Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reviewing every song in EXO’s discography, from A-Z. That will continue, but I’m taking a brief break to write about the songs on their newest album, Obsession.

Be sure to check back every day as I take a look at each and every track!

1. Obsession // 2. Trouble // 3. Jekyll // 4. Groove // 5. Ya Ya Ya // 6. Baby You Are // 7. Non Stop // 8. Day After Day // 9. Butterfly Effect

DAY AFTER DAY

EXO’s Obsession doesn’t have a ballad among its nine tracks. In fact, despite SM Entertainment’s boast of “a diverse set of genres,” the album is pretty cohesive and of a similar energy. However, Day After Day takes the position of de facto ballad, slowing the tempo for a more evocative arrangement that acts as a bit of a breather.

While EXO’s vocals are always well-suited to this kind of vibe, I find Day After Day to be pretty forgettable. I have greater issues with Jekyll’s choice of production, but if I were to skip a track on Obsession, it would probably be this one. The guys croon over acoustic guitar and layers of vocal harmony. The entire song wafts in and out without inflicting any lethal hooks. The chorus is pleasantly airy (and repetitive), but EXO have given us much stronger versions of this same thing in the past. Yes, the vocal arrangement is beautiful, complex and expertly performed, but we’ve come to expect that from EXO. That’s their minimum. As a complete song, I’m afraid Day After Day is kind of a bore.

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