Summer has ended and I’ve found my transition track into the new season. EXO’s Baekhyun and rapper Loco teamed up for a new collaboration single titled “Young”. Baekhyun hinted at the collaboration back in July as part of SMTOWN’s 'STATION' series, a digital music release channel with the goal of being a young generation culture project. It began in 2016 and ran for a second season last year, showcasing a variety of artists, producers, and composers. This year has a new spin-off with season 3 being rebranded to 'STATION X 0’ (Station Young).
Befitting of the youth theme of 'STATION X 0’, Baekhyun x Loco’s “Young” is an anthem to breaking the rules of tradition and societal expectations while you’re young. What’s really convincing is Loco’s punctuated rhythm of rebellious verses: “If you did what they told you to do, you wouldn’t be able to hear. If you only used your shoulder to put on your backpack, you wouldn’t be able to dance.” Baekhyun carries the mesmerizing melodic verses and choruses, his harmonizations infused throughout the song until the dense and heavy groove seeps into your consciousness before you even realize it.
The ‘STATION’ format is a great way for SM artists to explore different styles and showcase what they wouldn’t normally do with their regular group or solo releases. They also get to collaborate with artists from other companies, which allows these really great, unexpected pairings. The first release of the season was Taeyeon and Melomance’s “Page 0”, followed by Baekhyun and Loco’s “Young”. Just this week we got the season’s third release with an EXO rapper duet in the form of Chanyeol x Sehun’s “We Young”, who also get to showcase their vocal singing chops they wouldn't otherwise get with their regular group.
Next up on the STATION line-up? The ultimate girl group we didn't know we needed, featuring Red Velvet’s Seulgi, GFriend’s SinB, Chungha, and (G)I-DLE’s Soyeon (is it even legal for a girl group to have this much power?). There's more to come from the STATION series, and I can't wait to see what's next.