It is finally happening. I am finally making a start on the masssssive backlog of releases that I have not reviewed yet. I have a long path ahead. Anyway, back to the review. Here is my review for SUHO’s Hurdle. For those who missed it, EXO’s leader made a comeback back in April this year with Grey Suit, the title of both the lead track and his second mini-album (an album review is coming your way very soon). A few days after the release of Grey Suit, SUHO also dropped a music video for a second track, Hurdle, which will be the focus of this song review.

Hurdle is very different to the likes of Grey Suit. Grey Suit was a slow rock styled ballad that captivated me for showcasing SUHO’s divine vocals. Hurdle, on the other hand, takes on a much more upbeat and energetic style. One that I find to be equally as captivating as Grey Suit. Hurdle features a vintage rock sound, and does a grand enough job of bringing up the tempo on the mini-album from the title track. There is a head nodding vibe to the song that had me enjoying the track when I first heard whilst vetting the album to see if it is worth reviewing (spoiler, it is!). At the 2:15 mark of the song, Hurdle brings forth that an even more intense rock vibe, giving the song a climatic peak and adding some (unexpected) oomph. From then on out, Hurdle maintains the momentum and closes out the song in spectacular fashion. SUHO displays great vocals throughout the song, and I quite enjoyed the autotuned effect during the chorus, adding a fashionable and retro-like edginess profile to the song. The chorus had a great anthem like melody that adds to the memorable appeal of Hurdle. The only aspect of Hurdle that didn’t feel like it live up the rest of the song was the verses. They were easily forgotten in the midst of the chorus and climatic energy. I wished they had something going on that was more prominent, as this would have allowed Hurdle to get a perfect rating.

The song is about being stuck in the beginnings of a relationship, with time being the hurdle that is getting in the way of his partner giving him a clear response on what they are. For the video, it is depicted as working in a workplace where you are essentially ‘stuck in time’ similar to the parallel that SUHO draws about running hurdles to get that answer from his partner. We see what seems to be the usual 9-5 situation that is on repeat each day. SUHO clearly is the different person in the crowd, going the other way and dressing differently from everyone else. His boss does not make things easier and appears to make SUHO’s life hard day-in and day-out. In the end, it looks like SUHO emerges with an answer, as the video changes from boring office to a party and SUHO is not ‘tangled’ in the hurdles as we see him earlier in the video. Quite liked the purple and yellow colours throughout the video, which feels very retro but funky at the same time.

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