Song Review:: XLOV: UXLXVE- Rizz

• Release date: 2025 November 05

• Album tracklist: Scent, Rizz, Dirty Baby, Biii:-P, Kiss and say goodbye, Drip Drip

• Album runtime: 15 minutes

 So, the good news is that Wednesday had a lot of releases I am definitely going to cover. The bad news is that it is Saturday and I'm already behind in the month of November. Brilliant. Awesome. Still, this is a good time to catch up a little, and if I can get my six reviews written this weekend, I'll be in a much better position. Also, XLOV needs the attention. They fill a very important niche in the K-Pop ecosystem, and I want to make sure I get this one, even though they weren't necessarily one of the ones that I was looking forward to most. I still maintain that their music would work well connected to Taemin, because they're similarly vibed, and looking at the titles of this album? I'm pretty sure that still tracks. Also, not me just now realizing that I missed a mini album at some point this year. 

Still sounds like something Taemin would put out. Good to know they're being consistent. There's actually a really good balance in the instrumental with a solid beat with the percussion, and then hints of a melody to soften it in places. It's not overpowering on its own, and it's not such a strong blowtorch of instruments that it overwhelms the somewhat delicate vocals. Volume-wise, it does seem a little loud when placed next to the vocals, which is a shame. The runtime is really what hampers the song as a whole, as there isn't a chance for the song to actually breathe, which is what happens when you have a song that's less than two-and-a-half minutes. I am however entertained by the bed springs squeaking. It reminds me of Tempo by EXO (great song if you haven't heard it), and that's amusing. 

Vibrato, y'all. We don't get a lot of it all the time, but we get enough of it frequently enough that I'm pleased with them. There's also a pretty good range in tones. We've got a lot of falsetto, but we've also got a bit of lower, grounded vocals, and then the rapping is a very solid base. It's a very pretty song that is a good example of this genre. I'm not overly fond of the repetition, as you might imagine, but, again, this is kind of the natural consequence of a song this short.

This is what we call a gorgeous music video. The storyline is incredible and clear. The acting. The visuals happening are strong enough that without an equally strong storyline, it would have turned this into a vibes and visuals music video. This was not the case. Also, that choreography? Now, granted, I'm about as flexible as a power pole, but the splits? Ow. Also, while I was watching this, it's a pity that it's difficult for them to do dance challenges with other artists because off the top of my head, I can think of about ten who would absolutely kill it. Dead and buried in the ground ten feet deep. I know there are more because there are only so many groups that I know well enough to be reasonably sure about it, but come on.