We continue to bounce around the past year through the album review segment. Today, I am reviewing D.O’s 2nd mini-album, Expectation – his first solo release since finishing his military enlistment and solo debut back in 2021. It also follows on from D.O’s participation in EXO’s long awaited comeback with Cream Soda earlier on in the last year. Expectation features a total 7 tracks – the title track Somebody, the pre-release track I Do and five additional tracks.

Just some overall impressions on this mini-album to hope entice you to check out the mini-album if you haven’t yet – it is a highly recommended one from me. In hindsight, it should have been nominated for Best Album of 2023. But as I reviewed it way too late, I missed that opportunity and have robbed D.O of a potential win in that category. Massive apologies! But do check out the mini-album and let me know which is your favourite track as I have a few on here.

1. Somebody (Title Track) – Click here for the full review of Somebody. (9/10)

2. Wonder (기적) – I quite liked the upbeatness that Wonder featured. The indie pop sound came through so nicely, with the acoustic guitar being a really nice constant to keep the song grounded. The beat to Wonder is also definitely foot-tapping worthy. D.O’s vocals brings so much sweetness and cheerfulness to the table, and the melodies were just so captivating. I like the additions to the instrumental as Wonder went on, such as the claps we hear towards the end. These additions enhanced the cheerfulness and happy vibes that comes off the song, and made the indie track a little punchier so it wasn’t too consistent from start to end. Overall, a very easy-going and easy-on-the-ears listen that I personally enjoyed very much on this mini-album. (9/10)

3. I Do (별 떨어진다) (Pre-Release Track) – I Do was released back in early September, around two weeks before the official release of Expectation. My thoughts on Wonder can be reflected on I Do just as well, but there are some minute differences that does set it apart from the latter song. Firstly, I Do feels a lot more simplistic thanks to its instrumentation. I felt we steered towards more straight-forward pop in I Do and the only main instrument that makes up the backing is an acoustic guitar (with some bass). Simplicity can be said about the melodies as well, which I felt became even more attractive and addictive the more I listened to the song. And finally, D.O vocals were just stunningly effortless in I Do. (10/10)

4. Lost – Packing a punch is Lost, which is probably my ultimate favourite on this mini-album. Lost conveys a much heavier dose of emotions given the lyrics focus on a breakup. But we are not talking ballads here. Lost is a pop track, with the chorus featuring thumping beats that drive the song forwards and a darker pop-rock-like motif that adds complexity to this mini-album. I feel like this could be his answer to a dance track and would love to see how he would present this to us on a stage. With his vocals, you can hear how he ups the ante with more passion and power when it matters the most to make this an impactful and unforgettable song. (10/10)

5. Ordinary Days (내일의 우리) – Every time Ordinary Days plays, I get lost in it. I just find myself getting whisked away with the paced nature of the instrumental, and D.O’s vocals serves as the perfect vehicle to take me away. Everything is definitely a lot more delicate in Ordinary Days, compared to the other songs, but this shouldn’t scare you away from thinking it is just another ballad or is too slow-paced for you. (9/10)

6. The View – The View was the song that spoke to me the least on this mini-album. But I still find it to be quite pleasant one. D.O’s vocals are still captivating enough to fall into, and I liked the indie coffee shop inspiration behind the instrumental outro that closes out the song. I just wished there was a bit more to the song, such as a more memorable melody. (8/10)

7. Lost (Acoustic Version) – While I don’t tend to make comments on alternate versions of a song in my album review, the acoustic version of Lost felt like needed to be spoken about. Even without the oomph from the instrumentation of the original, this version still manages to come off as stilling. And I love the raw and unprocessed nature of his vocals in this version. I won’t include a rating for it, but it is definitely on par with the original.

Overall Album Rating – 9.2/10