A “Freakin’ Bad, Freakin’ Good” Comeback for Xdinary Heroes
In an exciting world where heroes and villains get along with one another, Villains around the world have been treated to more content from their favorite heroes, Xdinary Heroes, who made their return on April 26 with their third mini-album, Deadlock.
Deadlock seems to take on an edgier approach than the band’s previous mini-albums, Hello, World! and Overload, diving into an ‘80s-inspired hard rock and heavy metal nuance mixed with the nu-metal and rap-rock vibes that swept the rock scene in the late ‘90s and ‘00s. Opening track “Come into my head” delivers these notions by providing a sound and vocal articulation that is reminiscent to the likes of Limp Bizkit but also the high-pitched vocals and vibrant instrumentals of Guns ‘n’ Roses, setting the album up for a series of musical surprises.
Title track “Freakin’ Bad” follows “Come into my head” with what seems to be a signature concept for Xdinary Heroes’ title tracks: energetic compositions, impeccable instrumental sections, and catchy, repetitive chorus lines. Each and every member of Xdinary Heroes is an incredible musician and instrumentalist, but it’s the finesse of guitarist Jun Han and keyboardist Jungsu that stand out, with a highlighted section around the 1:40 mark of Jun Han’s impressive guitar solo and a focus of Jungsu’s intricate keyboard skills, closing the song.
Our heroes are villains in the music video for “Freakin’ Bad,” as the members take on criminal personas with the word “Bad?” written above them in the opening scene. Individual shots show each member interacting in police circumstances — standing against a height chart wall having their mugshots taken, conversing in a police custody location, being arrested, and playing their instruments while being driven in a police van (that they later break out from) — while the lyrics talk about them being being bad, singing, “pretend to be good but born to be bad,” “hidden inside me, freakish devil,” and, “getting louder with me, the devil’s voice.”* Although an explicit-free song, Xdinary Heroes disguise profanity through a clever word play of, “if you seek it, why owe you,” bringing Britney Spears’ 2008 single “If U Seek Amy” to mind. Say the words out loud fast enough and you’ll hear exactly what Xdinary Heroes really wanted to say!
Third track “Bicycle” returns to the nu-metal genre presented by opening track “Come into my head.” The instrumentation screams nu-metal with the combination of deep guitar tones, guitar squeals, and fast drum beats. Without knowing “Bicycle” was released in 2023, one could believe “Bicycle” to be a track from the late 90’s, early 2000s nu-metal era hearing the instrumentation alone, especially when merged with the rap vocals layered on top. Unlike “Freakin’ Bad,” “Bicycle” enables keyboardist O.de to drop a curse word into his verse, much to the enjoyment and amusement of Villains who have been dying for JYP Entertainment to allow their artists to swear. “checkmate” moves Deadlock into a slower, downbeat rock-pop vibe with a composition that is simpler and repetitive, allowing the members’ vocals to shine through a bit more than the previous tracks. Like “Freakin’ Bad,’ “checkmate” treats us to another flawless guitar solo that, along with the other instruments used by the members, makes me so appreciative of Xdinary Heroes’ talents and distinctiveness within the K-Pop industry.
Following “checkmate,” Deadlock enters the first of its two ballad movements with the exceptional B-side “Good enough.” Beautifully co-written by the band’s leader and drummer Gunil, along with DAY6’s bassist and vocalist Young K, “Good enough” depicts a poem Gunil wrote about a one-sided love he experienced during his student days. Sung entirely in English, the members deliver a strong and emotionally raw vocal presence, capturing the true heartfelt emotions of the song’s lyrics. The combination of vocals and the tense, melancholic instrumentation are enough to manipulate your emotions, making you feel a sense of sadness before even reading the message of the lyrics.
The second of Deadlock’s ballads is the closing song “Dear H.,” a stunning piece that was written by Jun Han. In “Dear H.,” the members flaunt breathtaking vocals, especially Jooyeon and Jungsu with their powerhouse notes in each chorus. Jun Han’s guitar solo at the 2:10 mark feels nostalgic, transporting the song into an ‘80s rock ballad moment. Although he has less lines in the ballads compared to when he raps in the band’s more upbeat tracks, rapper and guitarist Gaon’s vocals in both of these tracks are so soft and mellow, I wish we could hear more of his singing voice. But wedged between these two ballad is “Man in the Box,” a track that takes the album down a mysterious rock-pop-rap path. An interesting (and confusing) tracklist placement, “Man in the Box” reflects a similar tone to the songs from the band’s debut album Hello, World! with its haunting instrumentation and scream sound effects that deliver a sound that would be great to play around Halloween time!
From Hello, World! to Overload to now Deadlock, each release that Xdinary Heroes puts out leaves an impressionable mark on the consumer that listens to it, leaving them with a craving for more from this extremely talented six piece. Their songs offer excitement and chaos, but also strength and vulnerability, with Xdinary Heroes never afraid to step outside of the box with their original and unique sounds. So, enter this exciting world where heroes and villains unite and support Xdinary Heroes on their “Freakin’ Bad” journey of becoming the next big K-Rock band.
*lyrics from the “Freakin’ Bad” music video’s subtitles
Edited by Deshalia Murray