K-pop royalty EXO return to rule our hearts with their much-awaited eighth full-length album REVERXE, delivering a new chapter that unravels with a fresh creative lens.
Led by power-packed dance track “Crown,” with thrums of EDM synths, heavy metal guitars, Atlanta trap drum and their signature dramatic vocal lines, EXO signal their true place as the kings of K-pop right off the bat.
The track accompanied by metaphor-laden visuals that spans their subtle nods to their rich sonic journey so far.
From “Crown,” the nine-track collection picks up with a sense of frenzied but welcome urgency as they go from the polished boldness of “Back It Up” with its experimental sonics to the Brazilian funk- electronic pop stylings of “Crazy, ” before circling back into an elegant restrain on the smoky house track “Suffocate.”
Each track draws a distinct musical portrait whether that be the moonlit romance of cinematic offering “Moonlight Shadows,” or the enticing desire bubbling beneath the funky basslines and thick guitars of R&B-tinged “Back Pocket.”
As much as they’ve matured in their musicality, EXO’s standard charm stays euphorically untouched as seen on tracks like “Touch & Go,” or “Flatline,” before they infuse a touch of tenderness with heartfelt closer ” I’m Home,” which truly rings with the welcome return of a group that has shaped the future of the genre since their beginning.
Their first release in over two-and-a-half years, on REVERXE, the veteran group slot right back into the ever-evolving K-pop scene like they never left. Still immersive and grandoise but now rooted in a strong sense of identity and confidence, EXO marry familiarity with experimentation as they invite us into a vast universe with much more to be discovered.
REVERXE is a play on the word “reverse” – a perfect encapsulation of a new era as the band turns inwards to propel themselves out into a world that beckons them with warmth and anticipation.
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