One week ago, I said I was going to prioritise one particular song for review as it rose to the top of my personal Weekly KPOP Charts for the 4th Week of May 2021. Unfortunately, I didn’t around to writing that review during the week. But it is still a priority, especially since I am publishing this review before so many other releases that I have promised myself to write reviews for (some of them released weeks before this particular song was released). But just in case for those who missed it (or don’t pay attention to my Weekly KPOP Charts), the song I am talking about is titled Hurt and it is a collaboration between Baekhyun (from EXO) and Seomoon Tak, who is a South Korean rock singer. This collaboration was released on the 10th of May, and has gone since without a review. However, that will change today with the release of the review! Just a few days prior to the release of Hurt, Baekhyun enlisted as a public service worker to fulfil this military enlistment duty.

I didn’t immediately check out the song upon its release. And that turned out to be a regret, because Hurt is soooo (yes, the extra o’s were necessary) good. Hurt is a rock track, showcasing both Baekhyun’s and Seomoon Tak’s vocal powers. The instrumentation has a nostalgic factor (i.e. synthesizer keyboard) for me, bringing me back to music I used to take a liking towards when I was younger. On top of that, the instrumentation is fiery and powerful, acting as the perfect backdrop to help lift those power vocals I just mentioned to be even more so. The song starts off with Seomoon Tak, who I am unfamiliar with. She is a rock singer (as stated earlier) who made her debut back in 1999. She takes the first verse and presents us with her raspy and husky vocals. Based on what you hear, you can tell she has experience in the genre. She sounds amazing throughout her solo parts, teasing us with her vocals with what you know is coming. Baekhyun doesn’t make an appearance in the song until the first chorus, in which he leads. We all know Baekhyun is a capable singer through a lot of his solo work and through EXO’s songs. But I don’t think we have ever heard him like this, showcasing powerful vocals that leave in me in awe. I really like the echoing they do with the song’s title in the chorus, which added so much depth to the song, The pair play switcheroo for the second part of the song, with Baekhyun singing the verse and Seomoon Tak taking helm of the second chorus. That being said, there is some crossover. Baekhyun has some stunning high notes in the second chorus. But I think the ultimate singer has to be Seomoon Tak who blew me away with the heft and intensity she throws behind her vocals in her chorus. But remember, Hurt is no competition between the two singers. They come together in a spectacular fashion for the final chorus, harmonising their power vocals together to create a really satisfying end to the song that just touches your inner soul in all the right places. Overall, the passion and intensity of Hurt, along with the pairing of Baekhyun and Seomoon Tak just makes Hurt unforgettable and highly recommended.

The music video for Hurt is quite simple. The pair perform their songs into microphones in front of a band, who plays the instrumentation of the song. The lighting makes the video’s ambience quite moody. But the song itself prevents the video from entering a gloomy feel. I liked the hand held camera work in this video, which I think made the video more impactful with its shakiness. It gave off a live impression. While we are on the topic of ‘live’, I did wish this was a live video, where they were singing and recorded live. That would have made it more stunning and impressive, whilst also showcasing the song in a very gripping way.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.6/10