Careless, careless. Shoot anonymous, anonymous. Heartless, mindless, no one who care about me. Today we will be ranking all of the superpowers EXO showcase in their track "Mama." Why? Because I wanted to. Shitposters be shitposting.
#12. Baekhyun - Light
Now obviously having superpowers of any kind would be pretty sweet, but it's clear that one member got the real short end of the stick. Baekhyun's ability to control light is useful at best and hella lame at worst. Congrats, he can see in the dark whenever he wants. It simply pales in comparison to all the other effects.
#11. Xiumin - Frost
There's a handful of members with the classic elemental powers, and Xiumin brings up the rear with frost. Even though I despise the cold, I am justified in the placing near the bottom. Out of all the elemental abilities, Xiumin's is the most limited since he requires the proper environmental setting to be most effective. Even if it could work in a hostile atmosphere, frost would be less powerful overall.
Back in early 2016 I made a post highlighting the best picks of the first five years of the decade. And of course there was the timeline post, too. But now with the 2010's behind us, it's time to see which of the top songs of each year would come out on top in a battle of the best. To make things simple, each year brings one candidate to the table. I contemplated giving some of the runner-ups a chance (because there have been some damn good #2 picks over the years) but that wouldn't be fair to all the songs who claimed the gold medal. This was arguably the hardest song ranking piece I've ever had to write. Let's see how the stars of the 2010's match up against each other.
#10. Ailee - Heaven (2012)
Make no mistake, the fact that "Heaven" is a debut track making a top 10 such as this is impressive. Plus, it's the only debut track to have accomplished such a feat. Some debuts have been good, but never this good. "Heaven" is a sublime power ballad that showcases Ailee's technique, power, and range all in one song. Ailee's powerful vocals have always been the center of attention for obvious reasons and her career started off on quite the introduction.
#9. 2NE1 - Ugly (2011)
The only knock I really have on "Ugly" in the context of the rest of these songs is that it's decidedly safe in most respects. Don't get me wrong it's still an emphatic dance number. I also love the lyrics and message that this song delivers, but some of the traditional YG mannerisms show up - in particular the chant-esque bridge - which by themselves are not bad, but fail to stand out compared to others here.
#8. IU - Blueming (2019)
The trouble with writing a list like this so soon after 2019 ended is there hasn't been enough time for the newest song to simmer in the ol' library you know? Because while "Blueming" is brilliant, it loses out against other tracks simply because it came out the latest. Still, IU's switch of styles provides a relaxing and soothing listen. No doubt after a couple years we will look back upon its legacy like some of the other songs here but for now it'll nestle itself at 8th place.
Not sure how I wanted to categorize this post since I'll be talking about SuperM and their upcoming debut but also expanding it to some group theory. Ah whatever there's always post-publish editing to utilize. Let's not talk about some other posts that should have been out for months by now...
Hm. Been busy with work, courses, and gaming but that doesn't make a week+ break acceptable. Welcome to the July edition of The Late Report. This is a grim reminder that I haven't been interested in too much new music lately, so here's hoping the beginning of the fall season brings some good stuff.
GFriend - Fever
There's not been much of note on the main front, but GFriend did drop something summery for us with "Fever." Immediately got TXT "Crown" vibes with the groovy instrumental and that isn't a bad thing. The dance itself isn't noteworthy as it lacks in comparison with their past choreographies. Eunha and Yuju continue to do the heavyweight vocal work, and SinB attempted to audition for Girl Group Rapper Power Rankings with her brief burst. Regarding the MV: why does Sowon need heels? The girl is a giant! Not a great song, but not a bad song either.
This week(end) is all about gaming: Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Hearthstone, and Runescape DXP. As you can see this has been reflected in blog activity. So I'll drop a quick pilot for a new series in Tier Lists. These have been exploding in popularity from all reaches of the Internet so it's only natural I join in. Especially with my obsession of trying to link Kpop to videogames. The inaugural episode will be my EXO Tier List, including the ex-members. Audible gasp!
Like always, the formatting and whatever will change over time so we'll start with this structure. Tier List posts will substitute for Power Ranking posts when I simply can't decide between a specific order, and or when the number of participants is too damn high. The post that immediately comes to mind will be the next Girl Group Vocalist Power Rankings, and also allows for some mega posts too. I'm pretty excited for these prospects. Anyway let's get into the group.
EXO are not very clever with their subunit names. There was EXO-K and EXO-M in the beginning, and after they merged back into one group they had EXO-CBX with initials for each member. Now we've got Sehun and Chanyeol making EXO-SC. Color me surprised because these are the two rappers in the gang, and I can't imagine they'd actually try their hand at serious rapping. That'd be disastrous... Chanyeol could hold his own but Sehun is a different story.
Holy shit Boy Group Power Rankings?! This year truly is a year of surprises. And this case, good ones. As someone that always paid way more attention to the girl group landscape, but hey there are interesting things going on over on this side. I doubt this will become a recurring series - at least not for a while - but it's fun to draft these and y'all know how much I love power rankings of any kind. Speaking of...I'm really slacking on the Girl Group Vocalist Power Ranking that I've had foundation work for since half a year ago. Promise I'll get that out soon.
Let's talk methodology: it's really difficult haha. Because where do I even begin? Roster, talent, discography, statistics, history, legacy, etc. It's all a foggy blend and there's no real marker of when I should begin considering - too recent and the veteran groups lose out, too far back and the nostalgia goggles kick in. It's harder since there's no previous list to reference. I don't even remember how I determined placings for the first iteration of Girl Group Power Rankings. Looks like I'll have to rely on feel and adjust accordingly. Don't expect as detailed descriptions compared to the female counterpart list.
#10. Infinite
Honestly this spot makes you feel like a loser no matter what. With the complicated formula to determine who is "better," I settled with Infinite here over GOT7. Their rosters are actually pretty similar with both housing some unsung heroes in the vocals department. Choreography is their strength while rapping their weakness. But Infinite not only has seniority, but a better resume overall. "Bad" and "Back" are a pair of tracks that best anything in GOT7's library.
You know what it is: time for the February edition of The Late Report. Since I only reviewed one song during last month (...I'm not too proud of that) there should be some solid selections for show (fuck yeah alliteration).
Loco - It's Been A While (feat. Zion.T)
Since he's heading to military service, Loco gave us a present to remember him by with a good ol' friend in Zion.T. "It's Been A While" is relaxing and showcases Loco's rap-singing with Zion.T's usual smooth vocals. Many of these artists under AOMG have really consistent discographies and Loco is no different. His previous collab with Hwasa was a similar magical R&B treat.
December is always a weird month for Kpop in my mind. There's not too much activity due to the holidays and end of the year shows and performances. Plus most of the new music usually follows the Christmas spirit and theme. Personally I don't care for it, but that also means I don't pay much attention to the Christmas songs. Here are three short selections from the last month-ish that are worth checking out.
Younha - Snail Mail
When does Younha disappoint? Never. "Snail Mail" is yet another beautiful ballad from the established veteran. I tend to get sentimental (read: at a loss for words) when it comes to Younha since she was the artist that got me started on my Kpop journey, and her music is always emotional yet powerful. Damn, her lyrics got me feeling mellow early in 2019.
Yubin - Thank U Soooo Much
Despite the cringeworthy title format, Yubin discreetly dropped a sick retro track at the end of November. Wonder Girls have gone but Yubin carries their legacy with the retro domination. You can easily hear how the whole gang would've sang this track (which is both good and bad). While I wish she could've had a smooth rap, she makes up for it with her surprisingly clear voice. Really makes you wonder why it was never utilized during her Wonder Girls tenure, right JYP?! Like the song title, some of the English is suspect, and there should always be a higher standard of English in JYP Entertainment but I guess the old dog does the same tricks still.
EXO - Tempo
Chen continues to kill it. Dude was made to sing anything and everything. EXO are known for their insane bridges but the opening of "Tempo" might be one of the greatest I've ever heard. There are some old EXO classics - killer instrumental, vocal artistry, along with some new wrinkles - extended rap sequences, demonic intermission which make "Tempo" appear more experimental at first listen. Then again, as someone who isn't too privy on EXO's full discography this could be an incorrect assumption. I didn't have the balls to predict this in Kpop Hopes but I think Lay is done with EXO. Maybe not this year, but after the main Chinese promotions wrap up and he's settled a foundation back in his homeland. Sooner or later, pressure will get to him and I think he'll complete the Chinese desertion project. Goodness, this took a dark turn. Happy Saturday!
This ought to be fun. Time for some motherfucking negativity up in here! Keeping with the S.M Entertainment theme, we're going to look at some of the worst selections (that are title tracks of course) to ever come out of that company. I did rank them, but that really means little when we're looking at the bottom of the barrel here. Some of the reasons are music-related, and some are purely hate-based. If something sounds bad, then it's bad. Simple as that. Let's see the worst material from one of the top entertainment labels in Korea.
#10. BoA - Nega Dola
Remember we're talking about bad songs so it's better to be up here than down there. Boy it feels bad to list BoA but I gotta do it. "Nega Dola" isn't even a below average song, but it would've been a great song if not for the horrific decision to make BoA rap. There are some things that you should never do. Giving BoA some pitiful rap lines in every verse leaves an awful taste in your mouth, and an awful sound in your ears. SME hardly has the rapping profile with their members, I don't know what they were thinking making BoA do that. Literally ruined the song for everyone.
#9. Super Junior - Mamacita
It's like "Mamacita" was a stepping stone or experiment to figure out how to incorporate international beats. Clearly needed some trial and error since "Lo Siento" was solid whereas "Mamacita" was...not. Everything about this track just feels awkward, like it's going through puberty or something. Even the typically sweet vocals from Kyuhyun and Ryeowook seem off. That rap break by Eunhyuk and Shindong is atrocious, so it's exactly like the average Super Junior rap! "Close your lips, shut your tongue" will always be associated with their cringe rap moments.
#8. TVXQ - Humanoids
TVXQ has had some magnificent highs and dreadful lows. They certainly support those type of eclectic tastes. I reviewed "Humanoids" on the blog before and it only scored a 70 thanks to appearance points and me liking the choreography at the time. Now with a refined taste in Kpop dances I can say it's not a strong dance. The chorus isn't half-bad...if all they were doing was singing. Too much chanting and rambling random shit. A hodge podge of mediocrity creates a mediocre product.
They're the only label with such a large assortment of artists to even do this for, so here is SM Entertainment's version of the Best Of Debuts (which has only one prior post). Some of this will overlap with said post because a handful of their groups made it on this list. However, times change and not only that, but this is only having their debut tracks in direct competition with each other. How good the song is / was overall matters most, but I also took into account relevancy at the time and if it withstood the modernization of Kpop. Because we wanna see each of their main superstars go head-to-head, TRAX and Zhang Liyin will be absent from this list, as will subunits and project groups like S.M. The Ballad and EXO-CBX. That could make for an entertaining revisit in the future though.
#10. Red Velvet - Happiness
Yeah...there's no way that Red Velvet wouldn't be last on a list like this. I still have nightmares about this song. From the awkward pronunciation of "happiness" to the terrible rapping heard throughout, there was a lot to forget about this debut. There was also the MV and the many issues there. Not much else to say other than thank heavens they turned it quite the ways around.
#9. Super Junior - Twins (Knock Out)
Despite not needing to compare with modern era boy groups, Super Junior 05's debut simply lacked the knock out capability their title claimed. I just don't think "Twins" is that good a song. Unremarkable in all facets, this was only impressive in the sheer number of members, as having 12 members was and still is unusual to see. In retrospect they almost had a fusion element to their early songs (almost like Dreamcatcher but a little more intense) and that's probably why I didn't like their pre-breakout era music.
#8. CSJH - Too Good
Before Mamamoo, there was SPICA. And before SPICA, there was CSJH. Pure vocalist groups can all trace their ancestry to the girls of CSJH The Grace. Their debut video has nothing but powerful voices and closeups to focus on the faces behind the voices. All these girls could sing and would dominate the competition today. Stephanie left and they've basically been dead but Dana's still kicking it today! Or at least, she did a ways back with "Touch You." Oh fuck that was two years ago...
In timing with r/kpop's Top Ten Tuesdays series going on, here are my picks for EXO's best music. I've participated in a few though only provided lists and picks. Having this post in conjunction with their EXO thread lets me post some more meaty content instead of just a list. Since their discussions include any song, this Best Of will also not be restricted to title tracks, which has been general tradition. Also, they have people rank the top 10 songs so this installment will also have that number. Away we go to EXO planet!
#10. What Is Love
It's not about how you finish, it's how you start. At least in Kpop that holds more weight. Both versions of "What Is Love" showcased solid vocals from Baekhyun, Chen, D.O, and Luhan. It was but a brief introduction of the powerful vocals to come from them. Baekhyun's line at 0:47 is one of my favorites to sing along to in any EXO song (and any song in general). The final minute is also marvelousFunny fact when I first watched this video I thought Luhan was Chen because he looked more Korean. Shows what I knew back then.
#9. Black Pearl
Man, the XOXO album had so many goodies in it. There's no honorable mentions but if there were, it'd be littered with XOXO tracks: "My Lady," "Peter Pan," etc. What I love most about "Black Pearl" is that the verses and chorus are two distinct entities but both sound in sync with the other. Baekhyun has like a three second window and everything just goes. Boom. Right into the strong chorus. This is "that escalated quickly" to a T. And as far as short bursts of rapping go for this has one of their better sequences, too.
Now that we've looked at some of the best songs of each year for the past 6 years, it's time to look at the bigger picture: who will come out on top overall? To find out the best song(s) from 2010-2016, only the top 3 of each year will be candidates. After all, it would be unfair (and also too much work, admittedly) to look at the top 5, or each full list. Anyway, if you want a refresher, here are the candidates.
2010: Taeyang - I Need A Girl, Rainbow - A, IU - Good Day
2011: Big Bang - Love Song, Davichi - Don't Say Goodbye, 2NE1 - Ugly 2012: Girls' Generation-TTS - Twinkle, Big Bang - Blue, Ailee - Heaven
2013: Girl's Day - Expectation, SPICA - Tonight, 9MUSES - Wild
2014: AOA - Miniskirt, Girl's Day - Something, Soyu & Junggigo - Some
2015: INFINITE - Bad, FIESTAR - You're Pitiful, EXO - Call Me Baby
I'll only list the top 10 for simplicity sake, and because I've talked about many of these songs a number of times already, the conversation will revolve around why one song is better (or worse) than another. It's another simple piece of writing as I prepare for another week of midterms and the new Twice review.
The finale to the Best 201X Revisited is probably premature, considering we're only barely halfway through 2016, but I committed to it and wanted this one written before anything like a Best Of 2011 so here's another look. Unlike other installments, I'm pretty satisfied with my 2015 set (and part of that is certainly due to the shorter time between revisions) so there are relatively few changes across the board. With the said, it'll likely prove difficult to write anything substantial about the songs that I didn't already say before in December. Still, we'll give it a go and wrap up this series today.
#12. Big Bang - Loser (-2) Original: 9MUSES - Hurt Locker
Simplicity is key, and Big Bang capitalize on that statement with the quiet and calming track that is very much the successor to "Blue." However, while no one can question the quality, it simply loses out to other songs based on their general noise and energy. When you need some relaxing tunes, or want to emo out for a bit, "Loser" has your back. "Loser" falls to 12th not because it's a loser - it is very much a winner, but because it's the most boring song on the list.
#11. Mad Clown - Fire (NEW) Original: IU - Twenty Three
Honestly, Mad Clown has some transcendent stuff. He has a pretty unique flow and his voice can sometimes be grating, but it's never really turned me away from his music. With "Stupid In Love" having placed him on the radar, Mad Clown joined forces this time with the less known Jinsil for "Fire." Jinsil has a sultry seductive voice, which is a pleasant counter to Mad Clown's explosive rapping. By all means this song should've catapulted both into stardom but that hasn't happened quite yet.
As a heads up, I'm gonna be pretty busy over the next few weeks. Apparently my next online course is no joke with the amount of reading materials, and I'll be traveling to Korea for a week (which is gonna be awesome!). I have a plethora of writing I want (and started) to do - as evidenced by the "Coming Soon" section, but no idea if they'll come to completion or not. Anyway, here's a look back at my picks in 2013 and how the list would look like now in hindsight.
#12. Davichi - Turtle (NEW) Original: Davichi - Be Warmed
Davichi's original two tracks have been dropped and replaced by the lovely "Turtle." I consider "Turtle" the medium between "Be Warmed" and "Because I'm Missing You Today." It possesses the lighthearted feel of the latter while still maintaining an intensity in the powerful vocals of the former. Sure there's no Verbal Jint appearance but he's already a bonus to begin with. The vocal work between Minkyung and Haeri is divine in "Turtle," and has over the years risen to be my 2nd favorite Davichi track (behind "Don't Say Goodbye," naturally).
#11. Gaeko - Rhythm Is Life (NEW) Original: JeA - Days & Nights
In the first list, Dynamic Duo was the sole male representation. This time around, only Gaeko returns (though there is another male artist later). Like I mentioned in Best Of 2012 Revisited, Korean hip-hop didn't fly onto the radar until 2013, and this was one of the pioneering tracks. Gaeko's "Rhythm Is Life" is a straight masterpiece in terms of the execution of lyrics. His delivery is pretty close to flawless and the replay value is through the roof. Gaeko and Dynamic Duo helped pave the way for other hip-hop artists to join my library.
Admittedly I didn't want to review another S.M. artist because over the last few months I've overloaded on their releases but hey. They provide me with plenty of new songs and material so I have to oblige, plus I got to take a review break with some bonus material. With Red Velvet having achieved breakout status earlier in the year, S.M. turns to their next youngest group. EXO's 3rd studio album would feature a pair of title tracks, but we're going to review the more interesting song "Monster." And I promise this will be the only mention of the matter, but I'm glad to see Lay is still with the group.
This song is what "Mama" and "Wolf" wanted to but ultimately failed to be. Angst, power, aggression, etc. "Monster" captures those elements while at the same time being free of the issues that plagued its predecessors. "Monster" sounds like the same song from the second it starts to the second it ends, and there are no sudden changes in the nature of the music at any point. Awkward transitions are also absent, making the song one fluid listen. Perhaps most importantly, there are no chants or screaming and that's fantastic.
Merry Christmas! As you can see, I didn't manage to get the final set out before today but that's alright. Let's wrap up the Best Of 2015 with a list that may leave you surprised, because I sure was. Also, ignore the inconsistent image-to-ranking relation, t'was a mistake but all is well. Without further ado, here are my picks for the very best songs in 2015.
5. 4minute - Crazy
Praise everything holy because 4minute finally ended their slump of mediocre and terrible title tracks when they released "Crazy." Keeping with the namesake, the pace and energy of the song are indeed pretty crazy. The dancing is fierce and has character, while Hyuna and Jiyoon command control with their explosive rapping verses. The other members do struggle a little whether due to lackluster ability (Sohyun), awkward sections (Gayoon), or both (Jihyun), but when all is said and done, 4minute have a track that can compete with "I My Me Mine," Considering that was 5 years ago, and everything they've released since then was disappointing, it's awesome seeing them with such a powerful and addicting dance number.
4. f(x) - 4 Walls
In a similar vein, f(x) had been on a downfall. With Sulli leaving, many fans wondered if this group would spiral into obscurity. The group then proceeded to drop the "4 Walls" album which is one of the better studio album of the year. With "4 Walls" leading the pack, f(x) showed that they certainly didn't need Sulli around to drop a very smooth dance track. "4 Walls" has an instrumental that worms into your head, a simple and effective rap, and a breakout vocal performance from Krystal. You don't really need much else. The bridge did cause the song to take a little stumble, but it's nothing major, and this does appear to be an unfortunate trend among some of this year's best songs (Chanhyuk's rap in "Thinking About You," Jihyun's bridge in "Crazy," the bridge in "Twenty Three" to name a few). Still, "4 Walls" has the pleasure of being in the final 4.
3. FIESTAR - You're Pitiful
To be honest, not many girl groups went down the sexy route this year. Basically all the new debuts were channeled down the cute aisle, and even veterans like Sistar and the rising AOA kept it pretty simple. FIESTAR therefore handily take the sexiest girl group title this year with "You're Pitiful." You want fanservice? That's the whole video. The choreography was sensual and used both male backup dancers and chairs (interesting combo). This song jumpstarted Yezi's rise to prominence(?), with a heartful rap that eventually led to more Yezi rapping goodness (still waiting for that new album!). "You're Pitiful" also had one of the more decorated videos, with food thrown everywhere, a man putting on lipstick, and plenty of Jei eye candy.
2. EXO - Call Me Baby
We've said this before, and we'll say this again. EXO may lose a member every year, but their music seems to take everything in stride. In fact, "Call Me Baby" is enough to surpass the sensational "Growl" in my eyes (ears). The track is 100% dance power personified. The choreography is slick and super impressive when you see how synchronized they are, yet still has all the crotch-grabbing hype for fangirls to...well, fangirl over. A couple of questionable moves here and there but that goes for pretty much every dance nowadays. EXO's vocal line is still alive and very strong, and it's practically unfair to have Chen on your team. Still, Baekhyun and D.O more than hold their own, and everyone else isn't dead weight. After having previously mentioned that many songs in 2015 have bad bridges, "Call Me Baby" is a fundamentally perfect song.
1. INFINITE - Bad
For years girls and girl groups had monopolized the very best songs. Big Bang grabbed top 3 status in 2012, and Epik High (though they aren't exactly "idols") in 2014. Elsewhere there wasn't much male representation (and c'mon, one year there was Psy on the list). But in 2015 we have a top 2 that's exclusively boy groups. Tides of change? Perhaps, but the straightforward answer is that "Bad" is really really really good. Everything I just said EXO in "Call Me Baby" goes for Infinite, too, and maybe even double. They've been running this signature theme for many years, and they've still got it. While arguably not as sound as "Call Me Baby," "Bad" has some other strengths that go underappreciated. Obviously the first would be the 360 version of the MV which would be neat to see used further for mainstream groups. The strings of the track are so disgustingly good I'd blindly call "Bad's" instrumental the best of the year. There may be no Chen equivalent in the group, but Woohyun and Sunggyu are a better combo than Chen and anyone else in EXO. All in all, this is a superstar track that did not go unnoticed.
Let's be honest. How many people even realize that Kibum was / is a member of Super Junior? Of course he's inactive, but he's still listed as an official member even though he hasn't participated in group activities since 2009. Funnily enough there was very recent news from Kibum himself that he is no longer under contract with S.M. Let's start there I suppose.
Kibum hadn't been active as a Super Junior member since something like 2009. Yet for all intents and purposes, he was still technically a member of the group, even though he hadn't been in a single promotion and was literally 100% on the acting market. There were no lawsuits, no contract terminations, no shenanigans, just the joke of an excuse that he was still "a Super Junior member that we would welcome back anytime." I'd be willing to bet that he had no intentions of coming back to the group, and indeed since his contract ended his Instagram post sure sounded happy he was no longer with the company.
Now we look to Sulli. Sulli's case is probably most similar to Kibum's, in that she hasn't really been active with the group and didn't seem to care much about her future in f(x). Sulli was the reason "Red Light" promotions cut short and the whole attitude debate along with her dating Choiza didn't really put her in the best of lights for fans. There was speculation she'd leave the group eventually and that turned out to be true. To this credit she was treated the same way as Kibum. While her hiatus wasn't as concrete as Kibum's, she was still listed as a member up until the announcement of her departure.
As for Jessica, Tao, Kris, and Luhan (those "lazy" foreigners), They're different in the sense that they had definitely wanted to stay in the group, but have individual activities (or more of such) on the side. Jessica with BLANC, and the EXO boys with overseas activities in China. Ms. Jung still expected to be a Girls' Generation member while maintaining her fashion line and either S.M. or the other members (or both) were against. We'll never know the truth, but again when you look at what happened with Kibum and his status, I don't get why the same couldn't have applied to Jessica. What's even more bizarre is that for a short period after, she remained under S.M.'s management before they finally let her go. As for the Kris / Luhan / Tao trio, health conditions were also cited a la Han Geng's lawsuit, so to me this looks like following a sunbae's footsteps in this regard but again without the full story it's difficult to say. Supposedly Chinese queen Victoria also has separate promotions in China, so I find difficult to believe that something worked out with her and not for the Chinese EXO trio. I'd imagine the key difference being that the EXO members wanted nothing to do with the group anymore due to health / schedule concerns.
The aftermath of all this? Super Junior will continue as if nothing happened because in reality, nothing did happen. They have been promoting with slightly different rosters for years now and "Devil" showed they're still good. Girls' Generation have trekked along with Jessica for almost a year now and in my eyes have redeemed themselves in terms of music, with a capable "Lion Heart" album. Losing Jessica has freed up line distribution, giving other members like Sooyoung and Yuri more chance to shine. EXO has watched the months go by, losing a member every so often. The quality in their music certainly hasn't decreased, and most of the main talent is still there, but the pressure is on Lay as the only remaining Chinese member. Eyes will be on him like a hawk for who knows how long. As for f(x), Sulli contributed very little to their music, so losing her would ideally give Amber and Victoria some more lines, which is perfect in my book. Her status as the team visual is also highly questionable what with Krystal and Victoria existing. To be honest, f(x) is probably better without her. In the end, S.M. still can't be trusted. The company only has SHINee and Red Velvet that can boast a (mostly) problem-free journey, and RV is but a little over a year old. Time will truly tell for S.M.
Another EXO release, another EXO member missing. This time we lose our 3rd Chinese member in Tao, who like Luhan and Kris probably isn't coming back. Fans of the Chinese members are only left with Lay now. And it's only a matter of time before he's gone, too.
However, on the bright side(?), EXO's ability to create good music isn't distorted by the amount (or fraction) of members. Right away, we get a groovy background instrumental and D.O's smooth opening. The vocals of line of EXO continue to do really well for themselves, while Chanyeol also continues to be a superb rapper, though this time the lines are more evenly distributed between him and Sehun. The rap as a whole is also shorter than the one in "Call Me Baby" so it's difficult to say which rap is better. The repetition of "love me right / just love me right" is actually better because it sounds better. The bridge is yet another highlight of an EXO song. D.O and Baekhyun do divine work and the chorus is as energetic as ever. Scattered use of English is still a feature in all of S.M. songs but the English isn't butchered so there's at least that.
This MV is hard to follow. It's essentially more eye candy than the previous MV "Call Me Baby." The problem I have with this is that like "Call Me Baby," "Love Me Right" is still very much a dance song, so I expected more shots of the choreography and less shenanigans with solo shots. Sehun's scene in particular doesn't look very safe, and the various sports stuff isn't very collected and I feel was only used for aesthetics to please the fangirls. Not sure about the black and white striped jackets though. Speaking of the dance, it's nowhere near as impressive as the choreography in "Call Me Baby." The moves are less polished, less dynamic, and less interesting overall. Which is a shame since in terms of the sound of the song "Love Me Right" should have had the better choroegraphy, in my opinion. Still, it's yet another solid dance release from EXO as they lose yet another member. Here's hoping it's the last. Who are we kidding, there's bound to be (at least one) more in the future.
The boys of EXO (or EX10 as I like to call them heh) are back. After losing Kris and Luhan, they're here to promote "Call Me Baby" with more pelvic thrusting and crotch grabbing than ever before. But don't worry, they're still legal.
This is something that I wish EXO released before all the contract controversy that accompanies every S.M. boy group that isn't SHINee. "Call Me Baby" is a dance track through and through, despite the song name suggesting otherwise. The instrumental is good, perhaps even underrated but this combined with the vocals make for a solid background. The choreography is sharp, focused, and coordinated. The dance moves themselves are slick outside of the move at 1:19, and there is ten times the crotch grabbing for all the insane fangirls to fangirl over. Hooray? Visually, it seems that the members who used to look awkward now look pretty good, and the members who used to look good now look awkward. For example, Suho and Kai can't work the hair they have, while Lay and Chanyeol are swagged out. Xiumin needs to cut his hair, and Tao and D.O always hilariously look tired and angry respectively. EXO continues to love playing with the camera for transitions, and I doubt they'll stop until they get sued for doing that so many times it causes headaches.
The vocals in "Call Me Baby" is yet another piece of evidence that Baekhyun, D.O, and Chen (I've given up using his real name, as silly as I still think it sounds) carry all of EXO on their backs. Now, this isn't to say that the others are bad. On the contrary, I'm still a fan of Suho's voice and Lay impressed with his reach and falsetto, but the true EXO subunit is essentially Baekhyun, D.O, and Chen. As long as S.M. keeps those three they can still have a successful "EXO," a la Girls' Generation-TTS. Strip away the instrumentals and other members and what you're left with is excellent stuff from these guys. The bridge is also really good and transitions into the dance break / rap rather well, something that EXO has historically been strong with, as "Wolf" and "Overdose" bridges were also highlights.
Chanyeol was already one of the best rappers from S.M. and this is a good rap to prove that. Tao is sort of in the same realm, but Chanyeol's voice is far more suited to rapping than Tao's. Unfortunately, the inclusion of extras (Xiumin, Sehun) hurt the rap in my opinion. Not that the short jumps in weren't appreciated (since they had so few lines otherwise), but the cringeworthy English is terrible and should never be used again. "Never don't mind about a thing"? Sounds like normal English, but isn't. Stop. You ruined Chanyeol and Tao's solid rapping.
To say I'm pleased with "Call Me Baby" is an understatement. The vocals are superb, rapping on point, choreography smooth. The camera transitions are so routine for this group I almost can't be upset about them, and a variety of structure in both the singing and dancing makes the song all the more enjoyable. If S.M. could manage their groups like they do their music it'd be an entirely different story.
