Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
EXO are finally back with their title track for EXIST after a lot of build and a lot of drama surrounding the comeback. In the end, “Cream Soda” gets EXO back to basics a bit with a vocal-heavy dance-pop song that’s right in their wheelhouse.
The production on it is enchanting, finding the correct mix of brass, keys, and drums for the playful seductiveness needed for the overtly horny soundscape (though I’m sure people would find a way to claim this is really about soda, they always do). Thankfully, it doesn’t drag either, the verses are perfectly done.
Honestly, whether this ends up being outstanding or not basically comes down to how one feels about the falsetto. I found it a bit too ambitious even for EXO (which is saying something), and it goes on far too long for my taste, thus it didn’t quite hit completely right for me. But it’s one of those sounds where if you can get past that one element then I can see thinking this is an outstanding return to glory for EXO.
