Support your favourite artists, songs and performances in the 2021 Kpop Review Awards by clicking here to vote today!
I take a break from the reviews for Best Rap or Hip Hop Song category to focus on a new debut! Xdinary Heroes mark the start of their careers today with the release of Happy Death Day. This new band is made up of six members (Gunil, Jungsu, Gaon, O.de, Jun Han, and Jooyeon) and they join the growing roster of groups at JYP Entertainment – the home of 2PM, DAY6, TWICE, Stray Kids and ITZY.
The best way that I can think of to describe Happy Death Day is that it is wild. The song delves pretty heavily into the punk genre, and hits hard during the chorus (which the song begins with). It is a blast of energy that I did not expect, but I thought was great! It captures your attention from the get go, which is a promising start to any one’s career. It also helps that the ‘Tra La La La’ hook, and pretty much the rest of the chorus, was super catchy. What also makes the song standout a bit more is its unique sound. The punk genre has been touched on by some groups in the past, but I don’t think any group or band has gone as hard as Xdinary Heroeos have in Happy Death Day. This definitely sets the group apart from the bands that preceded it and that they may rival (provided they keep this individualistic character in their songs). The members also do a great job with their vocals. They really brought in a lot of character, especially in the choruses, that make the Happy Death Day so much more approachable, individualistic and colourful (in the punk way). I liked how barely of the vocals felt straight forward, especially with those groans and the rap-speak style. It definitely makes the song more memorable and interesting. That being said, the more straight forward vocal sequences such as the pre-choruses and the first half of the bridge were also very good. Overall, Happy Death Day embraces boldness and being different, which sets it apart from the rest of the competition. If they continue to do this, then they for sure will be a force to be reckoned with.
How twisted is this music video? The premise of this music video is a child’s birthday party, where the members are invited to be the entertainment for the party – a clown band. But that image doesn’t fit the song. So the members rip off their clown accessories and proceed to rock out. But what lead them to this? They were sent to bring back the attention of the guests, by pointing out that while the kid was celebrating its birthday, the party guests were all disinterested in the whole event, even being on their phones during the most important part of the party – the blowing out of the candles (most important because you get cake right after). But the message the video was trying to get at is that the party could have been a birthday celebration or a ‘Happy Death Day’ celebration, marking the kid’s one step closer to its death, and the guests would not even notice. I did say it was a twisted video, but well thought out if I was being honest. Elsewhere, the members perform on the roof of a virtual world and the underground basement of a building. The ending seems to suggest a continuation, so I guess we will be seeing more of the virtual world in the future.
Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10
🏵💮🌼 Kpop Hit – share the Kpop vibes 🌼💮🏵
٩(˘◡˘)۶ Once for Twice – awesome FREE game about Twice, for Once (✿◠‿◠)
📱 For iPhone / iPAD: https://apps.apple.com/app/id1394504402
📱 For Android:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ninhkidd.oncetwice