Sorry to be such a lol but really. It came out a few days ago and the song is great and the mv is all wacky and stuff and honestly its not super pretty like their other mvs, but they were trying a new style and I think they achieve a good final product. 

BUT I KNOW WHY THIS IS CALLED THE WAR.

CAUSE I GOT PTSD AT THE FACT LAY WAS GONE. 

Really though, my heart hurts this comeback because china line was deadass the reason I ever got into kpop and exo-m was my first bias group. So to see an exo comeback where china line has been fully eradicated is quite honestly my nightmare.

I know I'm dramatic but you know I love and appreciate the korean members, but I don't follow their stuff cause honestly I don't stan them that much. But china line I have been keeping up w so much and yixing solos are my life and so I just ugh. And Luhan was my first ever ultimate bias, and yifan was a close second. And then I learned kris already left the gorup a month before I even found them. And then 3 months later luhan left and I was stuck with jackson from got7 -.- (who, by the way....is having a solo chinese album????? slay me mandarin king j-flawless wangkong oh good lord) and then I was like exo-m is disappearing, maybe I could stan tao or lay? tao seems kinda fun.....AND THEN HIS PENCIL THIN WUSHU ROLLED HIS ANKLE AND WENT TO DISNEYLAND. 

And especially that one scene where the eight of them sat on the bleachers in two rows of four UGH IT REMINDS ME OF THE ONE CHINESE INTERVIEW/VARIETY SHOW WHERE OT12 SAT IN THREE ROWS OF FOUR  and its just like sm and the directors of the mv are ing with us at this point. 

I'm expecting another comeback from exo before the year is over simply because they always have double comebacks in the summer. Since snsd is having their 10 year, if exo does have a comeback I don't think it'll be until September at the earliest, but thats just me. But hopefully if they do have another comeback, they won't continue this new heartbreaking trend of being unable to include yixing T-T

I'm sure they were supposed to really comeback in june like usual but that got screwed bc of china and their petty beef w south korea. Because the fact poor red velvet cameback like just more than a week before exo is something sm would not usually pull bc you know, a company wants to give their groups space between comeback that way they can promote each one properly. So it was obvious Exo was kinda scrambling to figure out what to do this comeback in terms of dates and releasing and filming things. I feel for ot8 tho. They start as a strong big group and now are down to 2/3 (really 3/4 but 2/3 rn cause poor yixing is stuck/busy ;_;)

The actual album I haven't listened to bc...honestly its just because usually exo album tracks the past few comebacks have been really slow and just kinda bleh to me. So, I'm going to pull up the album on spotify and give a track by track first impression lol. I don't have premium so the tracks will play in a random order...but it doesn't really matter I don't think. 

Ko Ko Bop : Of course this would play first. But yeah, I like how they tried a new reggae style and how they fit it with their storyline they have in their mvs by saying its like the chill downtime before the envitable war breaks out. So they are just straight teasing a heavy track coming soon. I really love the "chorus" that is just like the sound of a powerdrill while they all go into a dance break haha. And all the raps. And the pop sound. And baeks voice. And the harmonizing. Yes, oh oh ooh ohoho jongdae, give me the vocals. Yes sehun, break it down now. Yes powerdrill. Yes kai repeat what sehun said. Yes fairy from zelda, tell me to listen. oh ohh ooooh ohohohohho going kokobop. Shimme shimme. 

Forever : Trumpets and jongdae starting with complementing me. Baekhyun and then chanyeol rap. Okay. I like the weird noise in the background. No matter where you are. You can be my only star, you can be my moonlight *insert random korean* forever~. Lets make it forever, ever. Ohh that sarang jongdae note he hit during that sarang oh yes boiiiiiiiiii. I don't listen to many korean vocalists so dont kill me for saying this, but jongdae is my favorite korean singer straight up. I love his voice, its great. Baekhyun says dont break his soul okay I wont okay~ Omg chanyeol raps and navi comebacks back for a random background noise? lol okay. Sehun raps and you can hear his lisp lol poor thing. Its okay bc you can hear jisoo of blackpink's lisp when she sings, so its like a cool thing now haha. Forever ever ever *fade to black*. okay cool and chill. 

Diamond : dramatic intro. Oh that funky beat~ Oh its building up while they sing. Chanyeol and sehun with the rap and the woop. Blow up. Were crazy crazy, we do it daily daily lol okay chen. Idk. So far these 2 albums tracks are just like exo style western music. It's fine but like.....chill and I don't care for chill really. I like music that is very extra and loud but not enough to make my ears bleed but is enough to give other people a headache, yet not me. Wait did he say ridin ridin girl you're like a rhino? Boiiiii.....this is why I don't mess with exo album tracks lol. Shine on shine shine on, blow up blow up blow up, random "y" vocals from random members. Shinin shinin just like a diamond. Ew that creepy chant at the end I don't like that part. Yet at least. Idk if I'll really listen to this album but maybe I will if there is another banger like cloud 9 ohhhhhhhhhhh gurl that song is my . But yeah, this song is just...a basic album track to me. Eh. 

Walk on Memories : A chill and pretty intro. It reminds me of the beautiful tracks like el dorado and stuff from that one album that call me baby was on. And then they come in with soft and soulful vocals. This kinda sounds like a christmas song? Do it do it do it do it do it. More baekhyun. Now chanyeol singing? He cute. Xiumin line. And then harmony. Sorry but honestly Is till kinda at telling kyungsoo and baekhyun voices apart. Like when d.o. sings I"m like "Baek has a nother line?" but then baek actually sings and im like "lol woops that was kyungsoo my bad". ugh that just reminded me of how I used to mistake sehun for luhan doing exo showtime like "why does luhan look so mad and like a disappointed dad?" then it would actually cut to luhan and Id be like "woops dat was the other one haha" Ugh. But yeah, this song is pretty and almost sounds like a Christmas song? So it will have good winter vibes for sure~

The Eve : OH WHATS THE SITUATION?? Oh sensual from the second. Oh sounds like a heartbeat dropping in the background. Yes sing to me lads~ And then the beat drops. This is like the epitomy of exo. Like if someone was like "what kind of style does exo have?" you play this song and they immediately understand. I think this song is fine. I'm listening w headphones but I can tell that this is for sure a song to play on speakers. It prob sounds awesome filling the air of a big room. But yeah. Good song. Not really remarkable in my opinion though sozz. 

What U Do? : I like the beginning. Then its just like another exo song. Oh, it kinda sounds like a cbx song once it hits the chorus. The like, 80s effect when they say what you do is cool. Honestly I just realized I think I forgot what Suho's voice sounds like lol. I don't pay attention to exos voices for some reason when I listen to their music so right now I'm like listening to them and I'm like "who tf is that?" But after a second I figure it out. But yeah, this song is just repeating the same few sounds over and over and its like party/dance 80s inspired and its fine. Its not bad but honestly 100% the song i'd skip cause it snot my usual style. I'm just realizing that exo has matured musically and so I honestly just think their post o12 music is fine but not really stuff I bop to. BUT THEIR FIRST ALBUM? Yooo. 365? Black Pearl? Let Out the Beast? all those songs were cringe but fantastic. That one song with key from shinee rapping on it saying something is gonna be awesome? iconic. Really though, this song title reminds me of lay's solo debut what U need. Like the same first word and the same capital U as the second word ;_; maybe it was intentional as a tribute to him? thats what I'd like to think. 

Going Crazy : I'm listening to the chinese version now bc I got bored haha. Really though, all these songs start off good and then just fall into being another exo song and like 1 min in I'm like...I get it...is this it? I guess exo has found a formula they like and they just input new sounds and lyrics into it and thats how they make songs now. Idk. This song is fine but again, I'd skip it. Their new style is like dance/party/edm and its just like..kinda basic radio style but kpop style. Ehhh. Okay up and down like a rollercoaster rap w a build up...and then just another I hate you. .....cool. I feel like maybe at this point they have help on their title track and them sm really lets the members make the album tracks bc the newer album tracks like from these past few comebacks, all really have a similar feel. And its good for exo's brand by keeping it consistent I guess? But to me its just kinda boring, esp since I don't really care for this style :/

Touch it :  oh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit kai startinggggggg? Slay me boi. Also, in the kokobop mv, kai was my fav. He looked fiiiiine. Okay, I like this song a lot. It's kinda slow in the middle though so im worried...oh no it got slower. But it picked up again. Okay, I thiink exo's problem w album tracks is hey let vocall ine have 456245 ballads and chill songs. Which are not my style. But, the ballads/balladish songs are prob good to other fans, so its not all bad. But yeah, FINALLY hearing kai sing a good bit is so refreshing. Vocal line is cool, but let the other ones breathe gosh. And it keeps being bright and has suggestive lyrics and they are like "touch it touch it" a bunch. Cool. I like how the beat wasn't a similar slow tempo ~sensual~ or edm type deal, it was actually a bright and fun beat. Cool. 

Chill ; This intro, its so mechanic yo lets goooooo oh. Kyungsoo is really trying different vocal techinques this time around, I support him. Go my little penguin, sing/rap/talk ur heart out. Aww they have like a chant kinda like motto vibe, idk how to explain but they all say a line at the same time and its sounds like they are a team and it made me happy. I miss when you could hear their individual voices and not just them all hitting the same note at once. Yeah, I think this is my favorite track on the album, besides kokobop of course. 

All in all, this comeback was fine. Its weird to see exo have a bright/chill concept since usually they are always so intense and powerful and rah im a wolf im a wolf and I love you, you know lol. The album had a lot of slow songs or like chill songs which arent my style so I didn't care for them. But their were a few upbeat songs that I liked.

Honestly though....I'm kinda falling out with exo. Each album is like less and less enjoyable to me. The actual music, not the hype feeling, because of course I still get hyped, but each year I'm like finding less and less tracks on the album that I like and can listen to alone. But the actual mv and title tracks/singles, are getting better and better I think. So yeah, I think exo is a topical kinda of group for me now sadly. Just because their music style is moving in a direction/genre that I don't really care about. So I'm happy for them, but idk if I'll bother with listening to album tracks anymore. Just the mvs and single make me happy, so I think I'm fine^^

But yo, yixing is having another solo comeback soon a least, and his voice is precious so even when does slow songs I enjoy them. So....I'm v excited for that. He would be my bias if it weren't for the fact he works so hard he passes out. That always scares me and makes me hesitant to look him up and see whats he up to bc im scared i'll just see sad/scary stuff like that. But yixing is a fun and cool guy and I hope he's doing well and not stressing too much. And ot8 is fine. I hope it can be ot9 for the next comeback, but even if for some unfortunate reason its not....I guess I'll still listen to it lol. 

Just so this blog doesn't end on such a bittersweet note, let me tell you how much I LOVED a new album that recently came out : Kwon Ji Yong by GDragon. That entire album SLAYED me. Freakin gaesoori (yes I am too lazy to switch to korean keyboard to type hangul...dont judge me lol)"bull" is like one of my favorite songs ever now. And even the intro and middle and end little bits that arent really songs but still songs, even those are amazing!!! So yeah, I loved that album and it makes me happy. If you like loud hype music/"rap/hiphop", then check out gdragon's newest album, it's great :D