Album Review: EPEX's Debut Album is Conceptually Wrong

So, this technically is a review, but it is quite different from what my normal reviews are like. Instead, this is something more like you would see on a site like Seoulbeats, a full conceptual analysis. I will also review the songs and provide scores, but I thought the title must be a bit different.

Also, please note. I am not a medical student of any sorts. I have read up a bit online for this post, but not much else. I may have made any errors not up to current medical knowledge. If this is the case, please let me know.

For those avoiding the K-Pop internet scene for the last few days, EPEX is a new group from C9 Entertainment, of CIX, Cignature, and Good Day. Their debut EP was controversial even before release, simply due to its concept. It was titled "Bipolar Pt.1: Prelude of Anxiety". First things first, it is unintentionally hilarious, calling an album Prelude of Anxiety is certainly going to appeal to listeners who see it in the 'suggested' column on Spotify, while Bipolar Pt. 1 is a title that really is just offensive. The outfits and styling also were certainly striking, but not in a good way. For one thing, one of the members was wearing a suicide vest.

First, let us talk about mental wellness for a minute. The study of mental health is pretty new, but I can say one thing, it is a broad list of categories. Titling something Bipolar is fine, but only if you are tackling the subject, not something else. It is like comparing knee injuries to blisters. Both are issues, but of varying degrees, and of very different types.

The concept of this album seems to be anxiety, particularly teen anxiety. Anxiety is considered part of anxiety disorder and comes in various shapes and sizes in and of itself. TXT have often tackled teenage anxiety, often due to youth pressure. They stick to it. On the other hand, bipolar disorder is a mood disorder, commonly liked to excessive depression, and is quite different. I am not saying neither can be tackled in a single song together, but it has to be about both.

Looking at the lyrics of EPEX's new single, it becomes clear that this is about frustrations in the modern youth, not at all about bipolar personality disorder, and rarely about typical anxiety.

Speaking of which, what do the lyrics even mean? The chorus is driven by a chant of 'Party on Lock Down', followed by 'Everyone pay pay pay, only for fame fame fame, everybody obey obey obey' (translated into English), and 'Falling low, low, low, Losing control control control, Save me me me'. Occasionally, the verses have lines that seem to come close to talking about anxiety, and mental stress, only for the flow to completely get broken with an analogy that had to be written as a joke. There is one about Gucci, but easily the biggest perpetrator is in the first verse, "Getting jealously and hatred spreading wildly like a COVID". 

That line itself deserves a paragraph. COVID-19 and the subsequent quarantine have hurt several families, and the quarantine stress itself is a topic that deserves to seriously be addressed. Occasionally, the lyrics of Lock Down seem to talk about the struggles mentally in the stay-at-home, but it almost feels commercial, as if C9 realized this is a hot topic, and just put it into the song. The COVID line is the worst of these, as it basically hurts the sentiments of everyone affected by the pandemic. And that is a whole lot of people, especially if you count all the side-effects, such as the lockdown itself.

Herein lies the biggest fault of the album. It is not personal. If the members wrote about their own experiences, it might make sense. But here, it does not, because it feels decidedly un-personal. Almost commercial. Sunmi tackled her fears in some of her singles (including bipolar disorder), but it was genuine. She was not succumbing to the pressure of making a hit. That is why Borderline was never promoted per se. The members really are talented, the first verse has some of the best rap flow this year. Unfortunately, their performance is decidedly distant. They are young and in an industry known far and wide for its dark side. No doubt they have suffered some of the fear and pressure described in the song, but it hardly translates, as C9 probably did not care about the genuineness, they just gave them cool-sounding lines, which hardly allowed for any emotional expression and lyrics that do not allow that either.

Even if the song was not personally written, and is about a subject like this, it could succeed. A good look is Joochan's A Song For Me, it allows emotion to flow due to its structure, and Joochan's performance feels personal, even if it may not have been.

This leads to my next main issue, the lack of resolution. Oftentimes, songs handling our mental fears and weaknesses end with a conclusion of hope. Even if the issue is not solved, it offers a glimmer of hope. I have heard some healing songs, or songs that tackle these issues, and they often end with a sign of hope. Ninety One's Mooz and Joochan's Song For Me are such songs. This allows them to tackle the subject, without increasing the issue.

The rest of the album mostly falls into the category too overall. Just often musically weaker. Sling Shot and No Questions try to be self-help anthems at times, but are basic love songs, and Go Big is just a weaker version of the title track. The only track with a lyrical spark is Cyanide, which is about the Werther Effect. It is a sensitive topic, and the song does little to properly handle it, but it appears that the songwriter actually tried at some point, allowing for a degree of personal-ness. Of course, I could be wrong, it thankfully has a good conclusion lyrically. In fact, it lyrically makes much more sense as a single. The only reason to prefer Lock Down is the rap flow.

Onto the musical side of things, Lock Down's first verse has some dynamic raps but leads into a stereotypical pre-chorus, and a below-average chorus, which is basically low muttering without any conceptual resonance. The issue here is that it is clear that the members are really talented, and they do good with all the lines they get. Even if it is not much. Cyanide opts for a Latin dance track and is the only other moment from the album with some dynamism. In fact, even musically, Cyanide sounds like a better title track. It is much, much darker. But actually hints at something at times.

In the end, EPEX's debut is marred by bad music and bad lyrics, neither of which go with others. Despite that, I feel that if C9 actually let these guys do something interesting, they could go far. They are a really young group, and I don't want to write too much negative, but the agency seems to have screwed up badly. I just hope the next release is better.

Ratings:

Lock Down - 3.5/10

Cyanide - 7/10

Go Big - 3.75/10

No Questions - 4.75/10

Sling Shot - 5/10

Overall Rating 4.75/10

Actually 4.8/10. Rounded score.

Image Source: The Bias List