K-Pop A-Z

K-Pop A-Z Review: EXO – Trauma

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Trauma (from Love Shot – 2018)

Trauma is a slick funk groove in a discography full of them, and could be easily forgotten because of that. And truthfully, EXO has released better songs of this genre before. But Trauma is not to be discounted. Its greatest asset is the catchy percussive loop that opens the track and supports its chorus. Some of the best pop songs in history are built on a simple, repeated rhythm, and Trauma’s percolating instrumental definitely has that potential. It’s even stronger when traced by the guys’ voices, offering a harmony-driven dance beat that hits harder than expected. I could do without the cumbersome, overlong bridge, but when Trauma sticks to its guns, it’s quite a treat.

 Hooks 8
 Production 9
 Longevity 8
 Bias 9
 RATING 8.5

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