Veteran K-pop boy band EXO released its eighth full-length album “REVERXE” on Friday, Jan. 19, marking the ensemble’s return to the public eye as a unit after all members completed South Korea’s mandatory conscription requirement. EXO, known for fiery and energetic tracks like “LOTTO” and “CALL ME BABY,” was placed under the spotlight in 2025 after members Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin engaged in contractual disputes with the group’s management agency SM Entertainment. As a result, the trio was excluded from comeback promotions, and “REVERXE” was released with six active members — Sehun, Lay, Kai, D.O., Suho and Chanyeol.
“REVERXE” sounds like a classic, EXO-style hype release that builds upon the group’s electric and dark persona with songs like title track “Crown” and b-side “Back It Up” that attempt to push forward energetic and voltaic vibes. The group manages to emphasize their versatility on the album’s tracklist by coupling spirited introductory songs with softer ballads and upbeat K-R&B songs “Moonlight Shadows,” “Flatline” and “Back Pocket.” Confident concept photos increase immersion with their sultry aesthetic and picture-perfect member visuals, setting high expectations for the album.
EXO members D.O., Chanyeol, Kai, Sehun, Suho and Lay pose for “REVERXE” teaser images. Photo courtesy of SM Entertainment
However, while this concept may seem good on paper, the album’s production is loud and sloppy, diluting the concept. Many tracks on the “REVERXE” include hard-hitting verses and loud electric instrumentals reminiscent of traditional, SM-style “noise music.” This distracts from tracks that could have been individually impactful and causes them to blend into each other. “Crown” features loud guitar and electronic beats in the back track that often overpower members’ vocals; track “Suffocate” contains a repetitive, rippling electric beat and a distracting moan. It’s clear that producers attempted to go the extra mile in “Crazy” — but jagged edges between the pre-chorus, chorus and surprising octave change in the post-chorus leads the track to feel like two different songs spliced together.
Production issues aside, “REVERXE” also suffers from a lack of impactful messaging, and lyrics fail to reveal anything substantial about the members or their musicality. EXO repeatedly falls back on repetitive lyrics that fill up space, like in track “Touch and Go,” where members repeat the phrase “touch and go” 23 times. “Back It Up” not only adds to the noise music epidemic plaguing the album, but also features the phrase “back it up” or something similar 28 times. Furthermore, the album’s lyrics fail to define any substantial themes beyond love, and instead continuously flip back and forth between love confessions and the control the love interest has over the narrator. In the first track, “Crown,” EXO sings, “The moment our lips touched, I knew the truth, yeah / You’re a pain twisted by fate / My heart slips away so easily / One choice left, ride or die.” However, in the eighth track, “Flatline,” members yet again sing of love, “In this sharp world / I fall so many times (Fall again) / A heart where scars are covered by other scars / Further and further into the depths / Even beyond the sea / Because I know my end is you.” It’s difficult to glean anything beyond annoyingly repeated messaging and cliché themes about EXO.
“REVERXE” does feature addictive tracks and aspects that draw in new listeners, and don’t feel like the nearly 16-year-old group is running out of ideas. “Moonlight Shadows,” an upbeat, mellow song stands out positively against the noisy tracks in the album. The vocals featured are high quality, and it’s clear that EXO members know their strengths. Disappointing in nature, “REVERXE” is EXO’s attempt at finding their footing after a rocky past couple of years. Who knows — maybe they’ll soon put the flaws of this album in reverse.
RATING: 2/5