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Damage (from Don’t Mess Up My Tempo / Love Shot – 2018)

One of two LDN Noise tracks on the Don’t Mess Up My Tempo album, Damage is arguably the most hard-hitting Korean track EXO delivered in 2018. Its abrasive textures hearken back to the group’s debut year, with an added touch of reggae to capitalize on trends of the moment. The verses have a slinky appeal, highlighted by descending vocal ad-libs that add a tense air to the song. But, Damage’s highlight is easily its aggressive chorus, which takes the popular bad boy K-pop image and tethers it to a thundering instrumental and catchy, anthemic hook.

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