[Album Review] Wait On Me (4th Mini Album) – KAI (EXO)

Following the completion of his military enlistment in February 2025, KAI from EXO made a quick solo comeback with his 4th mini album, Wait On Me, in April of last year. It featured 7 songs in total, including the pre-release single Adult Swim and the lead single of the same name as the mini album. Wait On Me also serves as KAI’s first solo release since 2023’s Rover.

The Wait On Me mini album is not KAI’s strongest effort to date, but it is definitely up there. It just sits behind 2023’s Rover, which earned an 8.3/10 rating. That being said, Wait On Me did serve as a nice entrance for the 2025 summer period in a very KAI manner. More on each song below.

1. Wait On Me (Title Track) – Click here for my full review of Wait On Me. (8/10)

2. Walls Don’t Talk – Click here for my review of Walls Don’t Talk. (7.5/10)

3. Pressure – The unexpected flute in the chorus, the deep, sultry rhythmic beats throughout the background and KAI’s alluring vocals made Pressure subtly intense and sensual. I really enjoyed the push he gives himself during the second verse. Slightly repetitive if I am being critical, but the short span of under 2:30 minutes prevents Pressure from being branded as boring. (9/10)

4. Ridin’ – Ridin’ is a very experimental and textural techno hip-hop track. It was quite a lot, so keeping KAI’s vocals either monotonous or low-key was pretty clever. It does come with some risks, such as the background overpowering KAI at some points. I did like the synthesiser that appeared in the earlier parts of Ridin’, and wish it had returned towards the end. It gave Ridin’ a shimmering feel that helped offset the heftier elements of the beat. (7/10)

5. Off and Away – I really enjoyed the Afro-beats in Off and Away. It made for a very chill, tropical-esque track without losing the R&B feel that KAI’s music tends to lean towards. It is also my favourite track off the mini-album. His vocal work throughout Off and Away was solid. I also really liked his shouty ad-libs at the end. It adds depth and a subtle edginess to the song, leaving a strong impression in Off and Away‘s final moments to remember. (10/10)

6. Adult Swim (Pre-Release Track) – Click here for my review of Adult Swim. (7/10)

7. Flight to Paris – Jersey Club beats, dreamy synths and piano come together to create a soft finale for Wait On Me. Throw in KAI’s airy vocals, and Flight to Paris is such a nice and pleasant track to ease us out of KAI’s first solo release since 2023. (8/10)