EXO-K's "MAMA EP" Album Review

EXO, another group I just got into recently... Heck I don't even know which member is which yet.

But a main topic within the community regarding this group is usually either between complaining how they haven't came back yet or how much their debut sucked/didn't live up to the hype...

But one of the topics that got me was how this group didn't do so well in Korea.

This is partially the reason why I am only reviewing EXO-K's version of the album and not EXO-M's version, but I may save that for a later date, who knows?

For now, it's time to do a review! :)

Mama 

If I could just say one thing about this song, it would be... epic!

This is actually a modern day masterpiece and it came from SM, in 2012?! Since when do they make masterpieces that are both musically and thematically appeasing to both the ears and the imagination!

The level of skill put into the production is almost god-like, the staccato of the violins accentuated by a powerful kick and a snare light enough to not detract from the aforementioned kick but with enough presence to give the song enough of a drumbeat to be still considered a song and not a musical arrangement/experiment like 2PM's Heartbeat (not that it's a bad thing, but title tracks need presence).

The breakdown is beautiful and the video itself is reminiscent of Michael Jackson's late 90's work. That's a compliment, trust me... I seriously get the strongest "Earth Song" meets "Skyrim" vibe from this song.

And the vocals, mother of god are they handled beautifully! O_O

This is a level of vocal mastering that could rival some of the big western companies, coupled with the unique but familiar sound of this song that is so different to most K-Pop songs, you have a freaking hit!

Also, I think his name is Baekhyun? He is only a rookie and he has some of the best male vocal work I have seen in K-Pop, let alone SM Entertainment, since the likes of Kim Jonghyun and Lee Jinki doing a duet...

Let's just say that the future is really bright for him, he just needs to keep his head up and stay focused and he will become an amazing vocalist in about 4-5 years... (And he'll finally get that duet he wanted with his Taeyeon-noona...).

Also, before I neglect to mention this... Screaming in a K-Pop song? What?

THIS SONG IS TOO FREAKING AWESOME!!!

10/10

What Is Love

OMG, MAMA IS SO AWESOME, WHAT'S NEXT?!

Eh... What's this? :(

Was my initial reaction to this song, but then I realized that it would be unfair to compare the two songs as they serve a different purpose musically... So I decided to give it another try and I found the beauty in this song.

It's such a weird ballad, not weird in a bad way, but just different... The beat is played by a kick drum, a clap and a freaking Taiko? That just confused the hell out of me, but then I realized that it added to the song in so many ways... Despite the fact that it was rather repetitive, as well as that annoying as hell bass sitar riff.

The production value is there and it's pretty darn good, everything is clean and polished, but this song just isn't my cup of tea. I can respect how good it is, but I couldn't rate it as highly as Mama, because I don't like songs like this unless they are done rather well (like this one) and the vocals are legit...

Speaking of legit vocals, these guys are quite literally DBSK and Super Junior combined, with a dash of SHINee thrown in here and there... They have a feeling of togetherness and unity that Super Junior are famed for (because their vocals aren't amazing) and they have the vocal ability of DBSK with a hint of explosiveness yet uniqueness that made SHINee so viable in the Korean Market (read: Hallyu Wave).

That vocal quality is shown here a lot more than it is in Mama, and that's due to the fact that ballads are designed for this sort of cause, and the vocals in this song are the saving grace for me, not the actual track.

Ah well... 8/10

History

This song is so funky... Literally, James Brown could come back from the dead and sing this thing. (If he knew Korean or Chinese...)

This needs to be a new genre... Synth Funk!

That's literally what it is, it's synths around a beat consisting of EDM drums and world instruments with a funky rhythm and strangely enough? It works.

The production value is excellent as always throughout this entire song, everything flows musically and thematically. The vocals have a tad too much reverb at times but otherwise they are handled perfectly and the raps are just executed perfectly in this song. It wasn't too fast or too slow, everything just flowed like a lyrical river! :)

And the rest they say? Well, it's history... 9/10

Angel

Another ballad, but this time it is done perfectly right! Gosh, I think this is the first time I've encountered an album where every song has been near enough to perfection! (Excluding SNSD's first album, and even then that album had some hits and misses).

The vocals here are just divine perfection, they flowed, they gave you chills and they were mastered with the delicate hands of a spring fairy. It fits the song so well and gave you a warm feeling inside, matching the theme perfectly.

It showcases how amazing the vocals of this group are and how in tune they are with each other. The production value is very simple in execution in comparison to the other songs, but that's where the beauty lies... It's simple but it gets the point across and fits the thematic puzzle perfectly.

It's literally like an angel came out of heaven and wrote this song just to give the world of K-Pop something nice to listen to.

Overall, props to SM for making a beautiful ballad song for a really talented group... 10/10

Two Moons

Sigh... Exo better thank their hyung for saving this song, because this would've been completely awful without him.

Exo! You were doing so well, and then you created this! What the hell happened! >:O

Basically, it's a trap beat with some okay rapping, the production value is thankfully still good and it's not a terrible song per se, but it's not great or even good to be honest.

Chanyeol's second rap was alright and Key's rap brought a sense of structure to this chaotic mess, and furthermore the chorus is just completely forgettable... Sehun should never rap again to be honest, if this is what he brings to the table and Kai's "I'm good" at the end was pretty ironic, because in this song he was no where near good, but I would be generous and gift him with an okay.

But honestly, I cheated a bit and took a look at EXO-M's version and I realized that the two groups are rapping in a similar way anyway (it's not exactly the same because Korean and Chinese are two completely different languages...).

So then this might not be the fault of the group, but rather of the lyricists/songwriters involved with the production/creation of this song. Therefore the blame doesn't lie solely on Exo's shoulders.

But at this point in time? It doesn't excuse the fact that this song exists and it is bad, therefore it is now a black mark on the legacy of EXO.

6/10

Machine

(Before I start, this is not an official MV, but I used this version because of the breakdown at the end, which I assumed to be part of the song...).

This song is a return to the status quo of Exo's album consisting of only good songs!

After listening to all of the others, this one doesn't have as much of an impact as the others, but it's just as catchy, if not even more catchier. The production value is excellent for a pseudo-techno/glitch-hop song, trust me that is hard to do, props to the producer.

The vocals are handled nicely and overall the song isn't too complex, but neither does it really stick out too much. I think the beauty of this song is the breakdown...

I'm a dubstep fan, and normally I don't like any variation of pop mixing with dubstep, because it usually never turns out right. However, with Exo, I will always make an exception because that drop was freaking awesome!

That's all I had to say about that song... 8/10

Now with all of this evidence in front of me, I am confused as to why they are not so popular in Korea?

They have the makings of a fine group both musically and aesthetically and they even have a sort of SuJu/DBSK feel that I thought a lot fangirls would love, especially because they are freshly baked oppas filled with energy, youth and charisma! ^_^

But in all seriousness, I think they need something to push them, perhaps more promotion and not the kind that forces them down people's throats... And one more thing that they need?

A comeback! Like this album, but even better!

Average Track Rating: 8.5/10

Album Rating: 9/10