Song Review: Hear Me Out by EXO

‘Hear Me Out’ acts as their second pre-release to their upcoming 7th full album EXIST, confidently sporting a chill RnB groove that grows surprisingly potent with more listens. I wasn’t planning to review the song, but it after revisiting it recently, I realised that I like it a lot more than I remember.

Just to get it out of the way, I am not a big fan of the opening. I have always had my reservations about Sehun’s rap delivery (as shown in my previous review of Let Me In), and while I think he was able to do a better job than usual, I will always be biased against having a song open with my least vocal timbre in EXO. Just to be clear, these are all very subjective statements, but it will nevertheless affect my perception of the song, so bear with me.

Thankfully, the song only improves as it goes on. Chanyeol abruptly contrast Sehun’s gritty and sharp rap delivery with his smooth and warm vocal delivery. Right before this point, I was on the verge of clicking out of the MV, but Chanyeol’s performance was simply compelling enough to make me stay.

I was not too sure of the song’s hook’s up until the chorus, where Chen comes in delivers an absolutely stunning vocal performance. Paired with a sneakily addictive melodic line and subtle groove of the production that pulls out its best cards, it proves to be the song’s saving grace.

From the first chorus onwards, the song becomes wholly enjoyable. It is hard to deny the smooth vocal blend, the luscious vocal performances that only come from EXO, and the consistent groove that doesn’t let go until the end.

Perhaps what feels missing is the fact that the song sort of fades out of existence in a way that feels unremarkable. I would have appreciated it more its ending was more substantial. You can say it is a gift box missing the ribbon, the final touch to make it sound complete.

Overall, ‘Hear Me Out’ is quite a successful song with a couple of things that prevent it from being a remarkable stand out. As usual, EXO’s stellar vocal delivery cannot be questioned, but it isn’t enough to push both pre-releases to become an end-of-year highlight. Let’s hope that the title track of the album will blow us all away!

Hooks – 9
Production – 8
Vocal Delivery – 10
Rap Delivery – 8
Overall – 8.75