EXO B-Sides
A powerhouse in the K-Pop world, EXO have earned that title after eight strong years in the game. With music released in Korean, Mandarin, and Japanese, these boys have shown over the years that there’s not much they can’t do. That’s why this week for B-Sides, we’ll be talking about a few of the incredible tracks they’ve released in the last few years.
“Can’t Bring Me Down”
Off of the Lotto album, the repackaged version of EX’ACT, this song is all about standing tall and not letting what people say bring you down. In Chanyeol’s rap just before the first verse, he says, “There’s an evil hiding in the mask of good. There is a giant rock, a sum of destruction piled together like sacrifice. Let’s destroy it all today. You will never ever bring me down,” giving listener’s the feeling that together they can conquer anything they set their minds to. Throughout the song, multiple members get the chance to sing, “You can’t bring me down,” which hammers in the sentiment that they won’t let anything bring them down and neither should we.
“The Eve (前夜)”
One of the most popular B-sides by EXO, if not their most popular song overall, “The Eve (前夜)” was released first on The War before being included on the repackage THE POWER OF MUSIC. In a similar vein as “Can’t Bring Me Down,” this track is about breaking out and being your own person, not listening to the lies or the status quo. With incredibly iconic choreography that’s been covered by members of SF9, ATEEZ, and more, “The Eve (前夜)” will always stand out in EXO’s discography as a truly special track. The only thing that could make this track even more powerful would be if Lay was included, but his hiatus from the group was announced just a month before the album’s release.
“Damage”
DON’T MESS UP MY TEMPO’s “Damage” is about something we all hope we never experience in our lives—infidelity. Performed over an upbeat tempo, the members sing about how the girl has continuously lied to them about what she’s been doing, with Baekhyun singing, “A lie birthed by another lie. How much of it was actually you?” before Kai sings, “I keep just sighing, the scene in front of grows blurry,” giving the beautiful imagery of having a veil pulled over their faces as she continues on going behind their backs. Also included on the repackage LOVE SHOT, this is an excellent track to turn to if you should ever be cheated on and need a reminder that it wasn’t your fault (though we at The Kraze hope this never happens to anybody reading this).
“Baby You Are”
Off of Obsession, the first album released after members D.O and Xiumin enlisted, this track is all about love at first sight and telling somebody that they are the one meant for you. Everything about the moment of first contact seems perfect - from the girl’s perfume to her hair - and they spend the track trying to convince the girl that they’re the one. The six remaining members perform the chorus together, singing, “Baby you are. The only one I’ve been looking for is you. Yeah you are. All day long, you think I’m going crazy. Baby you are.” The final raps at the end of the track reiterate the message, with Sehun saying, “Falling for no reason is a lie. I can tell you all night, look at my eyes,” while Chanyeol adds, “It’s strange to me, something new, I feel like everything is changing,” showing that love at first sight doesn’t happen every day and this is a risk both parties should be willing to take.