Xdinary Heroes continue their blitz of 2024 digital singles with a real coup. They’ve managed to get Yoon Do Hyun from venerated rock group YB as a duet partner for iNSTEAD!. I was delighted to see this, as I love Do Hyun’s voice and A Flying Butterfly is one of my all-time favorite K-rock songs. However, iNSTEAD! wasn’t what I expected at all.
iNSTEAD! pulls Xdinary Heroes in a new direction, offering pummeling rock energy that climaxes in the kind of death metal shouts you rarely (never?) hear from groups of their ilk. This comes courtesy of Yoon Do Hyun himself — definitely not the collaboration I had imagined! This style of rock isn’t something I listen to, so it’s difficult to determine how successful iNSTEAD! is within the context of its genre. It has flashes of promise and I enjoy the passionate vocal performance and raging intensity. But mostly, this is a musical curio I’ll admire from afar.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 6 |
| RATING | 7.25 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
While I myself have non-existent experience with death metal or related sounds, I still find myself pretty enamoured by it. Quite enjoy the new direction XH’s taken (although prolly just for the collab)
A straight 8 for me.
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YESSSSS
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I agree in saying that this isn’t something I’d usually listen to hahaha, I think it might be my least favourite of their 4 open beta singles. Btw, just curious if you listened to the previous one, Save Me? Wanted to hear your thoughts on it but I don’t think there’s a review :((
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goes hard
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