EXO is back with their sixth full album ‘OBSESSION’. This release is different from the others. Two of the members (D.O. and Xiumin) enlisted earlier this year. Lay didn’t take part in this comeback. So this is their first album promoting with only six members (Kai, Sehun, Baekhyun, Chen, Suho, Chanyeol).
This release was a great surprise for me. I feel like it has a song for every musical taste. You can find up-beat pop tracks with heavy electronic beats and on the other spectrum you have soft ballads. It is an awesome mix and I absolutely loved it.
‘OBSESSION’
‘OBSESSION’ starts this album off and it is also the title track. From the beginning it leaves a strong impression with the synthetic vocals, and it just gets better as it flows along. This song was the perfect choice for the title track. What a bop! Check out the music video here. They also released the Chinese version of ‘OBSESSION’. That’s the last track on the album.
The second track is ‘Trouble’. It starts with strong vocals from EXO’s vocal line. The song builds up and it becomes a track that mixes hip-hop with EDM. The harmonization in the hook of the song and Baekhyun and Chen’s high notes are life.
‘Jekyll’ is up next on ‘OBSESSION’, and the hook of this song is like nothing I have heard before. It’s absolutely incredible. ‘Jekyll’ goes hard! And it also blesses us with stunning vocals. This track is a rollercoaster! The mixing was totally unexpected and mind-blowing. It’s a masterpiece.
In a complete change of mood, ‘Groove’ follows ‘Jekyll’ with a way softer concept than the previous ones. It’s a fun track to listen to, and the Lo-Fi tunes behind the vocals are refreshing and calming especially because the first three tracks are super intense.
‘Ya Ya Ya’ is fifth in this release, and this song has a 90s R&B vibe to it that I loved, the female vocals gave this song a special touch and gave me flashbacks from my childhood. The rap line did an amazing job delivering the feel of the song and it is definitely one of my favorite tracks in this release.
‘Baby You Are’ is next with a more up-beat pop style. This song felt like a summer release with more electronic tunes. I really want to read the translated lyrics of this one.
‘Non Stop’ feels like a first or second gen release. It’s got an old school vibe that I liked, and that trumpet inclusion in the track was a great surprise to my ear. I’m a total sucker for brass instruments. For me, it’s a verified bop.
The eighth track of this release ‘Day After Day’ feels like a winter song. It is a soft ballad with great vocals and flow, and throughout the song the same feeling is kept even with the inclusion of the rap. They’re doing quite a few interesting things with the rhythm so pay attention to that.
Last on the list we have ‘Butterfly Effect’ and this song closes this album with an up-beat pop style perfect for dancing. It is the perfect closure for this release and it lets you appreciate the vocal talent of EXO. It is like the cherry on top. I totally loved it.
What an amazing comeback. I’m sure that many of these songs will be replayed to bits. I can’t wait to see the live performances because they’re going to be amazing and intense.
You can check out the full album here:
