EXO's Growl Review

As pointed out in an earlier post, there haven't been any knock-out, fantasmagorical music videos released recently so I'm reaching way, way, way back to somewhere around the beginning of the year for more material.  Disclaimer:  I would not be sitting in my living room, writing this blog if I owned anything having to do with EXO, their music, videos, or talent.  Heck no.  I'd be making a pest of myself, trying to weasel my way into working with them or joining the group as a temp back up anything... yeah.  If I had anything to do with their official anything, I'd probably have a restraining order by now.  Heh.

Anyway!  EXO's Growl.

The song didn't catch me right off the bat the way my favorite songs do, but it was bouncy and likable once I'd played it enough.

I would have enjoyed this video a lot more if they hadn't spent quite so much time with their hands on their crotches.  *Uncomfortable*  The first really obvious, lingering placement was at just 7 seconds into the video for goodness sake, and it only escalated from there. It happened again at 9 seconds, a double hand grab at 17 seconds, then a kind of a thrust into the hand at 32 seconds, etc.  It put me in mind of jock itch, where perhaps they just couldn't help but scratch or touch or anything to relieve the burning.  Or, maybe they were going into a dangerous situation without a cup on and were trying to protect their family jewels.  Their second English line of the song was 'So dangerous.'  Herpes maybe?  Their first English words were, 'So sexy,' after all.  What's more dangerous than a sexy woman with the clap?  And that would explain all the grabbing.  And even if you're thinking about skipping to the next paragraph to skip the rest of this complaint, just realize that I haven't been complaining about it half as long as they spent doing it!  So there.

Hey!  Stop that!  You'll go blind!

I watched a documentary on strippers once and they said the key to being sexy rather than raunchy was to be sensual rather than sexual.  Rubbing the lip?  Sensual.  Touching your d*ck?  Sexual.  Sorry, EXO.  Fail.

Whew, feels good to have that off my chest.   Ok, the rest of it... whatever tiny bit's left... kekekeke

Um, is it just me or do the guys remind anyone else of baby chicks following their mother, flapping their little wings as they go hopping off?  

And so happy!  I love when bands are able to look happy and into their routines, even though you know that they've practiced the dances hundreds of times and must be so bored with them by the time they film.  It takes real talent to make something so rehearsed look so fresh and fun.

What is this song talking about you may ask?  The lyrics are about being attracted to a girl who may or may not be a tease.  He's saying that he is jealous when other guys look at her and that he could get violent if anyone else tries to move in on her.  The song is a  weird vacillation between how good and gentle he'd be with her, and how wolfy and ferocious he'd be with any of his rivals.  And the name of the song?  Growl?  Heh. "I growl, growl, growl."  I know it's a little facetious of me, but I can't help but think of one of those little yappy dogs when I hear this line.  A little chihuahua that barks and growls and shakes before it runs away.  Lol!  Ok, sorry.  No, EXO boys, you're very intimidating. *Snickers*

I really enjoyed the dancing in Growl.  It was aggressive and almost popping, but not quite.  I've been searching for examples of some of my favorite moves, but apparently I enjoyed different parts than most other people because I couldn't find them anywhere!

Here's an example of some bits I liked:

  

I'm very sorry to EXO fans, but this is the first song that I've liked enough to make me at all interested in them.  But may I just say how difficult this music video made learning about them??  How many of them are there in total?  Not sure.  They're split into groups for most of it and the groups keep changing its members... I think...  What are their names?  Let's look up the one in the NY hat first.  Oh, two or three guys wore it.  There costumes are a bit different but not really different enough to be able to tell them apart.  What about the guy in the red hat?  Oh, that changes too.  Gosh darn it!  So frustrating.  Stop moving so much!

Lastly, I have to mention the hat retrieval move.  Yes, every blog so far has mentioned it, but wouldn't you feel that I had forgotten something if I did not also?  Exactly.  Hat retrieval drop spin!

Smoothest. Move. Ever.

And guy next to him spares only a glance before flowing into his own part.  No hesitation!  Guess that's where the hours and hours and hours of practice really pay off.  Beautiful.

I know there's also a bit of a laugh about one of the filming crew being caught in the background through a window, but I would never have seen him in a million years so I'm not going to include a picture of him here.