Photo credit to Studio J.
Xdinary Heroes, the K-Rock group under JYP Entertainment sub label Studio J, have made their comeback with ninth mini-album, ‘IMPULSE’. This seven track EP features songs of various emotions and genres. Through the tracks, each song has a different message, but they all work together to convey feelings of impulse and desire.
The five-member group consists of members Kim Jungsu, Kwak Jiseok, Oh Seungmin, Han Hyeongjun and Lee Jooyeon. They made their official debut in December of 2021 with the single “Happy Death Day”. Originally, they debuted with six members, but as of August of this year, drummer Goo Gunil was removed from the group.
The first track from ‘IMPULSE’ is rock and synth induced, “Obsessed With Youth”. The lyrics match with the beats to communicate how youth is fleeting and to not waste it. The feeling is revealed with lyrics, “The youth that has been wasted” and “kiss the days of glory, never let them fade”.
These emotions continue into the next track, “Give Up The Ghost”. It communicates the fear of being abandoned, expressing determination to not be lost and fighting to not be abandoned. “Give Up The Ghost” was written in collaboration with Oliver Skyes who is the frontman of British Metal core band Bring Me The Horizon. Member Jooyeon who is an avid metal head, was seemingly excited to hear one of his favorite artists wrote a song on the bands mini album as he was not told before hand that Oliver Skyes had written the track until after he listened to the demo.
“Slashhh!” is the third track on the album. It is an upbeat heavy song with witty lyrics like “kimchi (slash) sushi (slash) salami (slash)” and is different than the other songs on the album as it does not have any deep emotional meaning—it is just a fun song to differentiate from the deeper meanings of the first two. The song uses EDM style synthesizers and hard guitar riffs to make a more upbeat and energetic sound.
The coin is flipped with “u and me in arguments” as it features a heavy rock track driven by aggressive guitar riffs and drums with heavy lyrics like, “There’s you and me in arguments and you and i bruising”, conveying the emotions behind the line between love and hate in relationships.
“you right there” and “Love Dystopia”, which are both about love but in different ways, help to tie in with the overall theme of the album. “you right there” expresses the desire of wanting to be near each other at all times, whereas “Love Dystopia” is about the emotions that follow a break up, which ties back into the album’s meaning where impulse and desire can be communicated in different ways throughout all emotions, good and bad.
The last track on this album brings the meaning of ‘IMPULSE’ all together. “Breathe in, Breathe out” wraps up the album with lyrics showing how emptiness can consume you after chasing desire and obtaining everything, which is perfect conclusion to what Xdinary Heroes tried to convey with the records feeling.
Four years into the game now, Xdinary Heroes have solidified themselves as a band and have found their unique sound. They are growing each comeback and Villains (their fans) around the world are with them each step of the way.