Xdinary Heroes Heighten Their Rockstar Appeal with Their First Full Album Troubleshooting
Since their debut in 2021, Xdinary Heroes have excelled in the K-Rock scene, with each new release heightening their rockstar appeal and exquisite sounds. After a debut single release, four mini-albums, and one Webtoon soundtrack, the sextet idol band has now released their first-ever full album, Troubleshooting, consisting of 10 new songs that add to the band’s phenomenal discography. Released on April 30, each song captures the essence of different rock sub-genres such as classic rock, noughties rock, pop-rock, and more. The release brings the past to the present, with the entire album emitting nostalgic rock music overtones.
“No Matter” opens Troubleshooting as an intense, high-energized track that enhances itself with each listen. On first impressions, “No Matter” sounds good but the more you listen to it, the greater “No Matter” becomes with its memorable chorus and intricate instrumentation, especially those guitar riffs. Usually, it is his drum skills that attract attention in the band’s songs, but for “No Matter,” Xdinary Heroes’s drummer (and leader) Gunil lends his vocals for the song’s bridge. It casts a standout moment with his distinctive and recognizable voice, despite it not often appearing on an Xdinary Heroes song.
“Little Things (어리고 부끄럽고 바보 같은)” follows “No Matter,” being the second song on the album and the title track. “Little Things (어리고 부끄럽고 바보 같은)” delivers the first of the nostalgic, noughties rock vibes with the track playing like an emo-rock-pop-punk anthem like the ones a lot of us grew up with. The song isn't quite as catchy as Xdinary Heroes's previous title tracks have been on the initial listen, but this does change as the chorus becomes more and more memorable with each play.
While Xdinary Heroes's previous title tracks deliver high energy and fun, “Little Things (어리고 부끄럽고 바보 같은)” offers a new and, perhaps, more mature sound that feels less playful and more expressive with its sound and vocal delivery. It is a song that I can imagine sending chills down spines and giving goosebumps to arms when performed live at an Xdinary Heroes concert, with Villains (Xdinary Heroes’s fandom) joining in on a climatic chorus.
Like the song, the music video for “Little Things (어리고 부끄럽고 바보 같은)” radiates nostalgia, reminiscing noughties rock music videos that would play on the likes of MTV Rocks, Kerrang! TV, Scuzz, and other rock music TV channels around the world. Bassist and main vocalist Jooyeon opens the music video, taking center stage with his vocals and visuals, being the main focus with a solo shot. The video then cuts to the band playing their instruments underground (beneath a floor grate) dressed in all-black attire that emanates an emo, grunge aesthetic, with a mix of visual effects, intricate camera angles, and sharp cuts fused in.
The music video visuals correspond with the lyrics, with the members shown in places of darkness and underground, hiding away from the outside. They sing lines such as “Do you remember? / Young, ashamed, and foolish you / Lost and just fallen…,” “Covering up with so-called hope / And avoiding it with obvious lies…,” and “...You only have to know that you’re not alone.” But, towards the end of the track, the members escape from these dark places by coming out from below the ground to face their demons, and perform outside with rain falling upon them. Here they embrace themselves, changing the first line of the chorus to “Yeah, I remember / Young, ashamed, and foolish me…” and later singing, “No matter where you go / No matter how it goes / I’ll never let you go....” It’s an empowering track delivered through a thrilling anthemic nature that shows a new and exciting side to Xdinary Heroes and their music.
The remaining tracks on the album each enter a different rock style, showcasing more of Xdinary Heroes's musical talents. The third and fourth tracks, “UNDEFINED” and “Paint It,” respectively carry British rock sounds, with “Paint It” having a sound that I can imagine being popular with British fans and excelling at a UK musical festival.
The fifth track, “Money On My Mind,” then dives into a classic rock style with the high-pitch tones of the backing vocals when singing “Come on” in the chorus, as well as Junhan’s incredible guitar skills throughout (specifically during his guitar solo at the 2:10 mark).
Like tracks three and four, the sixth track “꿈을 꾸는 소녀 (Dreaming Girl)” also delivers British undertones, with certain sections of the melody and instrumentation reminiscent of the songs of British rock band, The Darkness. While the song has a slightly upbeat, ballad-rock sound, the lyrics of “꿈을 꾸는 소녀 (Dreaming Girl)” are emotional and tear-inducing, particularly for those lost in life who need to hear guidance from a loved one. The lyrics are written from the perspective of a lost daughter and the words of her mother who is comforting her with love and hope. Some of the lyrics read: “Mom, I really mean to do well / But nothing is happening for me / This place that I’ve arrived to truly follow my dreams / Is too cold, but I’ll try to persist” and “I believe you’ll overcome everything / A dreaming girl who is too beautiful to be faded / Wipe your tears and rest easy / Have a sweet dream for tonight.” Beautiful words for a beautiful song.
It’s not an Xdinary Heroes album without a beautiful ballad to draw on our emotions. And while “꿈을 꾸는 소녀 (Dreaming Girl)” does fall into the emotional category with its lyrics, it is the melody and the vocals in the album's seventh track, "until the end of time," that make us feel a bigger wave of emotions. In this track, Jooyeon and Jungsu deliver a breathtakingly beautiful, powerful, and emotional vocal performance that pulls on the listener's heartstrings when sung against the rock-ballad backtrack.
After a moment of emotional uncertainty and sadness driven by the ballads, Xdinary Heroes brings back the uplifting energy with a cheerful delivery of "Walking to the Moon," the eighth track on the album. This is then followed by track nine and my favorite track on Troubleshooting, "MONEYBALL."
“MONEYBALL” screams Xdinary Heroes with the song following a musical formula that is distinctively Xdinary Heroes: the hard-hitting and energetic composition, the repetitive chorus lines, the impeccable instrument playing, the exhilarating rap and singing vocals… the list goes on. A part of me wishes that "MONEYBALL” was the title track for Troubleshooting because of how well it fits with every other title track that came before this album. But simultaneously, I’m happy that Xdinary Heroes chose to show a different side of themselves and their music by choosing “Little Things (어리고 부끄럽고 바보 같은)” instead of "MONEYBALL." This leaves the headbanging "MONEYBALL" to be a B-side favorite for Villains instead.
Xdinary Heroes then bring Troubleshooting to an end with the sweet, melodic tenth track “Night of Fireworks.” I’m only a casual listener of DAY6 but there’s something about “Night of Fireworks” that makes me think of DAY6 and their music, eagerly making me want a collaboration between the two bands.“Night of Fireworks" is a great song to close the album with, with its warm melody and the members' soothing vocals bringing the album to a beautiful end—although us Villains never want an Xdinary Heroes album to end!
Through Troubleshooting, Xdinary Heroes have further cemented their place within Korea’s rock and pop-punk scene, delivering a strong musical presence in every song that they release. Having followed Xdinary Heroes since their debut with “Happy Death Day,” and witnessed their performances live, I’m excited to see where these boys are heading in their career as they continue to show the world who Xdinary Heroes are. With Troubleshooting, Xdinary Heroes have brought together past and present music allowing listeners to find new and different sounds through the band's charm and talents. Although great on first impressions, Troubleshooting is one of those albums that you appreciate and love the more times that you listen to it. With this, I can’t wait to hear what Xdinary Heroes do next as they are destined for great things in the Korean and Worldwide music scenes.
Edited by Lacey Diluvio