6 hours ago
5
One of the songs released last week that caught my attention was xikers’ comeback single, SUPEROWER (Peak), which serves as the lead single off their 6th mini-album, House of Tricky: Wrecking the House. Their last comeback, Breathe, was released in April this year, as part of their 5th mini-album, House of Tricky: Spur.
There were a few things that caught my attention within SUPERPOWER (Peak) whilst I was tuning into the new releases last week. However, ultimately, the song’s boldness was the most prominent and noteworthy aspect to discuss. The electro hip-hop background, from the hollow tinny beats at the start to the range of textured synth work in the verses, made this entire instrumental piece extremely appealing. Yes, it was loud, and I can understand why some might find it even obnoxious. But I really liked it. Even the instrumental break inserted at the end of SUPERPOWER (Peak) was very cool, and interestingly, it brought a touch of 2010s nostalgia to me. As for the members, they did exceptionally well with their aggressive and powerful raps and vocals. All the raps in the verses were super engaging, with each rapper bringing their own style to SUPERPOWER (Peak). As for the vocals, the autotune during the pre-chorus felt reminiscent of vocals from other electronic-based songs, while I really liked HYUNWOO’s powerful showing during the bridge. SUPERPOWER (Peak)‘s chorus sees xikers deliver the song’s centrepiece as a powerful shouty chant. While I don’t mind it, I do think it is a bit typical in the current landscape of boy-group music. But overall, SUPERPOWER (Peak) really excelled, and I really enjoyed it.
SUPERPOWER (Peak) is about how the members are in their most powerful form, which gives them the power to break down the walls and boundaries in their current form. This itself is essential context, as well as the fact that this album is the last in their House of Tricky series, which has been a consistent part of their album names since their debut. If you fast-forward to the end of the video, you will see the House of Tricky collapsing as the members leave the building, symbolising the closure and departure of the House of Tricky era. For some reason, xikers and the SUPERPOWER (Peak) conceptually fit in well with the industrial and underground setting, with the cyber cityscape in the background. Definitely a cool video, overall.
I really liked how the performance for SUPERPOWER (Peak) was both an intense routine and a hype routine. It was definitely a powerful routine, with xikers putting their all into the different ranges of intensity and building up the hype. I love how the dance break at the end of the routine (which coincides with the club vibe instrumental break of the song) was the peak moment of the entire performance, and it left me very satisfied and gratified with the routine.
Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9/10
English (US) · 