EXO’s Baekhyun Brings the Summer Heat with “City Lights” EP
Weeks of anticipation couldn’t have prepared anyone for EXO’s Baekhyun’s high-production solo debut. City Lights features six silky smooth tracks that are impressive for both the quality of production highlighted by Baekhyun’s honey-glazed vocals. Veering away from Chen’s ballad-filled debut and Lay’s high-energy discography—as well as Xiumin and D.O.’s sentimental pre-military singles—Baekhyun clearly distinguishes his sound from his fellow EXO members.
“UN Village” and its music video are the sleek face of the entire EP. Around Hannam-dong—a luxurious neighborhood of Seoul north of the Han River—we follow Baekhyun to the UN Village hill. The video flirts with a monochromatic aesthetic with pops of red and green. In alignment with the lyrics, Baekhyun leads us to our destination in the solitary hours of the night, as if it’s just him and the viewer. His voice drips over the chill beat, matched by the minimalistic approach of the music video. It’s hard not to be swooned by the luxurious setting coupled with Baekhyun’s flirtatious charm. “UN Village” doesn’t overpower the rest of City Lights, but serves as an intimate introduction to the singer’s alt-R&B project.
From “UN Village,” City Lights dives right into “Stay Up” featuring rapper Beenzino. Resident SM Entertainment producer Adrian McKinnon teamed up with superstar force ChaCha Malone to create this steamy track. The lyrics speak for themselves: “No sleep tonight / we makin’ love / until the sun shines down on us” (lyric credit). It’s hard to refuse this tantalizing invitation when Baekhyun so easily slides into his falsetto. Beenzino comes in with his deep husky voice and rhythmic flow that perfectly complements the song’s dark tone. The mood lightens up with “Betcha,” assisted by the up-tempo producers Kenzie (basically all of SM Entertainment’s biggest hits) and The Stereotypes (Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, Red Velvet). City Lights’s third track brings about the more danceable side of R&B. “Betcha” will have you ready to throw it back wherever you are. Baekhyun is determined to “getcha,” and the fresh, bouncy beat makes it easier for the listener to fall for his persistent efforts.
In stark contrast comes “Ice Queen,” the most notable instrumental from the teaser videos; fans may notice its similarity to GOT7 JB’s solo track “Sunrise” off the Present: YOU album. Both songs are individually strong R&B tracks; however, “Ice Queen” builds on the instrumental with a pounding rolling beat that explodes into the chorus and muffled vocal effects. The secretive ice to his curious fire, Baekhyun describes the intensely sensual moment when the two elements meet. “Ice Queen” is perfect to blast in the car and feel the bass rumbling throughout.
Unlike EXO’s powerful “Diamond” off The War album, Baekhyun’s “Diamond” brings the album back to its fun, flirtatious side. With production assistance from Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins (Michael Jackson, Destiny’s Child, Mariah Carey), and lyrics by offonoff’s Colde, the fifth track exudes the sexy confidence that is found throughout the EP. His ad-libs on top of the last chorus are particularly sparkly; he makes it sound so easy. “Diamond” leans more towards the chill mainstream R&B, making it an appealing track for a wider audience.
“Psycho” contrasts all of that as the epic conclusion to the EP. Fans who have attended an EXO concert are familiar with the bonus track used for Baekhyun’s solo performance. Singer-songwriter Megan Lee lent her skills to the production, which is territory for fans of songs like “Crazy” by Jonghyun or basically any of TAEMIN’s singles. Like the soundtrack to a thriller, Baekhyun battles his inner personalities, who seem to have taken over. His dangerous attraction to the girl leads to him giving her conflicting instructions to stay away but his powerful high note leads us to come closer. His solo is one to check out if you haven’t already.
It’s hard to argue with the EP’s well-rounded structure. Six tracks is enough to feed fans but leave them wanting more. And with Sehun and Chanyeol’s more peppy-looking unit debut just around the corner, Baekhyun’s first release showcases the more mature side of the group’s members. The quality of the album and the high-demand from fans leads us to believe this won’t be the last we’ll hear from him. Clearly, the B in R&B stands for Baekhyun.