so ive has come out with their newest comeback after completely setting the bar with their last album and the (pre- i think?) release attitude. their newest comeback is called "xoxz" off the mini album "secret" and i wanted to share my thoughts on it. here ill be talking about each track itself as well as discussing how i feel about it and rating it out of 5. DSCLAIMERS: my opinion is my opinion, not fact. im not saying other people should hold the same opinions as me, and i welcome differing opinions than mine. furthermore, i am not a music reviewer or musician. i know next to nothing technical about music, i just know what tickles my brain in the way i like, which is entirely what this review is based on. if i describe something weird its because im just talking about what i feel, i dont know enough about like music theory or anything to really have an opinion on it.

[title] xoxz

xoxz is a very punchy track, definitely not as sweet sounding as last time. the beat hits you from the very beginning and keeps the momentum going. the chorus is incredibly catchy, its been stuck in my head since it came out. the chorus is also either entirely or mostly in english, but the english doesnt sound as clunky as it does on some kpop tracks (not a diss since i know theyre not all fluent eng speakers lol, just an observation). theres just a level of cuntiness to the way they say "gimme the max gimme the top gimme the good en-er-gy" like it just scratches something in my brain. with all this in mind, it still doesnt top attitude for me. it doesnt have the same sound at all which isnt an issue but for me attitude just had a bit more umph on the first listen than xoxz, but who knows it might grow on me more. for that reason i give xoxz from secret 4 out of 5 stars.

wild bird

a pop-y sweet track, starting out with the lines "'she's a wild wild wild wild bird'/that's right, they call me that/oh, i/take a step into the city/i was totally oblivious/of who I really was". the chorus song has a hopeful tone of being free and being true to yourself. its a touching song, but definitely more encore song material for me. i like it but i think i'll have to give it a 3.75 out of 5 just because its not super memorable, at least to me.

dear my feelings

another sweet poppy track, i love the sound of the chorus. it gives me the feeling of like a nice day in the spring, very fresh and the chorus just feels very flowy if that makes sense. it starts out with "i love my own feelings", and goes into themes of embracing your emotions like a friend, saying "don’t be shy, come over here/let me hold you in my arms from now on, thank you". i love this sentiment and honestly the meaning of the song really boosts the score for this song just because the song content is something that means so much to me and is something i really think i need to hear more often. ive having me singing "i love my own feelings" is sooo cute :,). for this reason i rate the song a 4.5 out of 5.

gotcha (baddest eros)

this song was partially written by sophie powers, an indie pop artist who has previously featured on an illit song. in my opinion, you can definitely tell she had a hand in this. its a much darker track than everything else on the album, even xoxz which is darker than the other more pop centered track. theres also some moments of the girls doing like a breathy talking voice during some of the lines like in the chorus which you can tell is another sophie powers touch. overall, i love the song and the contrast it adds to the album. some may say it doesnt fit in the album, but i say who cares tbh. probably gonna give this one another 4 out of 5

♡beats (삐 빅)

this song is probably my fav on the album. you know when you hear a song and your face just twists up all nasty (pos) at the beat? that was me first listen like okayyyy ive like the "youre the best at feeling[...]" part hits every single time i hear it omfg. the whispery bridge is also a moment, definitely giving kara honey to me in that sense (and no other senses lol). i love the kara honey whisper bridge and i love it here too. honestly i think this one is probably a 4.75 or even.. dare i say... a 5 out of 5 for me.

midnight kiss

this song is cute and catchy but it also feels encore-y to me. the vocals on it are phenomenal and sound so heavenly, but personally this song just isnt memorable enough to make it into any of my playlists. i give it a 3 out of 5 as of right now, maybe it will grow on me

anyway that was my album review i hope this was at least partially interesting to you, or maybe even helped you articulate your own thoughts on the album. anyway stan ive.