Review: EXO 2016 Winter Special Album - For Life

If months ago I wrote my very first review ever, about EXO 3rd Full Album EX'ACT, now I'm going to write a review about EXO newest winter album, For Life. I'm sorry to inform you that this is going to be a Kpop Area all over again, just because. 

EXO members are already busy enough with all of those EXO'rDIUM concerts, and they made a Japanese comeback recently with Coming Over. I just want them to take a rest, spending their christmas with their family, but they decided to surprise us again with a winter album that has been released on December 19th 2016.

Frankly speaking, I'm not surprised that EXO will release another winter album this time, because they alway release winter album since 2013. But I'm still dead nevertheless. Winter will always be hot if they do this every year.

EXO's 1st winter album is Miracles in December (MID), which was released on December 9th 2013. It has two versions, as always, Korean and Chinese version. It consists of 6 songs and Miracles in December is the title of the main track for comeback. This album is so lit, the Music Video for MID is also so sad and so angst, and I kinda miss the comeback because EXO still had 12 members at that time. It's okay, never accept rejection as failure. Look at the album cover!

This album has a really cute concept. They performed with suspenders, and fans call this as suspenders era. But I still don't understand with those ugly hair they pulled out on the teaser pictures. Like, what the hell? And why are they closing their eyes? I don't have any idea. Because it's EXO, I let hem pass.

EXO didn't make a winter album comeback on 2014, maybe because at that time, there were so many things going on, for your information, EXO had lost 2 members in the same year, and I think that's why SMent didn't release a winter album. It's okay. At least they can get more time to repent and take a rest. It was such a gloomy year for EXO and fans, so yeah I understand.

EXO's 2nd winter album is Sing For You (SFY), which was released on December 10th 2015. It also has Korean and Chinese version, and consists of 5 songs. People especially fans really welcomed this album because it was two years since the last time they did a winter comeback. I definitely love this album, and SFY is such a really sad song and the Music Video is also sad. I told you, EXO will never have a happy christmas songs. I'm fine and contented.

This album also pulls a weird concept, but still cool at the same time. There is an astronaut facing a really huge whale in an outer space (as you can see above, it's the cover of the album). 

Fans started to make so many theories about the meaning of this concept. People said, that huge whale is a really rare species in the world, called a 52-hertz whale. It is an individual whale of unidentified species, which calls at the very 52-hertz frequency. It has been described as the world's loneliest whale. It sings a song like no other. Some say it wanders alone across the Pacific Ocean, crying out for companionship that never comes.

What a beautiful concept, indeed. Oh, and don't forget about the teaser pictures! They look so flawless, and so so hot. But, look at those fake snowflakes. I'm impressed.

Okay, now we hop onto the main topic, EXO's 3rd winter album, For Life!

As always, SMent surprised us with something different in every year. This year, they drop a really nice and aesthetic picture of 9 ice cubes in a transparent glass. The thing is, those ice cubes look like snowflake, and it actually reads EXO. EXO has 9 members, therefore they put 9 ice cubes there inside the glass. Excellent!

I'm going to state my opinions about these teaser pictures of every member! I'm excited!

They released the teaser pictures with two members in every picture. Because EXO has 9 members, an odd number, SMent decided to combine Baekhyun teaser pictures with the cover of the physical album. Baekhyun looks so aesthetic, and so cool. He looks like he is posing for a magazine. I like how he looks down and stares at his hands so we can see his perfect left-side face. He looks so gorgeous, what should I do :(

Okay, we have Jongdae (left) and Junmyeon (right) here in the teaser picture. Look at Jongdae's perfect highlight and eyebrows! He has a really beautiful pair of eyebrows. And wow that haircut though, so damn perfect. I love his facial expression so much, he looks so serene looking at his right like that. He looks to the right because we left. #badumtss

With Jongdae's close angle, now we can look at Junmyeon who calmly sits on a desk? I don't know what is that, but look at his far-away look expression! He seems troubled but hot at the same time and I love his pair of shoes. Are those socks am I seeing???

Wow, next one is Jongin (left) and Yixing (right) teaser picture! I personally love Jongin teaser so much because the director took it with a perfect angle, and damn I'm trembling!!! Jongin seems to love this pose so much because he always does this pose in every individual teaser. He knows he is attractive. I love how he looks straight to the camera with that solemn expression and the camera seems to focus on his face and blurs his sweater. Such a beautiful sight to ever happen in my life. His shoulder covers his lips so it leaves us with this mysterious feels? Or is it just me?

Yixing, the King of China! Damn, that wild haircut and that cute pose. He looks warm with that sweater and look at those long sleeves that cover both of his hands! For real though, where can I get the sweater? Oh, I love his stay-still standing pose, and he looks to the left because we don't treat him right. #StopNuha2k16 #YixingAppreciationPost

Can we talk about how hot Sehun (left) and Chanyeol (right) here in the picture? Sehun had his hair blonde when he did this photoshoot and not to be overly dramatic but he looks so so so young and gorgeous. He has perfect line for eyebrows, so sharp and straight. Look at those manly hands, he looks like he is about to choke himself by pulling out his neck sleeve like that. He is handsome, he can do anything he wants.

Chanyeol.......I don't know, I have conflicted feelings about his curly hair. The hair stylists did him dirty this time. The same like Sehun, Chanyeol looks so young here. I love his expression here, he looks straight to the camera and he seems like he is about to ask for a duel. He wanna fight me. Challenge accepted.

The last one, is Minseok (left) and Kyungsoo the Great (right) teaser picture! Minseok really impresses me with that pose! How can he do that? He lays down on that desk and look at to the camera??? How rude??? He has brown hair this time, and he also looks so young here I give up. Those lips! Shit! 

Okay. Bear with me this time. Not to be overy dramatic and sensitive, but PLEASE LOOK AT KYUNGSOO THE GREAT PICTURE. God, he looks so tempting, and so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How dare he to do that to me? First, I want to thank the director to choose this perfect picture. Or art? Yes, art! He looks to the ceiling or what, the fuck man. Second, his jaw, look at his jaw! I will admit that I couldn't stop staring at this picture when it was released. I was so so so emotional, and so enchanted. He looks so beautiful here. I 11/10 love his facial expression. He looks up because we bring him down. Okay maybe I have to stop with the joke. But please, tattoo this beauty on your mind. Third, look at that adam apple, and that slender neck. Look at those lips! Okay okay stop, please stop I have to stop! But I feel like touching that jaw and see if my hands bleed after that. Just curious.

Different from previous albums, For Life album only has one version but consists of two CDs, Korean and Chinese version. As for your information, year-end award events are getting nonsense in determining the winner criteria. I forget which one, but one of music company, decided to count EXO album separately. They will count the Chinese album sale separately. I mean, this is not an issue last year, and years before that. But why now? Salty much? 

SMent is being smart here for combining both of the albums and coming out from the comfort zone to proof everyone that EXO will still be fine with one version of album. 

For Life album consists of two CDs and each CD consists of 5 songs. Let's begin!

1) For Life

This song is mainly about a sincere guy promising his one and only love for life. It has a really touching meaning, like how a guy wants to make his lover happy and all. Never gonna let you go, giving you my heart and soul. I see this song as a song dedicated from EXO to fans who have been there and stay with EXO all these time, shit I'm getting cheesy. For Life is a romantic pop ballad song driven by beautiful piano and strings, that talks about love that never changes. This song starts with a really beautiful piano sound, that will lull you to sleep. It's so beautiful, and sad. Baekhyun sings the first part, followed by Chanyeol. Can we just open forum group discussion about Chanyeol's voice in the start of the song? He does an improvisation and that is so beautiful. He improves a lot in singing. Not to be biased but I'm addicted to Kyungsoo singing giving you my heart and soul, starts from minute 2:10 until 2:20. He sounds so perfect, all of them sound so perfect. I always love Kyungsoo the Great's voice, so I almost cried when I listen to this song for the first time. That's so close. I'm very upset that Sehun only gets 2-3 seconds of singing parts. He deserves more than that. I also get addicted at chorus part when Baekhyun sings never gonna let you go, because the piano starts to sound sharp and precise, this is difficult to explain (just listen to minute 2:55). Oh don't forget Kyungsoo sings the last part of the song and HE IS FUCKING HUMMING IN THE END OF THE SONG AND I JUST SNAPPED. It's so rude, Kyungsoo. You just killed me, like, 99 times. Bravo! 

And then, let's talk about the Music Video. It is also so sad. Only three members being featured in the MV; Jongin, Junmyeon, and Chanyeol.  You have no idea how messy my Twitter timeline is when the news came. There are so many individual solo stans here, so people start to complain why only three members being featured in the MV. I mean, if you say you stan EXO, you should have stanned all of the members though, and not being selfish by not wanting to watch the MV because your bias isn't there. That's like, so so so immature. How dare you to ignore the art aka For Life MV. Jongin looks so hot but I don't have idea why the hell he wears bad boy clothes here in the MV. It doesn't fit the plot. Junmyeon is so gorgeous here even when he just sleeps there in the forest, and Chanyeol shows us his perfect acting skill. He almost kissed the girl in the MV! That's such a close call! 

With a really packed schedule, I'm wondering when the fuck did they film the MV and record for the album. I'm becoming worried because they are busy as hell, and they still have time to film and did album photoshoot. I don't understand. Oh yeah, they don't make life performance for For Life because year-end events are so packed, so they don't have time to sing it life. I'm sad, but happy at the same time. 

2) Falling For You

This song is different with For Life who pulls a really sad theme, Falling For You sounds so happy and cheerful. It's healing your wound after you listen to For Life. This song is famous for the ooh ah ooh ah, ooh ah ooh ah part, you have to listen to it for you to understand what I mean because I sound so stupid describing it like this without you listening to the song HAHAHA. Chanyeol once again hits me hard with his singing voice. Kyungsoo sings the first part of this song and Jongin following right after. This is such a happy song! Sehun's yeah girl, come on makes me bald. 

3) What I Want For Christmas

Winter album and christmas can't be separated for real. This song is so beautiful, so R&B and you know what? If I say R&B then I mean Kyungsoo, because his voice really fits for R&B songs. Jongdae, the lead vocalist of EXO, starts the song with a really beautiful voice, when he pronounces christmas, I just snapped. After that, Kyungsoo sings his parts. I don't want to be lame or anything but when his voice appears on minute 00:18, I cried, I literally cried, tears ran down on my cheeks and I can't stop whimpering because his voice is so so so beautiful, and calming. And the sound of the R&B vibe doesn't help at all. Until now, I can't keep calm everytime he sings those part, I thank you, hangsang, you babe, teukbyeolhan seonmureun piryo eopseo, cuz you, you’re the one I want for christmas. He did that! It also doesn't help me to keep calm when Kyungsoo says yeah, in minute 1:32!!!!!!!!! He just says yeah and I lost my shit! Okay, move on. I love how Jongdae, Junmyeon, Kyungsoo, and Baekhyun complement each other's voice by adding some adlibs here and there. It's so perfect. Another favourite part is when Kyungsoo hits a highnote at minute 2:22. Gosh, I love Kyungsoo so much.

4) Twenty Four

I thought this is Hotline Bling by Drake because the start of the song sounds the same??? Shit I shouldn't drake and drive next time. I got really shocked because this is actually a really hiphop song??? After What I Want For Christmas??? I was shookt! Jongin's voice sounds so perfect here and he gets so many singing lines. It's mainly about them singing you are my twenty four on repeat until they die. Okay, joke. Sehun and Minseok voices are so clear here and my cutiepie Sehun gets many singing lines here and I'm so happy :') You can even hear his lisp and it is so cute??????? My favourite part is Chanyeol singing in minute 1:01, it is so lit man he raps like a mad man, a hot one. I'm so shookt with every part of this song. Twenty Four's beat is like that kind of beat you hear from rapping program Show Me The Money. Don't forget Jongin doing adlibs in minute 3:04 and singing nanana nanana oh oh at minute 3:25 and that's so lit my ass burns. Also Minseok ends the song with twenty four, twenty four, twenty four, yeah perfectly! He is pretty much ending every fangirls' life too.

5) Winter Heat

The song turns to be slower again, not upbeat like before, but still slay nevertheless. The reff part sounds more upbeat and cheerful than the rest of the song. Kyungsoo does adlibs in the very first part of the song, and I can feel shiver ran down my spine. Good God. He also sings the first part, I'll be waiting for ya, waiting for ya. Chanyeol then raps perfectly with that heavy voice of his. Jongdae sings the reff part together with Baekhyun. If I think about it, my favourite part is when they sing han beon deo, ttatteushage anajwo. Don't forget Sehun raps in minute 1:35 and I can't help but feeling overwhelmed because this boy sure is precious. Kyungsoo also does adlibs so many times starts at minute 2:41, and man I'm so in love. Baekhyun also does a lot of adlibs. EXO vocals are no joke.

Overall, every single song in this album is worth listening. Anyway, if you want to download all of the songs, come here! I love all of the songs, and as always, if I'm being asked to list from most fave song until less fave song, I'm gonna answer:

For Life - What I Want For Christmas - Twenty Four - Winter Heat - Falling For You

I like For Life the most because it gives me chill everytime I listen to it, and mainly because I'm weak for ballad and angst songs. I less fave Falling For You because, I don't know, it's good but yeah, still can't beat the other 4 songs. The conclusion: dead.

Until the next review!

Kyungsoo the Great, fuck why.