i admit i messed up.
I was in denial. i liked ioi a bit too much, and i thought she would've been good in another group like ioi.
had somi been in itzy i probably still wouldn't have stanned itzy (i dont like the music)
and i even said at some point that she didn't suit being a soloist.
post birthday era, somi has gained confidence slowly and steadily, and now she's really doing great. XOXO (the album) is really the embodiment of what i look for in kpop, and the fact that she wrote for or produced for 7 out of 8 of her songs really shows that she loves what she's putting out. she truly is delivering bop after bop.
honestly somi's current style (a young and bouncy blackpink style, very colorful and vibrant and almost messy and childish) is just so pretty. esp as a blackpink stan, her songs are produced by the same bunch of producers, but still retain somi's distinct style. i love it so much.
i think yg is the only company that balances kpopness to popness. every song is just pop enough to appeal to an international audience, and and just kpop enough to fit korean tastes. i think this comes from how many foreign-koreans are part of everything (teddy, somi, jennie, rose) and how most of the production speak english. on top of that the hiphop influences also suits somi, even though her songs dont get too much of that.
anyways here is my review of each song of xoxo:
- dumb dumb (old song, gave it 7/10 then, grew on me so 7.5)
- XOXO:
the first time i like the title track the most in an album. the boppest boppest bop i've heard all year. It's a classic pop song that has nostalgic parts but doesnt feel dated. The lyrics are nice, the vibes are emaculate. I skated like 3 hours today with the song on loop. Pop perfection. Only thing is that the previous mvs have been more aesthetic. a cinematic mv wasn't bad either. looks like another tiktok hit from the little clips of the choreo.
-> 10/10, will stream till the next somi comeback, love it, favorite somi song ever - Don't let me go feat giriboy:
Sounds like a bside in square up or kill this love. IF YOU LIKE REALLY BY BP, YOU'LL LOVE IT. has the giriboy rap, very nice. very chill. however, becaus ethe other songs are so good, it's my least favorite new song on xoxo. very nice, still.
-> 8.5/10, will stream on my playlist with really and kick it. very bop. - Anymore:
My second favorite song on the album after xoxo (tied with outta my head). a full english song but somi is fluent so it's not hard to listen to. Makes the album so coherent. it's like the perfect accompaniment to xoxo. i love it so much. it's my second favorite song this year (after xoxo) and im a fecking bp stan.
-> 10/10 perfection, perfection, perfection. would've made a good title track if xoxo didn't exist but thank god xoxo does. - Watermelon:
XYLOPHONE SOUNDS. I LOVE IT. I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS SO MUCH. AND IT WAS SO GOOD. I LOVE IT. CHILL AND VIBES LIKE THE REST OF THE ALBUM. A BOP. WILL STREAM. I LOVE THE CHORUS SO MUCH. SOMI IS A GENIUS. TO THINK SHE WROTE AND PRODUCED THIS BOP? but then again, the whole album was written and produced by her.
-> 9.5/10 VIBESSSSSSSSSSSS. IF YOU'RE A TXT FAN YOU'LL LOVE THIS ONE. IT HAS GHOSTING VIBES (without the drums + blur so it does sound a little less fairy like, but the vibes are still there.) - Birthday. (old song, my least favorite somi track. gave it 6 when it was first released, grew on me to a 7/10)
- wywf (old song, gave it 6.5 during release but it's a real grower, at 7.5/10 rn)
- outta my head (old song, my favorite pre xoxo somi song. perfection, those whistle sounds omg i melt. very somi. my second favorite somi song now (after xoxo) 10/10)
total: 70/80 or 87.5%
basically a god tier album.
probably my favorite album that isn't from blackpink or aimer or shaun. MADE series tier bop. on the same level as the while you were sleeping ost and bts world minus the instrumentals and that shitty juice wrld track.
