Kpop Review: EXO-SC's "1 Billion Views"

EXO's lovable subunit, EXO SC, is back with a fun new track - as well as music videos for a b-side and a solo song for each member! While they had a total of four releases for this comeback, for this review I will be focusing on their main single, "1 Billion Views."

The Song:

I love EXO SC...maybe even more than EXO as a whole (don't hate me!!). They are just so different from EXO and bring a completely different flavor to their music. Their releases tend to be more chill and funky, rather than the powerful and hard hitting music the their main group produces. While I love EXO as a group, I think I just prefer EXO SC's style a little more.

I also love that the subunit allows Chanyeol to both rap and sing - showing the full range of his talents. He has such a sweet, soft voice that is versatile enough to do any type of genre the subunit chooses. I think he's a really underrated vocalist and I always appreciate being able to hear him sing!

I never really carae for Sehun's raps in EXO's songs, but I think it adds a lot to SC's music. His rap style is strong, but not overpowering to the general laidback vibe that EXO SC's music has. While in EXO songs I feel like Sehun's parts are often overshadowed, his part in this song fit perfectly and his rap was able to be showcased more.

I had never heard of the artist Moon before, who featured on this track, but I thought she was amazing in it! Her voice matched the vibe of the song perfectly and blended with Chanyeol and Sehun's voices well. I hope we get to see more of her in the future as a solo artist.

Favorite Song from 1 Billion Views: "Say It"

This is a song that's the perfect example of why I love EXO SC's music. I don't think it is a style that you would ever hear from EXO's main group. It's bass-heavy and has a summer vibe - it's a song that I could easily imagine hearing on American radio during the summer. I also like the added layer Penomeco's feature gave to this song. Chanyeol's voice sounds particularly smooth here and both of their voices mix well with Penomeco's.

The Music Video:

The visuals of this video are really pretty - and I don't just mean the boys! It was luxe while still being carefree and fun. I liked all the different effects used; as if the video was being viewed on a phone screen with all different kinds of notifications, messages, and filters popping up. This can sometimes be a difficult concept to execute because you don't want all the effects to take away from the artists, the choreography, or the overall song - but I think it was done quite well here. It made for a unique video that's very different from their previous releases.

As for the choreography, it is clear they were going for the viral dance choreography that is so popular now - simplistic and easy to replicate. Frankly, I'll be ready for this trend to die out. There's nothing wrong with simple choreography and I love the idea of fans being able to participate with their favorite artists in a viral challenge, but it's just not as interesting for me personally to watch. Especially knowing that artists like EXO SC are capable of much more complicated choreography, it just feels like they're holding back.

Overall, I really enjoyed this comeback. I never expected to love EXO SC as much as I do when they first debuted, but they're definitely one of my favorite kpop subunits currently. I know they'll have many more amazing comebacks in the future!