With "Don't Fight The Feeling" EXO returns where it left and continues its interstellar saga

Review of "Don't Fight The Feeling-Special Album" by Exo

Review by Maria Eduarda Ribeiro Cavalcanti

After 2 years and some months, EXO finally returns with members Xiumin and D.O, who both have recently come back from the army, and without members Chen and Suho. Besides the 2 members, the comeback gives welcome to Lay, who used to be on hiatus since 2016.

Unfortunately, the song also marks the departure of Chanyeol and Baekhyun, who, you guessed, are also enlisting in the army.

Lay, who recently came back to EXO

The new special album comes with some surprises: besides Lay's comeback, we also have Chanyeol and Kai as vocals and more focus on Sehun on the b-sides track.

Sehun and Kai, who looks unfairly good with orange hair

" Don't Fight The Feeling" was produced by Kenzie, who, at this point, it's more essential to SM than Lee Soo-Man, director of the company. The song seems to be directly from the 2018 album " The Power of Music" released in 2018 by EXO. If that's good or bad, it's up to you to decide it, but it's visible that it the group's intention to create a sound reminiscent of Power, almost in some kind of sequel. Fortunate they managed to masterfully do that.

The title track, it's a pop-groovy song, one of EXO's specialty, and it's the perfect soundtrack to go the gym or simply to lift the mood. The lyrics reflect the feeling of diving into a new adventure and constantly trying, having the courage to reinvent yourself.

D.O and Chanyeol who owned this era

Concerning the rest of the album, as always, the b-sides are way superior. The second track " Paradise" it's a song with cheerful and soft tones, a very traditional K-pop b-side, and shows the romantic side of EXO, but with a more mature twist.

"No Matter" it's another track with a more upbeat style, and it conveys a fun message with flirty tones. It's a b-side that only EXO could rock, any other group, the song would easily go unnoticed.

" Runaway" it's, hands down, the best track in the album, besides being the most different, which highlights is in contrast to the others, the lyrics send a message about negative feeling that sometimes may fell upon us. It's a plea of escapism, of literally, wanting to run away from these feelings. It's a sincere song that can comfort the listener.

Baekhyun and Xiumin, looking adorable as always

The last song, as expected, it's a soft ballad. Filled with light guitar sounds "Just As Usual". It's a song that talks about longing and abstinence, the feeling of waiting for someone. It's a song special when considered the situation of the group: 3 members coming back while 2 are going away. It's a nice song, but mostly go unseen when compared to the others.

In the end, the only flaw in the album, it's the horrendous artwork of the album. While we pray for EXO's design team to level up, all we can do it's enjoy the new album.