On March 24, Xdinary Heroes released their first discography of 2025 and the 6th Mini Album of their career as a band, titled “Beautiful Mind.” They will then start a world tour with a four-day performance in Seoul and then a performance at Lollapalooza in Chicago later in July. As of writing, the music video for “Beautiful Life” has reached 5.4 million views on Youtube, and a World Tour announcement with current stops including cities around Southeast Asia and the U.S.
“Beautiful Mind” is such an interesting album that I have listened to from their entire discography, and I believe that’s because they’ve improved their craft as a rock band once again. In this blog, I will discuss my thoughts and feelings as well as some details I want to point out in each song. I will also rate these songs from 1 to 10, 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest, so hold on to your seats, bepeus!
1. FIGHT ME (9.5/10)
I wish I could just say that “Fight Me” is delivered as advertised, but this is technically not a product review. The song offers high bursts of energy in each beat, and even though some may not fully understand Korean, you can tell that this song and its lyrics are made as if someone is taunting you to fight.
This song reminds me a lot of anime openings/OSTs, specifically Shonen genres like My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen. That opinion stood strong when I listened to its full version, as it featured hard rock throughout aside from the buildup of the intro leading to that. I especially adore the chorus (“Fight me, I see the victory”), as it’s such a catchy and badass way to use as an opening track. I would also like to point out that I was caught off guard at the bridge and even the last chorus because amidst the loud and heavy rock music throughout the song, it pauses with O.de’s synths and/or Jooyeon’s vocals.
The lyrics are what I thought made FIGHT ME self-explanatory. They are pretty much written as though the singer (in this case, Xdinary Heroes) is prepared to fight whatever is blocking their way and is ready after the struggles they have been through. I believe that this resonates with them for the three to four years that they have been playing as a rock band since there were surely some obstacles along their way—such as when they had to be put back into a trainee phase right after their debut with Happy Death Day.
All in all, FIGHT ME is an energizing song for an opening track, and the instrumentals make it so fun for me to listen to as it reminds me of music that is usually used in anime fights. The lyrics and even the vibe of the song are self-explanatory, so it saves me from overanalyzing and understanding what it means as a writer. With that out of the way, I rate the opening song a solid 9.5/10.
2. Beautiful Life (10/10)
Courtesy of JYP Entertainment, Studio J
Is it bad to say that I can’t get enough of “Beautiful Life”? Before I became a K-pop stan, I did not like being one at all. Instead of the trends and obsessions my elementary and high school classmates have about BTS or maybe BLACKPINK, my music life is mostly rock songs from the Beatles, Queen, Led Zeppelin, and so many more. It was only when I went to Korea for an exchange program that I became one. Having said that, Beautiful Life initially RADIATED Queen vibes to me. The acoustic piano in their teaser reminded me of “My Fairy King,” which also featured a heavy instrumental with a rather calming piano. But after its release, I can confidently say that Xdinary Heroes made an amazing twist to this song that is just as fun to analyze as a writer.
The song features soft and lighthearted instrumentals such as the piano and the bridge with Jooyeon and Jungsu (“No way to break away, you’re caught in lies that never end”), but also hard instrumentals such as their chorus and even the hard drop right after Jooyeon’s intro (“No one’s here to find you”) in the song. As far as experience goes, I’ve only had piano and voice classes, so I have little to no knowledge about music production and composition and, therefore, have no valuable comment about their song’s compositions. However, this song is something that I can hold close to my heart because they were able to incorporate Queen-like acoustics and even harmonies and fanfare-like music of My Chemical Romance’s “Welcome to the Black Parade” into a song that includes their twist of music. All in all, Beautiful Life is such a theatrical song that includes so many types of music. Although the band wanted this song to be seven minutes long, I still appreciate their way of expressing such a beautiful track.
How about the lyrics? As I mentioned, Beautiful Life is such a fun song for me to analyze as a writer. The foremost detail I can point out is their pre-chorus, which goes like this:
Ooh, Ooh, Ooh
War is peace and Freedom’s slavery
Ooh, Ooh, Ooh
Ignorance is strength, oh God
Why does this seem fun to analyze if it appears to be confusing or straightforward at first? It’s because the pre-chorus is a reference to George Orwell’s novel “1984.”
From left to right: Junhan, Gunil, Jooyeon, O.de, and Gaon (source: JYP Entertainment on YouTube)
Now, I’m not writing for SparkNotes, nor am I writing a full literary essay, so I will explain this as concisely as possible. “1984” is a dystopian novel, and in that novel, there is a political party called the English Socialist Party. The party’s slogan is “War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength.” The idea is that each phrase’s concepts are so contradictory that people would just believe that such ideas are accepted and true. They’re basically encouraging the people in this novel to “believe” and accept anything, whether it be a truth or a lie.
That seems to be the main idea of the song, which is believing in what’s real in reality. I believe that Xdinary Heroes wrote this in the context of accepting reality as it is and not living with lies that may eventually lose their way. I can give more insights about this song in particular, but to summarize, this song deserves to be a title track. The Queen and My Chemical Romance vibes, topped with their own spin on things, made it such a fun song to listen to and even more fun as a writer to understand their lyrics as a story. I rate this a 10/10, which is a rare rating for me to give, but this is literally the perfect song that embodies their punk rock concept as a band.
3. more than i like (8/10)
First off, the teaser alone took me all the way back to when I was 7 years old and my older brothers were putting Green Day and Red Hot Chili Peppers on full blast on their computer. Even though I’m sure that XH took inspiration from the punk rock bands of the 2000s and early 2010s, I did not think that they’d ever produce a song that would trigger a strong sense of nostalgia in me.
The full song made that nostalgic factor all the more prominent to me. The instrumentals and the music overall really reminded me of Green Day, and knowing that Gaon, the rhythm guitarist, is a fan of the rock band. I wouldn’t be surprised if he came up with this song in particular. more than i like, compared to the rest of the tracks in this album, is rather formulaic in my opinion; predictable instrumentals, powerful but beautiful vocals, and even an outro that reminds me of the punk rock concepts of the late 90’s to early 2000’s, but that doesn’t take away how enjoyable the song is to listen to.
I literally smiled when Gaon opened the song (“More, just more, just more than I like you”) because, as I mentioned, he is a Green Day fan, and I’m sure he’d love this song as it radiates such a vibe. As far as the lyrics go, it’s just as formulaic, as it’s a romantic song where the singer wants the partner to comfort them and say that they like them more than the singer likes them. I don’t think there is much to analyze aside from the fact that the lyrics remind me of the emo/punk rock of the same period.
Again, this song is formulaic in my opinion, which means that I’ve already seen and gone through other songs that embody the same music and idea. But what makes this stand out from other songs I’ve listened to is that this is such a nice nostalgic trip to me, and a pleasant song to listen to all the way. My only wish is that they’d made the song longer, but other than that, I can rate this song a good 8/10.
4. Diamond (9/10)
Fun fact: Did you know that diamonds and coal share the same compound? They contain carbon in both materials, but the reason the shiny and hard gem stands out is that it is made under intense heat and pressure under the earth.
It may not be much, but it definitely helps with what to expect for this song. Diamond is a full English song, so it’s very easy to understand the meaning of the lyrics. The singer seems to lament about the pressure and the “fire” in their mind and surroundings, but others don’t know about what they’ve been through. (“You didn’t know that I’m a diamond, I’ve got proof in my eyes”) Despite that, the lyrics state that they know what they are after all the pressure they’ve been subjected to. And because of that, they’re ready to face anything in their way. (“You got me baring my facets for you, I’ll cut through anything”) After all, “Diamonds are made under pressure.”
How about the music? First of all, wow. For a song that’s about pushing through life even under pressure, this is quite a HARD song to vibe to. I’m aware that Xdinary Heroes are experimenting with their music—their earliest hard rock song being Bicycle. But the fact that they are able to make songs like these and EVEN make a full-on metal song like iNSTEAD! is a testament to the journey and evolution of their discography. What I’m impressed about is the outro instrumental because not only did Jooyeon nail a vocal fry scream, but Jungsu was also able to join in and nail a vocal fry himself! It’s such an impressive feat for two vocalists of the band to improve their talents and show a new side of themselves in this song.
I used to dislike hard rock/metal songs, mostly because I feel overwhelmed listening to them, but Xdinary Heroes once again showed me why I should listen to their songs as they keep improving their skills each comeback and deliver an amazing track to listen to. I rate this a 9/10 for the reasons I just listed above and also because of how this song feels like such a powerful thing to listen to.
5. Supernatural (9.5/10)
Supernatural is a small break from all the high-energy rock songs that this mini album has to offer. Instead of the high BPMs and heavy instrumentals, this gives you a slow song that makes you feel like you’re singing an anthem. When the tracklist was first released, I thought that Supernatural would be the song that would have the heaviest instrumentals, but I was pleased to know that it’s not the case. After listening to it, I can confidently say that this is a very touching song that I have listened to and even understood, which is something I can talk about in a moment.
This song starts right off with Jungsu’s voice and piano, telling you right away that this is a more mellow track for the entire album and, therefore, a “palate cleanser” for the listener. It then follows with O.de’s synths that are noticeably present for the rest of the song, and the most memorable part for me is the chorus (“Let me see you, let me hear you, supernatural”). I’m in love with Jooyeon and Jungsu’s vocals in this! All in all, I can imagine the crowd singing this as if it’s an anthem at their concert in the next few months!
The lyrics are what I found best in this song. When translated into English, the song suggests that it is about depression, locking one’s heart away from others, and overcoming that feeling by having someone important to one’s life. I say that it is about depression because, at the beginning, the singer sings about falling down and wanting to stay down for a little longer because they’ve always run forward tirelessly without looking back and only felt like they were living just to hold on and survive. No one knew what they were going through, as noted in the pre-chorus, until they found someone who was able to see and hear them for what they’d been experiencing, telling them that they could do it, and noting that they were a magical miracle that made them believe they could get up again.
This song is such a touching topic because I know that situations like this are real and can be scary at times. But this serves as a lesson for us that there is someone out there who cares and worries and is even willing to help us get back on our feet. The slow and mellow rock instrumentals add to the effect. I feel touched that Xdinary Heroes is a band that can touch hearts with their music. Having said that, I rate this song a 9.5/10 and also add in the message for whoever is reading this that it’s okay not to be okay, but remember that you’re never alone in this world.
6. George the Lobster (7.5/10)
George the Lobster is the most interesting song title that I’ve known for a while, considering that they’re a rock band. When the song list was released, I took one look at it and thought, “Are they referencing George Russell*?” After listening to the full song, there is a lot that I want to talk about regarding this song.
We’re brought back to another rock song after the slow and mellow track that is Diamond, starting with Jooyeon’s vocals and then followed by a cool rock instrumental in which I could highlight O.de’s synths. I also would like to highlight Junhan’s vocal lines in the first verse. He’s the main guitarist of the band, and he doesn’t have many lines, as he prefers to focus his talents on his guitar, just like Gunil has few lines in their entire discography because he is a drummer. However, this song surprised me because Junhan rapped in his only lines. I don’t remember Junhan rapping in any of the songs he sang in, so him rapping this time around is such a pleasant surprise for me! What I also like in this song is their pre-chorus; it is a mix of harmonic piano and intense drums that build up to the main chorus. To top it all off, the song ends with a very cool guitar riff by Junhan!
I think I know the reason why they named the song George the Lobster. It is because the lyrics refer to certain qualities of a lobster. A lobster can shed its shell, which is called molting. A lobster can also regenerate their claws and antennae, and although they are not immortal, they can live for as long as 100 years or older. All of these are referred to in their song, but it is still interesting to note that this is called George the Lobster. After understanding the lyrics, I believe that this song is told from the perspective of “George.” Lobster or not, this song is about him wanting to be a bigger being in a world that he finds scary and to overcome his trials in said world.
As much as this song is such a unique take on rock, I just felt like it lacked a little something. I know many would make this an iconic song from Xdinary Heroes for its interesting title; I think I’d give this a 7.5/10 as it personally didn’t match the energy that I felt when listening to the rest of the tracks.
* George Russell is a British Formula 1 Driver. Just know that I’m a huge F1 fan that went delulu when I mentioned it to Gaon, who then noticed me on JYP Fans at the time (true story!).
7. BBB (Bitter but Better) (8/10)
Finally, we’re at the last track of the album, which is BBB (Bitter but Better)! Along with George the Lobster, I found this title to be very interesting, mostly because they rhyme. As this was the last song to be listed on the album, I am very pleased that the song was very catchy.
The song starts with the band chanting “Ah ah what’s your favorite? I-I-I’m a maverick,” followed by an equally catchy instrumental. The song then follows with a very satisfying pre-chorus and then a very cool chorus (“You got the real thing, bitter but better”). There isn’t much to comment on, as the song carried the same energy all the way, but it is such a great song to end an amazing album!
I think the lyrics, when translated to English, would probably throw listeners off guard, but knowing how songs or poetry work, I’m pretty sure that the entire song means something else. To begin, a “maverick” means “an unorthodox or independent-minded person.” As the title suggests, Xdinary Heroes are singing about how they are bitter but better individuals that people find hard to swallow. The entire song plays around such an idea through words related to taste, and as a writer, I can understand that this song is a way for them to express that they are different and independent, and even though people would not take it to their liking, they keep being unapologetically themselves.
To end, I give this song an 8/10, mostly because this is such a catchy song to listen to and a fun song to end Beautiful Mind.
Verdict
From left to right, top to bottom: Jooyeon, O.de, Jungsu, Junhan, Gaon, Gunil
Beautiful Mind delivered an amazing experience as a Villain-since-debut girl, and this is also an amazing way for them to introduce themselves before starting their second world tour and performing at Lollapalooza Chicago in July. The mini album offered tracks that covered a wide variety of sub-genres in rock music, and their title track, “Beautiful Life”, is the highlight (and my favorite) track of this album. The music video delivered amazing acting skills, leaving a wonderful and emotional experience for the audience and suggesting a departure from their previous storyline/adventures of the past year (e.g., Little Things and Night before the end). The song, however, plays on the vibes that Queen and My Chemical Romance are known for but made it their own with their punk rock concept. It’s too early in their career to call this song their magnum opus, but Beautiful Mind is their best entry so far, experimenting with different tunes and beats to bring the message that Xdinary Heroes have a chaotic mind and concept, but their way of delivering music and touching the hearts of the listeners is what makes it “beautiful”. For this, I rate the entire album a grand average of 9/10.
How about you, bepeus and Villains? We would love to know your opinions and ratings for Beautiful Mind! You can listen to their album on Youtube Music, Spotify, or other streaming platforms that you use! Feel free to speak your beautiful mind about their recent comeback in the comments below. Have a wonderful day, bepeus! 💗💗💗
Annyeong, beupeus! I am Skye Blu, and I am a Forensic Science student with a huge passion for music, books, and writing stories and poetry. Since 2019, I've been a die-hard fan of K-Pop groups such as Stray Kids and Xdinary Heroes! "Skye, can you write?" This is the one question that triggered a lifelong commitment for me to find my ultimate reason to write. People say that writing is a form of art and expression when verbal words fail to do so, and when I was 10, I started writing stories to express my passion for creativity and adventure. In my 10 years of writing, I realized that everything around me in my everyday life is a story in itself. Since discovering that, I made it my mission to write down my experience with life both fictionally and realistically. I hope that my stories will touch the hearts of people who get to read them and inspire them to start finding their reason and adventures through art, too.
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The World May Be Too Fast, but K-Pop Is Here to Stay
1 comment
WOOOO beautiful life supremacy