Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
Chen of EXO and Heize of ‘Unpretty Rapstar 2‘ fame combined on “Lil’ Something” for ‘SM Station‘. While this wasn’t Heize’s first collab with an EXO member, thankfully this EXO member didn’t try to do some hip-hop today and the result was great.
I’ve been a consistent hater of ‘SM Station’ because so far it’s been an excuse for SM Entertainment to dominate the charts with shitty coffee house ballads, but Chen and Heize is more of the type of collab I was hoping hear.
Seriously though, after all the cookie-cutter ballad instrumentals they’ve come out with, they go with disco now? Not only was this something I wouldn’t have shutoff halfway through if I didn’t have to write about it, but I thought it was too short before realizing 3:31 had actually passed. The strength of “Lil’ Something” is clearly the toe-tapping instrumental, and Chen’s vocals are allowed to shine but nothing is too forced in terms of screaming runs or things of that nature. Similarly, Heize’s rapping fits in seamlessly with the disco beat and never seems out of place. Most importantly, while the hook isn’t overwhelming, it is addictive and immediately drew me into the sound of the track.
Nothing immediately springs to mind in terms of criticism. I guess the music video is sorta cheesy, but it’s still done in a cute way and it’s eminently relatable with lots of awkward moments.
Labeling this as the best ‘SM Station’ effort is sorta selling it short, like saying a rapper is better than Chanyeol, but it definitely is the standout for the project because it’s one of the most enjoyable tracks so far this year.
