Xdinary Heroes made their comeback way back in April this year, but I am only getting around to reviewing the lead single from this comeback now. Again, apologies for the lateness of this review. Freakin’ Bad leads the charge as the title track, coming from the band’s 3rd mini-album, Deadlock. Following the release of Freakin’ Bad, Xdinary Heroes also released additional music videos for some side tracks off the same mini-album, and I have intentions to review those songs/music videos in separate reviews in the future. But as for now, here are my thoughts on Freakin’ Bad.

Freakin’ Bad didn’t make much of an impression on me when it was first released in April. It actually took a while for me to get into the song through multiple listens. But now, I find Freakin’ Bad to be an exciting rock track that feels very Xdinary Heroes. I like that Xdinary Heroes has managed to find a distinct sound with their unique vocals and energetic instrumentations, both of which comes together to give a quirkier sound to your usual band/rock songs. Freakin’ Bad definitely feels like something that only Xdinary Heroes can pull off. The band instruments bring a continuous 80s vibe to the song that feels very straight-to-the-point and forward. But what makes Freakin’ Bad even better within the instrumental realm are the solo/instrumental break sequences, like Ju Han’s guitar solo midway and the synthesizer and drumming at the end. Vocally, I do think the higher pitch the members are executing feels ambitious. For the most part, they pulled it off well and I am impressed with Jooyeon’s scream and the chanty sequence at the end of the song. (As a short tangent, that “If you seek it, why owe you” line doesn’t make much sense, but was a clever way to adding some ‘freakin’ bad’ language into the song). But some other parts felt a bit too screechy for my liking and felt unpalatable. Had Freakin’ Bad somehow refined those screechy moments but maintain the energy and dynamism of Freakin’ Bad, then this comeback could have been even more defining for the group.

The intense energy of Freakin’ Bad is transferred well into the music video with its more rough camera work and edgier concept. And I quite enjoyed this music video. In the video, we see the band getting caught in the mall for some unknown reason, before they are questioned and taken away to jail. On the way to jail, the band utilise their instruments and speakers to blow up the police truck to escape and run away. And while they do celebrate their successful jailbreak, the ending shows the members setting off the alarms once again, proving that they are up to no good once again. Plot-wise, I could have used a bit more detail, just to round it out a bit. But apart from that, I enjoyed how the members’ solo shots were effectively and efficiently weaved into the story without it feeling stop-start and that the video flowed super well, as a result.

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