When Xydo signed with GROOVL1N Entertainment back in 2019, he was already a somewhat established underground hip hop / R&B artist in Seoul, under the collective known as Poison Holyc (now known as Value Per Hour). The collective includes other artists with whom Xydo has continued to work with — such as Haeil (formerly e.viewz) and Napier (who produced several of the songs on Xydo’s first EP, Betting).

Xydo has continued to be very prolific under GROOVL1N, collaborating with label mates Ravi, Cold Bay and (former labelmate) Chillin Homie, as well as other R&B / hip hop and vocal artists such as MRSHLL, BUMKEY, Coogie and YUNHWAY.

His first EP, Betting, explored many elements of musical expression which made it an easy listen and appealing to the pop audience. But with intriguing musical choices such as Hollow and Knight which showcased a dark, bluesy and sombre Xydo, it comes as no surprise that with his second EP, CYCLE, he is taking a longer and more sustained dip into those elements. 

With CYCLE, Xydo has returned from a foray into a series of tracks which have explored elements of jazz, dance and R&B — songs which have ranged from swinging and bombastic to understated and urbane — and immersed the listener into something soulful, introspective and perhaps, delicate.

FLOWER (feat. Yoon Juae)

The first song, Flower (feat. Yoon Juae) is a true duet, with both Xydo and Juae sharing the song with equal parts. In contrast to Xydo’s voice, Juae’s is warmer and seems to ground the song when she begins her verse. It is an interesting dynamic, and works so well. The song is dreamy, spacey, guitar-y and they profess an undying love even if reciprocation isn’t certain. It’s about taking a chance, even though the memory of past hurts can cause doubts. Is it fanciful to say that having both vocalists take equal parts says something a little about how both sides are taking the same chances, perhaps? 

PARADIGM

The title song, Paradigm, is a surprisingly intellectual take on how a couple might not see eye to eye. A paradigm is a set of beliefs or a mode of thinking — and the lyrics seem to capture the breakdown in a relationship that is beyond repair. They are like strangers again, unable to meet on the same plane of thought, with different views on where they are, like different layers of shifting sands between them. The song itself has urgency, but is wistful and sombre. Like its conceptual nature, it makes a clever musical choice at the end, when he seems to sing from another room, or through a phone call. 

Likewise, the music video makes clever use of visuals to articulate the way the relationship cannot be seen the same way by each of them. In it, Xydo walks within a black void that has a visual representation of their relationship in the form of a sapling or branch in various stages of growth. As he walks, his gait is stilted, but then we suddenly see him walking through a real forest, pure and green and free, and his steps are sure-footed and natural.

Later we see that he is both inside the void looking out at himself in the forest, and in the forest noticing himself in the void — and in the blackness the representations of nature become more and more fake, like pictures or sculptures, until finally, his limping walk comes to an end as he cannot walk anymore. From both vantage points we sometimes see a shifting focus, a fragmented visual. In its cleverness and conceptualisation, it points to how after all is broken and said and done, one can only think of the relationship — one can no longer feel for it. OOOOOOO!

CAN’T FALL IN LOVE

Can’t Fall In Love begins light, with plucking strings and a bare, syncopated snare and kick drum, before launching into a rather lush, blues-y ode to past mistakes and remembering the lies and the poison — and how it just can’t, shouldn’t, happen again. The final, surprising wind down and pitch change at the end is like an old record coming to rest, with no one around to wind it up and set it back to the start. The vintage gramophone sound of the music hall piano playing tag at the end is reminiscent of the musical accompaniment in the old variety halls and original cinemas. It closes the door on anything being rekindled, that’s for sure.

STAY (feat. Jade)

Stay (feat. Jade) is the sex song on the album, and it exudes everything sex — from the lyrics which are about the rush of attraction and infatuation and taking it to the next step, to the R&B slow jam vibe complete with the tip tapping high hat and snare, and the curt, driving guitar chopping at the beginning. Jade’s voice is sensual and light, and the song is steeped in slow, soft seduction, brewing gently and warming you up all ways. 

It is worth noting that Paradigm, Stay and Can’t Fall In Love were variously co-written by Xydo, Purple, Calmoody and vsclm (who also produced one of Xydo’s latest tracks, Gi Zi Ge), among other co-writers.

Like his voice, which is sometimes whispery, sometimes clear and bell-like, the songs envelop the listener in lyrics and music that explore the business of desire, infatuation, broken relationships and starting anew. Vocally, Xydo always keeps a light, ephemeral voice on the album, despite the fact that his lower register is rich and equally as charming as the higher tones he seems best known for. It is in keeping with most of the themes and narratives in his songs — except perhaps for Reborn, when he comes close to belting the final refrain. 

REBORN

Reborn is about coming through the darkness and finding that it isn’t as scary as it might have been once — and choosing to face a new day, reborn. It contains perhaps the only true belting moment vocally, with the song reaching an almost gospel-like intensity. At this moment we realise the true potential of Xydo’s voice, as even at its highest point in the song, there is room to go louder, higher. In this way we never really get everything from him, vocally — which is tantalising to say the least, because we can sense it is a deliberate choice despite his obvious abilities.

Is he holding back? Or is it to portray a sense of feeling out something new, of dipping one’s toe into the possibility of the new day, as Reborn seems to explore? It’s the feeling of carpé diem, but he is only just about to take the first step.

Perhaps we’ll get the Xydo taking a step over the edge on his next musical foray — but until then, why not stay and immerse yourself into this auditory and sensory musical landscape of love?

Written by: Christina O

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