OBSESSION: The War Between EXO and X-EXO

OBSESSION: The War Between EXO and X-EXO

EXO takes the meaning of “legendary” to a whole new level with their 6th full-length album, OBSESSION.

Teaser images resembling movie theater posters reveal a battle between EXO and their anomaly version, X-EXO. Special social media pages were made just for X-EXO, and fans quickly caught on to the fact that EXO’s Twitter is written in third person while X-EXO’s is written in first, creating even more conspiracy theories. Between Twitter and Instagram, X-EXO easily gained over half a million followers in two weeks. Soon, fans became conflicted on whose side to take, questioning “Kai, Chanyeol, Sehun, Baekhyun, Chen, and Suho, who? I only know KĀI, CHANYEØL, SEHŮN, BAËKHYUN, CHËN, and SUHØ.”

Almost a year since their last comeback, EXO combines old and new sounds. For their 6th album, their voices blending together to create a single harmony seems to be their highlighting signature. With every beautifully-crafted harmony, you can’t help but feel a sense of pride. The addictive title song “Obsession” features a hip-hop dance beat, and has no problem finding itself on repeat all day. Words cannot describe the cinematic masterpiece that is the music video. Acting? On point. Visuals? Out of this world. An image of the world burning up at the end of the MV is an accurate representation of how you’ll feel after watching it. 

“Trouble” and “Jekyll” follow up the title track with the same hip-hop vibe, but progressively get softer, allowing a smooth transition into the next song. “Groove” lives up to its song title, featuring a groovy sound mixed with sophisticated, modern beats. B-sides “Ya Ya Ya” and “Baby You Are” are on the more mellow side, perfect for your everyday mood. 

Cold weather got you down? “Non Stop” radiates 24K Magic-era Bruno Mars energy, perfect for bringing the summer warmth to any gloomy day. Wrapping up their 6th album comes “Day After Day” and “Butterfly Effect,” showcasing EXO’s smooth harmonies in two different kinds of ballads: one more mellow and down-to-Earth while the other is more upbeat and light. Right when you thought the album was neatly-wrapped up with the ballads acting like a pretty bow on top, EXO pulls out the Chinese version of “Obsession,” bringing up the energy and making it automatically easy to listen to the album all over again.

Fun fact! While Xiumin and D.O are fulfilling their military service and Lay is continuing promotions in China, the other six members are spending the last half of 2019 doing their EXO Planet #5 - EXplOration tour. Lead writer Aaron Stewart-Anh went to one of EXO’s tour stops to draw inspiration for a scene for an upcoming Thor audio and ebook series. Thor: Metal Gods is a collaboration between Marvel and Serial Box Studios releasing on December 12. Stewart-Anh says that he included small details in Chapters 1, 2, and 8 that will hopefully bring a smile to EXO-L. What could it be? Be sure to find out on December 12!

With “Obsession” taking #1 on all the major real time charts, EXO’s only comeback for 2019 proves to be worth the wait. This album concept alone will go down in history.

What’s your favorite song from EXO’s OBSESSION? Let us know in the comments!

Cover Image: EXO (SM Entertainment)
Written by Sarah Wong


Daebak Box

We bring Korea to you! Experience the best of Korean culture with Daebak Box