After debuting in late 2021, Xdinary Heroes made their presence known within the world of Kpop. Expectations were high as JYP Entertainment began promoting the 2nd band to ever debut under the label.
While the group's debut single Happy Death Day caught the attention of fans all over the world, listeners were quickly caught in limbo as they waited 6 months for a follow up release. Xdinary Heroes had their first comback, a mini album titled Hello World, in July of 2022.
Fans, recently giving the fandom name Villains, were more than excited when it was announced that group would be promoting with new music only 4 months after their last release.
Xdinary Heroes' newest mini album Overload was released on November 11th.
The first track of the album is (Sleep Talking) Zzz...
Admittedly, this song is weird. On the surface, this song makes little to no sense. However, that is exactly what the song was intended to do.
A lot of the lyrics seem like nonsense, but it is a perfect representation of the kind of thoughts people usually have when they're awake in the middle of the night. Once you've stayed awake too long, it's easy to reach a state similar to delirium.
After getting to this point, there's really no telling what you'll say or do. Within this delirious state, the lyrics change. The members begin to question who they are and if the world is changing around them. They don't sleep, but they don't want to wake up. They need connection.
All of the members have reached adulthood, and they are all part of Gen Z. Is this their way of expressing what it's like to become an adult? Beginning to see the world through the eyes of an adult is most definitely an exhausting experience.
The lyrics also talk about being "online" and falling deep into a connection. Maybe those lyrics specifically should be taken at surface level. Our generation turns to media as a safe space. The lyrics may suggest that the members would rather stay in the fictional, comfortable, world of media than have to deal with the chaos in our current world.
Whatever the intended meaning of the lyrics, the song itself is absolutely fantastic.
The rhythm of the track is extremely engaging, and it's hard to get tired of listening to this song. Setting the bar high for the rest of the album, Zzz... earns a 9/10.
The album's title track Hair Cut is very reminiscent of their debut song, while still making a name for itself. While the reoccurrence of the line, "Get a hair cut" may seem childish or amateur, it is anything but.
With hair actually being a metaphor for depression or negative thinking, the song relates to what it is like when someone is trying to overcome their struggles with poor mental health.
The black curtain blinding my eyes, turns the world all black / My world is full of bad things / Why doesn't my heart move as I want? / I can't see. It's driving me crazy / I gotta find a way out now / I don't want to be crazy any longer / With my scissors, snip, cut away the darkness / Get a haircut
Though the general sound of the track is gritty, it is actually a very motivational song. Having an original sound sets Xdinary Heroes apart, but continuing to release songs that mean something to their listeners will drive them to success.
For the metaphor, catchiness, and overall ability to make listeners feel like a rockstar, Hair Cut is a 10/10.
Right from the beginning, the third track, Lunatic, is different than the two songs listeners have heard on the album so far.
This song has heavy electric guitar, and it completely changes the listening experience. Where other songs almost lean towards a metal genre, the melodious guitar projects the track to the rock genre.
In a world that never seems to run out of negative news, sometimes the most optimistic people are thought of to be a little crazy. Lunatic asks why anyone would want to focus on darkness when there's still life to be lived.
I believe in you. We can still change the world.
Smiling in a world of negativity might make you a lunatic, but maybe the world needs a few more mad men. Everything about this track is cohesive and powerful. Lunatic earns another 10/10 for this mini album.
Crack in the mirror is the fourth track on the album. Similar to the themes of the previous tracks, this song focuses on self reflection and frustration.
Growing up comes with various hardships. You fall in and out of love. You gain and lose friendships. You work hard to achieve dreams knowing that the work may or may not pay off. Experiencing all of this while figuring out who you are is hard.
In Crack in the mirror, there comes a day when you don't really recognize the person you see when you look at your reflection. While you see traces of who you used to be, the person you've become is not who you want to be.
The hard hitting percussion in this track perfectly matches the mood of the lyrics. Everything about the aesthetic of this track begs for a live performance. A live version of this song would elevate the energy level exponentially.
As it stands, Crack in the mirror gets an 8/10 rating. While the song is very good, it doesn't reach the same heights as the other songs on the album,
The fifth track of the release is Ghost.
This track is another song that relies heavily on the percussion lines. While the track is still enjoyable, the melody of the electric guitar is noticeably absent.
The lyrics express what it's like to be haunted by the things people have said to you. Even in good times, the memories of negative emotions can ruin a good situation. The members themselves even open the song with the lyrics stating the sound of the track is:
a mixture of resentment and anguish
If Ghost had appeared in a different order on the album, it would probably be much more memorable. However, it has too many similarities to the album's previous track Crack in the mirror.
Since the songs are consecutive on the album, it's impossible not to compare the two. Going even further, the previous song is actually more enjoyable. It's not that Ghost is a bad song. It's placement on the album just does it a great disservice. Because of this, Ghost earns a 7.5/10 rating.
The mini album's last official track, X-MAS, started off really strong. As usual, the group showed off their musical talents and fantastic vocals.
However, the rhythm breaks throughout the song became slightly distracting. In fact, they almost made the song a little boring. Having these breaks can make or break a song, and they became a little redundant in the this track.
In addition to the song already being lack luster in comparison to the rest of the mini album, the outro isn't really appropriate for an album that began with such a powerful sound.
Realistically, X-MAS seems like an attempt to give the group a Christmas single. Similarly, the group's label-mates, Stray Kids, released a holiday single in 2021 title Christmas EveL. In this case, including X-MAS as a part of Overload feels extremely out of place.
Maybe higher ups decided it wouldn't be successful enough as a single, so they decided to add it to the end of this release. It feels completely unrelated to the other tracks. Because of this, it only earns a 7/10.
While most of the album was really enjoyable, I do feel as though guitarist Jun Han stole the show.
This is apparent in the album's last inclusion, Hair Cut Inst. Additionally, his skills noticeably elevated the other tracks on the mini album.
Although he is usually quiet and reserved, Jun Han's talents really shined throughout Overload. His skills acted as a cornerstone for this entire release. It is no doubt that his abilities helped this release reach an overall 8.6/10 rating.
The majority of this release was extremely impressive. It will be very exciting to see how the messages behind the music continue to influence fans as Xdinary Heroes grow their fanbase and platform.
There is a bright future ahead for Xdinary Heroes.
What do you think? Did your favorite track get the rating you think it deserved? Let us know in the comments?
Comments