Well it's better now than never.
After their extraordinary debut last year (in some good ways and some bad) the boys of EXO are back with their first full album which has been widely anticipated. But after the 27 teasers for their debut and the slow release of songs, did Exo come back stronger than ever?
In some ways yes.
Maybe SM slowed down promotions to teach both Exo K and M Chinese and Korean respectively. That's the only theory I've got because in comparison to their fierce rivals B.A.P, who have been kept in the public eye non stop, I think Exo has showed us that distance does make the heart grow fonder.
So now let's talk about the whole album~
Wolf- The title track, which I've reviewed already, is an utter mess. Like their debut song MAMA, it was a mish mash of clashing sounds and vocals. If you're listening to it for the first time it is quite overwhelming. After the climax of the song the rest of the song is forgotten because there's too much of the song to remember. It's a song that tries so hard to be hardcore with "strong" (mediocre) rapping whilst trying to seduce you with the highs and lows of the vocalists ranges.
Baby Don't Cry- This was a song featured on one of the 27 teasers. Whilst it was produced over a year ago, I am just so happy it has finally been released, it is a wonderful song and the short live performances of this song really did show the group's strongest points. Baekhyun, D.O, Luhan and Chen really captivated me as a listener with their vocals for this song. Chanyeol's rap is not overpowering and is a tasteful addition to the song. The melody is simple yet it carries the song through and makes the song such a delight to listen to. This is definitely one of my favourites from the album
Black Pearl- From the first verse I thought I wouldn't like it but the more I thought about it, if SM had given better thought to what the title track could be, I would choose this. It's a song that you could imagine would be performed well with slick choreography and the vocals aren't too in your face unlike the instrumental. Saying that, the instrumental isn't something out there or original but it's easy to listen to, unlike Wolf.
Don't Go- If "Baby Don't Cry" made me tear up a little, this song made me smile. Just listen to it. It's just so lovely. For once I prefer the Korean version of this song but either way, the vocals in both the Korean and Chinese are just so lovely and it just makes you feel at peace.
Let Out The Beast - Another featured song in the many teasers. It was like a throwback from the mid-2000 boyband songs, which I liked. Personally, I'm not too crazy about the song, from the title you'd think it was Wolf 2.0 but you'll be pleasantly surprised that it isn't. At least this song isn't a mess, however it was a forgettable effort from the guys for me.
3.6.5- It's a very cutesy song okay, let's just leave it at that. I'm not a fan of cutesy.
Heart Attack- This is another favourite. I don't know why, but I definitely like it. For once autotune is used to add to the song and it has a nice effect. I'll probably be adding this to my morning commute playlist.
Peter Pan- Rumour has it that this song is the song for the drama music video that SM has been teasing us with. Apart from that, this song is one of those that is just nice to listen to. Some people have been complaining on the lack of Sehun or certain voices on the album, I'm surprised you Exo stans can tell! It took me three years to be able to work out who was who by ear for MBLAQ and SHINee. You guys are sure fast. I also have no qualms on the English pronunciations for this song. Woohoo.
Baby- I don't really know how to feel about this song. Like the rest of the album's fillers like Peter Pan and 3.6.5, it's pretty. But the chorus made me feel more inclined to listen to this again.
My Lady- From what I heard of the little snippet from the teasers, I thought this song would be my instant favourite. I was wrong. The most attractive and important part of the song was already showcased in the teaser. I like the fact it closes the album. After an overload of the prettiness, we have a nice slick jazzy closure. You can also just imagine Kai dancing to it whilst you listen to it. Heh.
Overall I liked XOXO, Exo shows what they can do well through songs like Baby Don't Cry and Black Pearl, my only complaint is the title song because it's trying to show us too much, like their previous effort with Mama which I also think was a bit too much. I hope that we do get to see performances of other songs in the album. It's not the best debut album but it is quite a strong showcase of talent and things can only go up. Hopefully they release a better title song next time. Fingers crossed.
Favourite Song: Baby Don't Cry
Least Favourite Song: Wolf
Rating: 4/5
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