop acts because, quite frankly, I don’t usually like them. But, Monsta X have dropped so many English songs this year that it’s hard to ignore them. And apart from a dreadful French Montana verse, their Who Do You Love was a surprisingly funky bit of old-school … 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
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reviewing every song in EXO’s discography, from A-Z. That will continue, but I’m taking a brief break to write about the songs on their newest album, Obsession. Be sure to check back every day as I take a look at each and every track! 1. Obsession // 2. … Continue reading
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reviewing every song in EXO’s discography, from A-Z. That will continue, but I’m taking a brief break to write about the songs on their newest album, Obsession. Be sure to check back every day as I take a look at each and every track! 1. Obsession // 2. … Continue reading
JYP Entertainment has had a blockbuster year, but its founder hasn’t released new music in quite a while. In fact, the last time he dropped a music video was all the way back in the spring of 2016. New single Fever finds him back to his old ways: uncomfortably lustful in the video and undeniably … Continue reading
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reviewing every song in EXO’s discography, from A-Z. That will continue, but I’m taking a brief break to write about the songs on their newest album, Obsession. Be sure to check back every day as I take a look at each and every track! 1. Obsession // 2. … Continue reading
