Don't Mess Up My Tempo - The 5th Album EXO Song Review

DISCLAIMER: All of my reviews is from my perspective. The review may not be what others perceive it to be, however for this is my own blog about my perception on music. Thank you for my public announcement. 

Link to Album: Don't Mess Up My Tempo - The 5th Album

Tempo

For the title song on this album, it really does live up to the hype. After around a year and 123 days, EXO has gifted their fans with an iconic comeback. Tempo is an electronica, hip hop, R&B, acapella type of song. This song just gives you the feeling of wanting to get up and start dancing. With just the first lyric, "I can't believe," it gives two types of feelings towards the listeners. The first goes towards long time fans who say that they can't believe that EXO's comeback is finally here after around 488 days. The second meaning goes to the risks that EXO decide to do with the song. These risks make the listeners think, "I can't believe that they just did that."

The song has a steady bass in the back during the morphed voiced parts, but still gives off a good vibe of the song. This beat goes into a tambourine beat and changes throughout the song, yet the beat is still there. Even when the song turns into acapella at 2:56, you hear that steady beat with fingers snapping. The acapella part brought great attention from fans, because it is one of the first times any K-POP group has decided to randomly include an acapella part within their title song. This was a game changer in the world of Korean pop music. Quoting from @teammaknaes on twitter, "exo really changed the game and brought in an acapella in the middle of a funky hip hop dance genre on their title track. not once has a title track in kpop been THIS daring. not only did exo merge completely different genres into one but they made it sound so cohesive." This was a great point that @teammaknaes brought out. It is a risk for any artist to incorporate two different genres into their music, even if those genres are remotely similar. The beat does change back at 3:26 to the normal beat of the song.

The meaning of the song is going to be different for the composers. That is a given, however from what the lyrics came out to be, this is what I got from the meaning. It seems that it's about a boy who is in deep love with a girl. He does love the relationship they have, but warns the girl to watch her steps as she is the only savior and girl for him and his beat. He makes a rule with her about not slowing his tempo down and not messing him up. The meaning of this song, from what I got, made me laugh since it reminded me of Wolf by EXO. In that song they also warn the girl to watch where she is.


However, just as this song sounds amazing and beautiful, the visuals, aka the dance, also flows beautifully.

Sign

Going off of the concept that all the songs have to do with the concept of superpowers, and each song is a member's power, this song belongs to Chanyeol. Having Chanyeol's song this song, it would make sense that he has some of the most lines. The song starts off with a steady bass. This bass does change every few counts in the background, but stays as the tempo of the song. At around 40 seconds, the song does get a bit softer, making the bass in the back disappear, however bringing it back up at the one minute mark. During the softer parts of the song, the ones without the bass in the back, the bass is replaced with steady clapping. This electro-pop, hip-hop song seems as if it deserves to be the background music for a gangster movie.

My interpretation of the meaning of the song is probably totally off, however this is all I could get out of it. Basically the song has something to do with a person betraying the victim, however the victim wonders if the betrayer's sign was really what is was suppose to be. The victim also wonders if their own sign was even close to being aligned with the betrayers.

This song is just a nice song to listen to when you need a good bass beat.

Ooh La La La

This is called "the Eve of 2018." Last year a popular song, The Eve, came out. This song and dance was an innuendo to a deep and passionate love between the singer and their girlfriend. Ooh La La La is Kai's power's song. The powerful song is bled in R&B, which is EXO's specialty. The song has a fun groovy feeling that sounds like background music playing at a Bahama party. The song 'la la' is a pre-chorus to prepare the listener for the powerful "Ooh La La La."

This song's meaning has a lot of innuendo within it, however to put it in easy words; the song is about two people in love that always get lost within each other, but tease each other, knowing what their look does to the other person. Their signals and rhythm flow within each other, making their love grow even stronger. Even though the dance is not as intimate as The Eve's, it still omits the meaning of the song through all its many body rolls and smooth transitions.

Gravity

Belonging to D.O, this disco, funk song get's anyone's heads bopping. It is one of the true bops of this album, even though the whole album is a bop. Gravity tells the story of two people who broke up, but the boy still has feelings for the other, wanting them to get back together as much as they possibly can. The boy claims that gravity draws the two together as if it is meant to be, however it is not fate, just the acts of gravity and the universe. They are also convinced that the other actually is waiting for them and wants to get back together also, and yet even though they want to get back together, they must wait for the right moment.

With You

Being Baekhyun's song, this song starts off with a song introduction with a Contemporary R&B feeling. Most songs by EXO are love songs, but this one is one of those love songs that make you smile. Not just when you hear it, but when you read the lyrics also. The song seems to be about a man who is writing this exact song to his love. He tells them everything that makes them special, proclaiming how much he really loves them. The man sees himself in the other's eyes as they draw closer together, which only makes him fall more in love with them.

With You ends with Sehun saying a deep Love You to who ever the song is dedicated towards. With this song being Baekhyun's song, he did gain some of the most time in the line distribution, with the advantage of being one of the main vocals within EXO.

24/7

This song is dedicated to Xiumin, and yet it still is the epitome of Contemporary R&B music. This song gives a great feeling for anyone who loves the feeling of modern soul. 24/7 begins with a soft whistle that belongs to the chorus of the song, which leads into the snapping rhythm in the background. These snaps map out the beat of the music; the steady beat that keeps that R&B feeling. The song also ends with the whistle of the chorus, adding an echo to it to make it seem like someone walking away. This addition of the echo adds more depth into the song and a more groovy feeling to the story within the song.

I can't exactly understand the full story, but I did my best by trying to see what it could be about. The only thing I could get out of it was that the boy can't stop thinking about the failing relationship. He always feels empty and wrong towards the other in the relationship, and this wrong feeling is making him think about what he could improve 24/7.

24/7 is actually my favorite song out of the whole album because of it's soft beat in the back that calms me.

Bad Dream

This song, belonging to Sehun, was another song I had an issue trying to decipher. Bad Dream is a song that, in my perception, a man keeps having a bad dream, or nightmare, about their breakup. He knows that the two of them can not get back together, and accepts his fate, but he wishes to not be trapped in the dream he is in. He can't forget about the relationship they had, which makes the bad dream worse.

This modern soul, R&B song is another calming song that does give you hits of dance. It is a song that sounds like the sibling to 24/7 and Ooh La La La. Even with the addition of the acoustic guitar, it gives a more authentic feeling to the song. Almost like you are watching the artist perform this song, playing the guitar, sitting on steps, and singing into the microphones.

Damage

We thank that this song is dedicated to Chen, and has a whole OT9 lineup. With this comeback of the OT9 lineup, and a whole dancing song, it brings back an old EXO. This gives vibes of EXO's debut, with the comeback of Sehun saying E.X.O. This song, sounding similar in lyrical beat to Overdose, reminds older fans, and even some newer fans, of a younger and innocent EXO. Damage also reminds newer fans of NCT songs. This sing could also mix well with Snoop Dogg's Drop It Like It's Hot.

This hip hop song has a meaning that doesn't fully make sense. This, like most of the album, is about a broken relationship. The damage of the relationship breaking apart kills the two of them. The man knows that no one can be loved in his heart as his past love was, but understands that it is a damage that the two of them have to live with.

Smile On My Face

To honor the OT9 comeback, this song is dedicated to Lay. Smile On My Face is another soft R&B, soul song that can be added to EXO's chill mix. Other songs in relation with this song would be She's Dreaming, They Never Know, Stay, Stronger, and others.

The meaning of this song, like the other songs listed under "chill mix," has a sweet meaning. The singer looks back on the relationship that he had with his lover, knowing and stating all the sacrifices he had to make. Even though everything pains him, he does these acts with a smile on his face. The smile stays at all times, even when he had to let the lover go, he smiled. He still loves them deeply, and reassures the lover that he will not disappear; that he will be there if they needed him.

With a Smile On My Face, I listen to this song, hoping the best for EXO.

Oasis

Finally the leader's song. Oasis, which is a hit among the members of EXO, is a song dedicated to Suho's power. The song enters with a steady piano. The piano follows the tune of the lyrics. This electo, hip-hop song, with a dash of jazz, brings in EXO's power vocals. They do this with powerful harmonization and higher notes. The rhythm changes throughout the song, causing it to be a perfect fantasy-like scene in a movie.

Now, I know that my perception of Oasis' meaning is totally different than what it is probably suppose to mean. Oasis seems to be a story about the whole world being a road for the singers. They are running on this road to find an oasis where they can relax; however, at this time they are running to be free from the problems behind them.

This fan-made MV by Meh Lisa really brings out the feeling this song gives you. EXO 엑소 'Oasis' MV

Tempo - Chinese Version

This song is Tempo, but the Chinese version. With this being the Chinese version, we get to hear Lay's singing voice. He does sing for only around five seconds, but those five seconds is what fans have been waiting around two years for.

From what I could see, the meaning of the song didn't change much. It does seem that the boy loves the girl even more than he did in the Korean version, but that is the only difference between the meanings I could see.