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I start off this week with a review for another track which I should have reviewed sooner. This particular track, Do 4 Me by EPEX, was released on 26 October 2020 and is the very first comeback by the new male group who debuted earlier this year with Lock Down. Do 4 Me is featured as the title track on the group’s second mini-album, Bipolar Pt.2: Prelude of Love, which also dropped on the same day.

Swapping out the hip-hop dance track style their debut had gone for, Do 4 Me opts for a much different vibe – a funkier, colourful, vibrant dance track with a lot more personality and individual style. I quite enjoyed this change up and found it to be fun and lighthearted. So out of the gate, Do 4 Me is already ‘speaking to me’, as one would say. What makes Do 4 Me a bit more interesting is the way it is described. Their company has described the song as a homage to ‘Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust, INXS’s Need You Tonight, and Dua Lipa’s Break My Heart‘. While I am no music expert, I kind of get hints of the three songs in Do 4 Me. Queen’s Another One Bites The Dust comes through quite faintly the Do 4 Me‘s main hook (i.e. the line ‘So what are you going to do for me‘). It gives off a similar vibe and I feel the melody of the line to be somewhat similar. INXS’s Need You Tonight influence seems to come through the guitar work, with the heavy strumming present throughout both songs which both sound somewhat similar. To me, Dua Lipa’s Break My Heart is most prominent, with it influencing Do 4 Me‘s retro instrumentation style and the first line that opens the choruses. To be honest, the idea of the three songs in one is a bit out there and left field for me (especially with Dua Lipa’s song being part of the mix), but it somehow works extremely well. I liked how defined everything felt in this song, making it heftier and more pronounced. What EPEX do exceptionally well, in addition to the top three influences, was make themselves prominent over the instrumentation. Their vocals and raps were pretty strong and well-showcased throughout, adding additional boldness and defintion to the song. Overall, Do 4 Me comes off as a unique song, stands out in the crowd, and is ideal as a follow up song following a debut.

The song is about the feelings of falling in love for the first time. And the music video showcases that well through the group scenes, where the members look like they are crowding around a phone screen to compose the perfect text message to their crush. I am unsure if their solo shots adds to that. but they appeared to have a fun vibe that works well with the song. Elsewhere, I quite enjoyed the video – from the vibrancy that the colours offer, to the cool post-productions and transitions, to the camera shots. The only aspect that I disliked was the elementary boarding school boy outfits they wore (i.e. white/cream jumpers and black shorts). I get that they are trying to incorporate the idea of ‘first love’ into every aspect of the comeback (in this case – when does one experience their first love). But I found that it made them look way too young and the style just doesn’t suit them.

On stage, they are dressed much better and look like high school students, which is a better image for them. No specific moves stand out for me, but I enjoyed the bounce in the choreography and felt that it works extremely well with the song.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10