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Transformer (from Exodus / Love Me Right – 2015)

With a militant hip-hop beat and distorted electronics, Transformer stands as one of EXO’s more aggressive tracks. It’s also one of their most fascinating. The verses are phrased with hip-hop flow even when the vocals take charge, but the pre-chorus warps layers of voices into a dynamic build that carries through to the chorus. I love the interplay between ascending and descending melodic lines here. The arrangement echoes this balance, offering moments of dramatic harmony followed by a more submissive response, giving the hook a seesaw sense of instability that makes Transformer quite a thrill.

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