XDINARY HEROES Troubleshooting Album Review
Added 2024-05-06 16:26:32 +0000 UTCERM.
It's fine. I STILL LOVE THEM OK?! LOOL
I discuss this in detail in the reaction but this album just feels very SAFE which is a shame because their previous mini was SO impressive. I would LOVE for them to explore different chorus structures and not lean on the usual formula that's common in this genre of music.
They most definitely have it in them cos look at HOW they reimagined love me right like COME ON!!
But yes at least there's one song I liked a lot which adds to my point of them showing more of their vulnerable sides also.
Comments
I love watching your reactions cause it reminds me of my sister who likes slower, more ballad type of music while I happen to enjoy more upbeat and fast songs. Little Things and Money on My Mind are my favourites from this album even though for me this is yet another no-skip album. As a rock/punk/edgy girl, this album is my favorite and then Livelock 2nd.
Yuri Yuri
2024-06-18 00:08:05 +0000 UTCfor me XD are interesting. As JYP's second band, they will get some comparison to DAY6 so they have to kind of forge a different sound for them, something a bit more edgier makes sense. That and it seems to be the taste of the members who would have grown up on different bands and such. Overall I appreciate the concept and music even if it's not really geared for me. I feel as though, they're made for emo rock/ emo ballad songs but prefer to do the more pop punk songs. So I've kind of resigned myself to that reality, but enjoy the moments where they slow down, like 'Until The End Of Time'. Especially as it highlights their vocal abilities.
Natasha Chileshe-Waters
2024-05-26 19:52:19 +0000 UTCyeah i think i really confused it with his ytb reaction to freakin' bad/good enough/dear H., but thank you <3
Shana
2024-05-20 19:50:12 +0000 UTCDeadlock album is the one he hasn’t listened to yet. He’s heard Good Enough and Dear H. though but not the rest from that album. You must be thinking of his Livelock reaction!
Jaydeekatt
2024-05-19 20:44:55 +0000 UTCSorry for this late reply!! Turned out I still had a few more sick days ahead of me 😫 But thank you for checking out that song! Never made the Beatles connection until now but that’s so true. Also O.de was asked a couple days back what kind of music he’d like them to release in the future and he said a vocal-focused album full of ballads with no heavy intense songs lol so y’all are on similar wavelengths!! 😄 Have a great Friday/ weekend! :)
Jaydeekatt
2024-05-16 15:18:15 +0000 UTCoh yeah probably, thank you !!
Shana
2024-05-14 22:53:18 +0000 UTCOoo thanks and erm I think I posted most of the songs on YouTube as normal in my first discovery video!
Koko3op
2024-05-14 21:48:52 +0000 UTCi agree with you on a lot of things about this album, although i really enjoyed it (and i WILL stream it a lot) it does feel a bit more safe than what they usually do, i wasn't surprised by most of it (i kinda miss their "weirder" songs), but i DO understand why they could've done that (it being their first full album, they probably want it to be more of an introduction to the group for people who don't know them before they dive into their entire discography) as others said, you really should react to ther last immortal songs performance it's PHENOMENAL also, there's a relatively old video where they do kind of a little acoustic medley (https://youtu.be/VAaSIzs2eLE?si=TmgfYaCllt805nX2) i think you could be interested in watching it (even without posting a reaction video), it's just 9 minutes long and is literally just them individually one after the other singing parts of songs by the way, i can't find your reaction to their Deadlock album on your patreon, i could've swore you posted it before is it normal ? i might be wrong though (i really like rewatching your first listens that's why i was searching for it)
Shana
2024-05-14 20:40:16 +0000 UTCHahahahah okay my reply won't be super long but firstly there's nothing wrong about mentioning other artists in a comment when there's context to the reaction you're commenting on! The DAY6 song reminds me of The Beatles and I totally see what you mean, there's a lot of soul to it too and I would love for them to do something like this. Also I forgot about the JYP approval process, I do think that's definitely taking away A LOT of potential in these songs which is a shame. I appreciate your comment a lot!! I'll always look forward to them.
Koko3op
2024-05-10 09:01:21 +0000 UTCThanks so much! Yes, I’m already feeling much better :) 💙
Jaydeekatt
2024-05-10 03:05:22 +0000 UTC2/2 I personally really love their more avant-garde, almost whimsical stuff that makes me think of early Panic! at the Disco, which is why the Overload album with songs like Ghost & Zzz…, and others like Come into my Head and Man in the Box (both from Deadlock album which you haven’t checked out yet), are some of my faves. The feedback you had about their chorus structure was spot on and made me think of Knock Down and the way they came in with falsetto which is one of the reasons I love that song. The JYP song approval process being another beast on its own. In one of the supplementary content for this album, Hyeongjun (JunHan - lead guitarist) talked about having to do up to 20 re-writes for the title track before it got approved. Knowing the other songs he’s written like Pirates and Dear H., I feel like there there was likely a good amount of softness & vulnerability that they were forced to strip away in favour of a more marketable sound. Still I’m relieved we didn’t end up with another Freaking Bad lol 💀 I remember saying to someone that I had a feeling this album would be “less eccentric and more formulaic/ down-to-earth” and it turned out to be true. lol JYP needs to remember that they put an ‘X’ in this groups name— let my edgy boys be edgy!! 😭 But it makes sense based on where they are in their concept / storyline which is that they met in this cyber-reality called the FlatForm and all previous albums have been set in that virtual world but at the end of the last album, they were kicked out due to a glitch and are now stuck in the real world which is why they are “Troubleshooting”. So I definitely expected a safer, more down to earth approach this time. Not sure if they stay in this lane from now on or go back at some point but I really do think it’s intentional because they discussed a song or two being ready even before their last comeback but they wanted to save it for this part of their storyline. They also went super minimal with the MV and blew their budget on an 11 minute mood film so I guess this part of the story has some significance to it LOL. I do enjoy the nostalgia but I also like to hear something new and tbh I think they gave me both here bc those last 2 tracks certainly felt new for them. I’d love to see them flexing their vocals and harmonies with some Symphonic Metal like Evanescence or something. This was a fun watch! Thanks for taking the time 💕 You gave me a lot to think about and had me pausing to have entire debates with myself multiple times 🤣 As always, sorry but not that sorry for the novel 😅💗🙃 no but srsly I’ll never write a comment this long again in my life lol
Jaydeekatt
2024-05-10 02:56:29 +0000 UTCThis was a lot of fun! Okay I’m with you on a couple of things and have a different pov on a few others. I’m splitting my thoughts up starting with what I think they nailed in this one. Then I’ll reply with what I was missing from their past work and some possible reasons why they went this way. I agree that this album feels a little safer/ predictable and really leans into the nostalgia factor. From a business pov, nostalgia is a money-maker and I’ve already seen it reeling in new fans right before my eyes which I love for them! 😍 Although they didn’t experiment that much, I think with each track they showcased their mastery of the formulas typical to the genre. This ended up making the album pretty diverse in terms of the rock subgenres they explored; from 80s Synth Rock on No Matter to 00s Pop Punk /Emo with ‘Little Things’. Paint It is totally indie britpop a la The Smiths, Franz Ferdinand & Arctic Monkeys. Dreaming Girl & Walking to The Moon are in the same vein of Alternative Rock as Weezer’s Blue album, they also explored Nu Metal with Moneyball and then stepping out to Drum-n-Bass with Night of Fireworks at the end there was definitely the most unexpected one for me. So as a whole, folks who are into rock as a genre have embraced the diversity of this album especially because they managed to capture the essence of certain eras without it feeling gimmicky like kids playing dress up. lol idk how to better express that 😅 but I think the devil was in the details because at the end of the day rock is just rock but the minute tweaks are what separate the sub-genres, so i can tell these babies worked their butts off writing and composing for this album. The behind the scenes also shows recording sessions for their instruments which is pretty neat to see! I didn’t love that we had such few opportunities for the main vocalists to shine but then again this really is a band and I’d say this is their most balanced project so far in terms of line distribution and also giving the instruments more spotlight. I loved hearing more from the guitarist & drummer! And Gaon’s cute little “nya!”moment in Moneyball which was apparently unintentional but the producer liked it🤣 O.de– my boy! He was my MVP for this album, ate up each time 😍 One of the reasons I had sent the instrumental sampler to you was because I think they really had to level up their skills in order to execute these different rock sub-genres so well, and I think some of it ends up a bit obscured by the vocal melodies in the finished songs. Overall there’s a certain “bigness” to the instrumentation this time, lol. Like they definitely used the fact that they have 6 different instruments/ positions to a fuller extent than in the past. My heart broke a little on “Until the end of time” though because there was one last refrain from jooyeon, so you technically didn’t finish the song 🥲 but I’m sure you’ve gotten the chance to hear it by now. I think it’s a lovely and meaningful ballad but their previous ballads like Dear H., Good Enough and Paranoid just felt more impactful to me melodically. Permit me to break a rule here by mentioning another group, and pls give me extra grace on top of that because it’s Day6 🤣 but they have this song called ‘Cover’ and so many of the things you mentioned made me think specifically of the bridge of that song. The way they slide into a different key, everything gets stripped back so it’s just the vocals and the drums, they put a spotlight on the member with the most interesting tone and vocal texture, they play with the dynamics, and sustain exactly the right notes to let you feel the desperation behind what he’s singing– this song is a masterclass on how to create an impactful rock ballad. I’m really dying to see something like that from XDH and the closest they’ve come is probably Dear H. I think thematically, Dreaming girl had the potential to take us there if it was a bit slower like you said, because the message is super vulnerable and the chords on that song are actually gorgeous, the tempo just keeps it a bit on the forceful side. 1/2
Jaydeekatt
2024-05-10 02:53:31 +0000 UTCAww noooo, hope you feel better and your weekend is better! Yes I'll be looking forward to it! Please write it as a new comment so I don't miss it!@
Koko3op
2024-05-10 00:48:18 +0000 UTCI’ve been sick and had such a crazy week 😭but glad I can finally sit down to watch this now! I’ll write you my usual novel afterwards 😆
Jaydeekatt
2024-05-10 00:07:24 +0000 UTCIn what context? I'm inclined to enjoy anything that showcases harmonies
Koko3op
2024-05-07 15:22:11 +0000 UTCvery random question, but how do you feel about acapella tracks?
𓆩♡𓆪
2024-05-07 09:38:56 +0000 UTCYeah, I can see a laundry list of things you would not enjoy about Jrock besides that: rough vocal technique, sharp/shrill sounds, weird notes, etc... On the other hand, you seem to like Dreamcatcher music, and they are quite Jrock-coded, so who knows? It is where I personally go to when I am looking to get my fix for good musicians/band, rawer vocals and performing without choreo. And they do provide context on why K-bands sound the way they do
Mint
2024-05-07 09:34:32 +0000 UTCYeah, this album is about them finally escaping where they escaped from in Break the Brake. So, they are unsure and vulnerable more than usual.
Candice Blair
2024-05-07 02:15:49 +0000 UTCHaha it’s such a good song! Yes I definitely will react to more of their variety content.
Koko3op
2024-05-07 00:27:42 +0000 UTCYeahh it probably makes sense in the long run. I’ll definitely check that out
Koko3op
2024-05-07 00:27:10 +0000 UTCThank you!
Koko3op
2024-05-07 00:26:39 +0000 UTCI swear I knew when I first listened to this album that you'd like until the end of time, and it's also my favourite!! I actually like the title track, but i definitely expected more from their first full album, so it's a little disappointing. I think their previous stuff just felt more unique and more like them? which I guess makes sense with the thought of this feeling "safe". I think their talent makes up for it, and I also NEED to see jungsu/jooyeon on mujin service. 😭 I'd love to see you watch more of their variety shows/content 🤗
Kiwi_puppym
2024-05-06 23:52:10 +0000 UTCI think they were trying to balance getting public recognition this time. I think you will also like the bts of them recording the song. I forgot which song it was, but Jooyeon directed the vocals.
Candice Blair
2024-05-06 23:05:09 +0000 UTCThis is my favorite album from them! I love your xh reactions because of how much you like the vocals but don’t like the songs and different opinions are fun. I’m new to your reactions so I still can’t guess what you will like. I agree on wanting more cymbals. I’m excited for your immortal songs reaction.!
Linz
2024-05-06 22:06:22 +0000 UTCOooo yeah Patreon DMs are the way to go
Koko3op
2024-05-06 20:38:54 +0000 UTCOmg no wayyy I’ll watch !
Koko3op
2024-05-06 20:38:35 +0000 UTCthe weekly idol episode that XH did for this comeback was actually so funny
Elizabeth Seravello
2024-05-06 20:26:31 +0000 UTCalso by dm i meant insta specifically, sorry if that wasn't clear!
🦊
2024-05-06 20:26:31 +0000 UTCIt's already on my list!
Koko3op
2024-05-06 20:16:02 +0000 UTCbtw they did an immortal song performance a bit ago and it was amazing, i highly recommend you check it out! also do you still check your dms for recs? or should we just comment on patreon/youtube in order for you to see them?
🦊
2024-05-06 20:04:24 +0000 UTCi absolutely loved this album but it kind of made sense because aside from kpop this style of rock is my favourite! btw they made another performance on immortal songs which was really good, if your interested!
Eleanor Carys
2024-05-06 19:47:33 +0000 UTCHaha this comment is just fine! Ermm I have a feeling I wouldn't like the chord progressions of Japanese rock though unless I'm wrong? :(
Koko3op
2024-05-06 19:28:59 +0000 UTCSorry, I realize this could be violating your rule of having unrelated comments. So, feel free to just ignore this if it crosses the line. But with all this K-band music you are checking out, you seem to be creeping closer towards their closest influences, Japanese rock. I know you listen to a lot of music besides what you react to. Have you ever had a phase of listening to Japanese rock? Because the K-bands are more closely attuned to that compared to American/British rock. Ultimately, of course, everyone is influenced by American/British rock but in terms of the timing of trends & sounds, they move more closely with Japan
Mint
2024-05-06 17:11:52 +0000 UTC
