Coming out of releasing their most groundbreaking mini-album yet with Beautiful Mind, Xdinary Heroes traveled around the world, performed huge shows, and came back with something fresh, new, and, yet again, mind-blowing: LXVE to DEATH. Putting the theme of love at the center of the release, Xdinary Heroes explore all the different, complex, and intense facets of love in this new mini-album, while pushing the boundaries of their sound further. We didn’t expect anything less from Xdinary Heroes. It’s another masterpiece.
The Pre-Release: ‘FiRE (My Sweet Misery)’
The Beautiful Mind Tour came with a lot of surprises, and that included the live reveal—and then release—of ‘FiRE (My Sweet Misery).’ It gave us a first taste of this new era for Xdinary Heroes: heavier, but still including those addictive melodies and gorgeous vocals. It’s giving post-hardcore excellence, and they pull it off so well. Between the intense instrumentation and the satisfying melodies, there is something for everyone in ‘FiRE (My Sweet Misery),’ and it was the perfect transition from Beautiful Mind into LXVE to DEATH.
The Title Track: ‘ICU’
No one has brought heavy rock into K-Pop quite like Xdinary Heroes. Right out of giving us their own rhapsody, ‘ICU’ is a fun, heavy rock love song. This time, they use twists and turns in the different sections of the song—the instrumental, the rhythm, the melodies—to represent the chaotic emotions of falling in love. It feels dangerous and intense in the best way, all while being fun and energetic. Additionally, the song allows them to showcase all the layers of their musical genius, from the instrumental to the different styles of vocalization. It’s a love song with the unique touch of Xdinary Heroes, to the point where it sounds like no other love song out there—and that’s the beauty of it.
The B-Sides: LXVE to DEATH
While ‘ICU’ exposes love in its most intense form, LXVE to DEATH explores different sides of love and its side effects: self-doubt, loneliness, anger, heartbreak, and more. And it opens with arguably the best song on the release. ‘Lost and Found’ is pop-rock excellence, with its emotional yet addictive melodies and vulnerable lyrics. ‘Lost and Found’ is a heartbreaking song about losing purpose, about loneliness, and sits at the same table as ‘Save Me.’ The switch in lyrics in the last chorus, combined with how Jooyeon hits the note, makes this song even more memorable, along with the entire outro and the way their voices come together to convey such desperation and hurt.
To follow such an explosive song like ‘FiRE (My Sweet Misery)’ is no easy task, but ‘Ashes to Ashes’ does it flawlessly. This song is potent in its instrumentation, its melodies, and the emotions behind the song. ‘Ashes to Ashes’ represents another facet of love: the burning and destruction of a relationship. The song is all about breaking free from the love spell; it’s intense and full of anger. But no song is more filled with anger than ‘Spoiler!!’ The heaviest song in the mini-album explores a similar theme, but differently—it has more sass and, somehow, even more personality and boldness. It’s one of the moments in the mini-album that shows Xdinary Heroes‘ growth as musicians the most.
Exploring themes and genres is Xdinary Heroes‘ forte, and so, with ‘Love Tug of War,’ they deliver an intricate pop-rock banger. The song explores the struggles of unconditional love. The song tells a story of its own about a love that pushes and pulls, that hurts but also heals. ‘LOVE ME 2 DEATH’ creates a circle with ‘Lost and Found,’ where we once again find the desperate feeling of craving for love. But more than anything, this closing track is one of the best examples in Xdinary Heroes‘ discography of how well they always blend pop rock with heavier rock. It’s always seamless, genius, and adds even more meaning to their music. There is no band like Xdinary Heroes, and they’ve shown it constantly through every single one of their releases—LXVE to DEATH expands their streak of perfect releases.
We had the chance to ask Xdinary Heroes all about their massive year and LXVE to DEATH ahead of the release, you can check it out here!
How much are you loving this new comeback? What’s your favorite song out of LXVE to DEATH? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.
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