NME Ranks Every (Korean) EXO Song In Order of Greatness
In honour of the 10th (!) anniversary of EXO's debut, join NME as we take on the challenge of ranking every one of their Korean songs in order of greatness https://t.co/bYMrhIj3W9
- NME (@NME) April 8, 2022
The full list (1-110) is at the source, but I needed to bring attention to a few:
102 ‘Stronger’ (2016)
While ‘Stronger’ makes the most of EXO’s vocal prowess, it pales in comparison to the other output that the same members have presented on other albums. Sorry, this one’s mid.
I can't respect any list that calls Stronger 'mid', I'm sorry
15 ‘Tempo’ (2018)
If the biker concept awakened feelings that we never knew we had, the song itself sent us into a feverish frenzy. After the brilliant run of ‘The War’, EXO shook things up with a full-blown hip-hop and dance attack, complete with squeaky sound effects (if you know you know) and absolutely lethal crop tops from Kai.
The best part, however, was the surprising, mind-blowing acapella bridge - coming out of left-field, it was a neat slice of innovation that few have attempted and even fewer have perfected. EXO did it one go - and if ever there was proof needed of their vocal prowess, it was in those few seconds.
They gained some of my respect back by putting Tempo this high (even though they called it by the album title "Don't Mess Up My Tempo" in the article)
1 ‘Gravity’ (2018)
Have you ever been in the passenger seat of a car, driving down an empty highway, and just watched the driver floor it? As your body is thrown back by the force of the unprecedented speed, you can do nothing but hold on and pray for dear life. Fear courses through your veins, but you’ll be lying to yourself if you didn’t think it was at least a little bit exciting. When the ride is over, you almost wish that it never ended. That’s what ‘Gravity’ does to you - put you at that neat little intersection where fear and excitement merge, creating a singular thrill you’ll spend your whole life chasing.
Is it really a surprise, then, that ‘Gravity’ roared in to claim the top spot on this list? As fast as it is furious, the thumping electro-pop on ‘Gravity’ takes over the mind with a dizzying intensity, perfectly capturing the aesthetic the group was aiming for on ‘Don’t Mess Up My Tempo’. Every minute of it feels too much - at times, it feels like the song itself will spin out of control, leaving you with disappointment. EXO, however, keep such a confident and steady grasp on this ride that by the end of it, you’ll trust them with your life. You know you agree with this one.
This is a li'l much but respect again for naming Gravity the top song, overall seems the writer likes the songs from DMUMT a lot
So how would you rank EXO's songs, Omona?
Sources: @NME | NME.com | SMTOWN | EXO 1, 2 | redflavor