With some exceptions, SM Entertainment has become known for keeping its roster of artists around for the long haul. Super Junior are currently their second-longest running group and celebrate their twentieth (!) anniversary today with a new album. SM’s anniversary projects tend to be great (SNSD’s Forever 1, SHINee’s The Story Of Light series, SuJu’s own Devil), honoring past work while breathing new life into the artists’ signature sound. Express Mode attempts just this but suffers a due to its lack of strong melody.
In the late 2000’s, Super Junior perfected a sort of jagged, hyper-rhythmic dance music on songs like Sorry Sorry and Bonamana, powered by the iconic production style of Yoo Young-Jin. I would’ve given anything to have Young-Jin return for this track, but given his leave from SM Entertainment that was always going to be a difficult proposition. His gift for a great hook is sorely missed on Express Mode. The song chugs along as you’d hope a great club track would, but stakes much of its claim on a chanted centerpiece that doesn’t elicit many sparks. While the K-pop industry is definitely exploring club beats this year, they seem to be allergic to doing anything more than talking charismatically over them. Come to think of it, rookie group ALL(H)OURS’s Gimme Gimme from earlier this year felt like more of a Super Junior tribute than Express Mode.
With this said, I’ll always be biased toward a song that brings the energy. Express Mode never goes off the way I’d hope and I don’t think it’s the “100% certified slapper” Siwon dryly claims at its outset, but there are moments of liftoff that are quite fun. Any time we get to hear the group’s powerful vocals is a treat and the rugged electro production supporting the chorus comes closest to recapturing past Super Junior glories. It’s probably my own fault for expecting this to be an easy “9,” making even a mid-8’s ranking disappointing.
Hooks
7
Production
8
Longevity
9
Bias
9
RATING
8.25