Song Review:: Super Junior: Super Junior 25- Express Mode

• Release date: 2025 July 8

• Album tracklist: Express Mode, Haircut, Air, Delight, I Know, Say Less, D.N.A, Finale, Stuck With You, 

• Album runtime: 28 minutes

 Average runtime of over three minutes, which is aided by the four minute song, but there are only two that are under three minutes. This is all good. Congrats on your almost 20th anniversary, SuJu! The fun thing about this group is that the group and me almost share a birthday. Just as a fun fact, The Incredibles movie is almost exactly one year older than the group. 

The introduction of this song is one of the funniest things I've heard in a while. Oh, my gosh. I thought I'd accidentally hit a radio somehow. 

Ah, we've got a skittering beat. Good stuff. I'm a little amused that for what I'm assuming is their 20th anniversary album, they went more hip-hop than they normally go, but you know what? The second gen groups adapting to the times is a good sign. They are keeping it in the family, though, because it's got a bit of an NCT vibe with this specific set and style of instrumentals. There aren't a ton of variations to the song, but is also isn't dull or relaxed. There's a sharply driven intensity that carries through even in the brief, softer moments. 

There's actually a pretty good balance of rapping and vocals, which is less than I personally prefer to listen to, but every time I thought it was too skewed to the rapping side, the second gen vocals showed up and came out to play. So is this song fully to my taste? No, but I've still got a couple of playlists I could put this in (one of them is my work playlist). But I do have to say that the number of different rapping styles and textures in Express Mode is actually impressive, and we've got a taste of what Super Junior could sound like as a late third gen, early fourth gen group, much like Tang Tang Tang by the BTOB subunit 90TAN did for them. And I know I already mentioned it, but I think it's worth mentioning again, but that intro? I know it's not completely new to do, but when was the last time you heard a new song have a radio DJ-esque intro come out of K-Pop? So by virtue of that, I'm counting this as novel and very interesting.

There's just something about the second generation of kpop when they really settle down that just cannot be matched by raw charisma. It's the same way with tennis players. The maturity and experience of older tennis players later in their careers after they've been competing and winning top tournaments for over a decade isn't something that can be taught to the teenagers, even if they beat the older ones in grand slams. The cool part is the older third gen groups are starting to really swagger with whatever that quality is too, but to see it played out by a group that debuted before some of these newer idols were even born? Is there much of a storyline to this? No. And I wish the music video itself had less of a sleek CGI aspect to it because with how sleek the song itself is, it could have benefitted from the music video having some reality weight to ground it. Also, it's really nice to see Heechul actively with the group again, and I loved the number of close-ups he got. Hopefully the choreography isn't bothering his knee too badly.