Back with another album review, This time it's one of their most interesting releases till date.
It's EXODUS/LOVE ME RIGHT.
1. LOVE ME RIGHT
Strong start. Perfection. Never loses energy, instead builds it up till it breaks down into claps and chants. That rhythm guitar is killing me. It's so satisfying.
The only downside I would say is the beginning never seemed strong. But other than that, It's really catchy.
Rating :- 8.75/10
2. Tender Love
Intro is attractive to ears. Other than that, Not much is there in the song. Very low energy, chill, I love the rhythm guitar in the 2nd part of chorus. Funky.
Drags for me a lot. Works in concert, I won't actively seek this out any day.
Rating :- 6/10
3. Call Me Baby
Do I need to say more? It's the ultimate KPOP song. One of the great ones in the whole industry.
Rating :- 9.75/10
4. Transformer
Aggressive but at the same time, not that aggressive too. It's one of the things about EXO that I like, it's not completely ruthless but its not very soft too.
The warped synth carries the whole song. Chorus is average, it's not good but not that bad either. Chanyeol, Sehun and Ka injects a lot of personality and I like that. Pre-chorus is magical.
Nice track.
Rating :- 8.5/10
5. What If
A complete change. 90's slow R&B vibe that we all love.
There's something so ethereal about this song. I can't pin point it.
The production is very pristine. The harmonies in the chorus are so beautiful. The phrasing by Kyungsoo/Baekhyun helps this song a lot to find its own unique place in the album.
Last 1:30 minute of the song elevates the song to next level. Nice high notes.
Rating :- 9/10
6. MY ANSWER
A gorgeous ballad. Seriously, No one makes ballads as good as EXO and I have heard plenty of ballads in KPOP. They are catchy, emotional and so pleasing to listen to.
Vocals are top notch.
Fun fact :- It's pre-quel to What If if you look at the lyrics.
Rating :- 8.75/10
7. EXODUS
Something about this song is very addictive. Like, there is "DARK" playful energy to it. You will get what I am saying when you listen to it.
Bright synths with deep bass. Weird and unique combination. This is sinister brother of "XOXO", You can't change my mind.
Rating :- 8.25/10
8. El Dorado
One of the most legendary B-side in KPOP. Lot of people outside the fandom know this song and rightfully so.
Everything is good. Like, proper. Except for Pre-chorus, it just doesn't work for me. Chorus is nice and loud.
Climax of the song is highlight for me.
Good rapping by Chanyeol.
Rating :- 8.75/10
9. Playboy
Composed by none other than KPOP's Poet/Artist, Jonghyun.
This song screams Jonghyun. I am getting strong "Moon" vibes.
Harmonies in this song are crazy. Like, next level crazy. The guitar use is remarkable.
I love the sensual vibe it exudes.
Thank you Jonghyun for this masterpiece.
Rating :- 9/10
10. First Love
Average track. Not bad, not good.
A bit too long. Rapping is so-so. Vocals are pretty.
Rating :- 6/10
11. Hurt
My personal favorite B-side from any KPOP group in the world.
Classic Waltz intro. Intro is like haunting carnival experience.
Very heavy percussion. This song is haunting. The synth going crazy in the chorus is the highlight of the song. It's very unique and I didn't expect that when I first listened to it.
Melody is so good. "You Hurt Me", good job by the producers.
Rating :- 10/10
12. Lady Luck
Chest Bass beatbox intro (sounds like Chanyeol was trying some new stuff out) . As someone who can beatbox, I am so glad it was added.
The rest of the song is nice. Gives me "Positions" vibe with how the guitar is used throughout the song. Occasional female voice is not a good addition IMO.
Rating :- 8.25/10
13. Beautiful
Very cheesy song. Yes, Very cheesy.
It's one of the few songs you don't skip but you don't seek out.
Beautiful song but very empty at the same time too.
Rating :- 7.75/10
14. Promise (EXO 2014)
A special song for the fans. Written and produced by members. Expressing gratitude for all the support.
Emotional. Moving and very well made song. I think there is no EXO-L who dislikes this song, it's THAT SPECIAL.
Shout out to Chanyeol for delivering such an emotional rapping. It's rare to see such emotion by a rapper and it works so well. Good job.
Rating :- 10/10
Conclusion :- A damn good album. It was the standard for all the albums for EXO. Every EXO album needs to be as good as EXODUS/LMR to be considered a good EXO album.
A couple of filler tracks but rest of the album is pretty fantastic.
Final rating :- 84.82%
What do you think? What are your favorite songs?
