At this moment in time, EXO will be the only group that I will write reviews of the Japanese releases for. This is for one reason, and one reason alone: I love EXO. They are my number one bias group that i would push any other group out of the way for (yes I actually pondered that) and if I saw Chanyeol, I’m not sure how I would react, but there would potentially be tears and explanations would be needed as to why I broke my cool, calm demeanor, as I’m as cool as it gets.
EXO CBX has been dropping teasers for their Japanese release, Magic, for weeks. It is finally out. I listened to it this morning while driving, running, and while getting ready. So let’s get into it:
- CBX: The opening track starts out with an electronic funk beat. This is actually a really good song for practicing your catwalk. I feel like Rupaul would approve of it. Like this is me when I listen to this song:
Stomp it out. This song is also a really good indicator about how the rest of the album goes as well, as since they are marketing themselves to a different audience, they definitely curtained their sound to what Japanese audiences would enjoy. There are a lot more repeats in the songs as well as a lot more uptempo songs than are typically on Korean albums. This song did make it into my playlist, as it is really catchy, and fun. - Ka-ching: This song was actually released last year, and I remember seeing the music video for the first time, and being very confused. I thought they had actually somehow flattened out the backup dancers. I then realized that no, no that is not a thing, they used face paint. Massive face-palming. After I heard this song, I immediately tried to track a copy of whatever album it came off of down. Of course, because it is a Japanese release, it was impossible to find until, well, today. I have it now though! I actually really enjoy this song, although at the very beginning you think the cash register sound will be followed by the beginning of Lotto. Things I love about this track: The catchy beat, the use of the horns throughout the track, Xiumin’s ASMR, and the harmonies in general. I won’t comment on the lyrics, as my Japanese is horrendous (I have a textbook, and am ready to fix that though!) This song also made it into the playlist.
- Horololo: When this song was released a few weeks ago, I died. I absolutely love this song. It has a slightly sexy feel to it. They drag similar horns from the previous track into this one. The main thing that I like about this track is how the instrumentation progresses. It starts out simple, and gets more complex as the song goes on. Yet again, the track has a lot of repeats in it, especially in the chorus. This is definitely yet again, more of a dance track. Love it. It’s in my playlist.
- Girl Problems: The guitar in the beginning of this track…. love it. I love how the track breaks into a full out funk too with a great guitar section and baseline. They also add subtle trumpets to the instrumentation in the chorus, which I really love. I think it really gives the track a little bit more of a big band flair than I am used to seeing from EXO or EXO-CBX. Their harmonies are also very tight through the track. Yet again, they’ve got another really catchy track on here that really makes you want to get up and dance.
- Shake: This song feels like it is straight out of the early 2000’s with the piano intro and strings intro. It is so retro that it is amazing. Like it sounds like something I would have heard from an American boy band like N*Sync or Backstreet Boys. Don’t hate this track but I don’t love it. For this track, it is just my personal preference that it isn’t my favorite, as it isn’t something that I would want to have pop up when I’m listening to more than just this album. In the context of the album, the track fits VERY well though.
- Off The Wall: This track opens in a style that sounds like it would fit as a part of Blooming Days. I love how many uptempo tracks this album has, but at the exact same time, I feel like there haven’t been enough tempo variations in the album thus far. There are just too many dance tracks for my liking on the album, and the EXO members have a lot more to show with their vocal flavor than just dance tracks. This may have been done intentionally as the EXO members aren’t known for their Japanese language skills, and uptempo tracks are typically easier to pull of in a language that you don’t speak well than ballads (this is something I know from experience). Basically, it is less obvious that you don’t speak the language when you move through the syllables more quickly than when you elongate them. Side note: I just double checked with my Japanese friends, and SM releases under Avex in Japan, and they typically do more dance releases.
- Ringa-Ring-Ring: Another dance track. I actually really do not like this track very much. I don’t like the mixing of it, as I feel like the instrumentation overpowers the vocals at a number of points in the track. I also am not a fan of the instrumentation very much on this track either. I don’t like that high pitched electronic sound they used, as I find it overpowering. One thing I did like about this track is the bridge when they dropped most of that instrumentation and you can really focus on the members themselves.
- Gentleman: Yay! New tempo! Finally! This track also sounds really 2000’s boy band-y in the styling of the instrumentation. This time it reminds me of Boyz II Men. They did update it a bit though with a little bit of a trap beat to pull the verses into the chorus. I love the harmonies on this track, but I’ve loved the harmonies on this whole album.
- Watch Out: This track I really like. I love the guitar on it, the stomping sound they add to accent the beat. The stripped back drums until the chorus. Also, Chen’s vocals on this song are amazing, and I can just picture him in front of an old fashioned microphone with a band behind him, backing him up. I also love that Chen has a solo track. I could honestly listen to him sing all day. He’s probably one of the best singers I’ve ever heard, as he has an impressive range and a lot of power that goes into his voice. Side Note: When the beat drops in this track… yeeeessss.
- Cry: Yay! A ballad! This is where the vocalists of EXO excel. They all have such strong clear voices, Baekhyun especially. Ballads are his specialty as he really excels at controlling his voice and using dynamics to get emotion across when he is singing. Xiumin is decent at ballads. He doesn’t get the same feel to them that Baekhyun gets when he sings them. I also prefer Baekhyun to Chen on a ballad. Chen has an amazing and powerful voice, but he doesn’t get the emotion into it that Baekhyun is able to get, and that’s just because they have different tones to their voices. Still like the track though.
- In This World: This song totally reminds me of the kind of song you would hear as the last song of a musical, when all of the strife of all of the characters has been resolved, and they just want to ramp the audience up for the bows. Harmonies, yet again, are on point, but the song just doesn’t seem to fit the full album. I can hear Japanese audiences enjoying this track though. I like the guitar and the piano, but it doesn’t seem to fit the rest of the album, which is why I am assuming it was placed at the end, because it wouldn’t fit elsewhere.
K-Points: 367/5
I love EXO, and I love the vocalists, but as a whole, this whole album, the flow of it, and the variety, just don’t work for me. I do like a number of songs on their own though, just not the full album together. There’s too much dance music, too many uptempo songs, and all of the songs that have meaty vocal substance are at the end. I did have a friend pick me up a copy of this album from Japan for me, so I’m excited to see what it looks like. Japanese releases, in general, do not have as intense of packaging as Korean releases though, mainly due to different music standards.
Should you listen to this album? Totally. Should you try and track down a copy from Japan? It’s challenging, but do-able. I’d only do it if you are a massive EXO fan.
My favorite tracks on this album: CBX, Horololo, and Watch Out. Which ones did you like, K-Nuggets? Let me know in the comments!
사랑합니다!
–Rachel
