Rating: 8.5/10
Former LOONA member to soloist and actress, CHUU has returned with her first full album, “XO, My Cyberlove.”
The album examines love in a digital era where technology makes online interactions intertwine between both the physical and virtual worlds. Each track details a love story and the transition between human and artificial intelligence.
“The background of this album is the change in the era where love is given and received in such ways,” CHUU said in an interview. “I aim to showcase various forms of love around us, including the transformed aspects of love in the digital era, in different directions through each track.”
The album opens with the title track, “XO, My Cyberlove,” an ‘80s synth-pop ballad exploring a tale of love based on the perspective of Artificial intelligence. CHUU’s warm vocals create a lovely, melancholic atmosphere on the track as the upbeat synths portray the feeling of an unquestionable love.
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With lyrics such as, “maybe I love you, is this what love feels like?” and “can I ever log into your heart?” CHUU executes the idea of how AI’s love can be an unattainable emotion. As the standout song and single of the album, it establishes and kick-starts the project’s theme of blending genre experimentation with questions of artificial emotion and digital intimacy.
“Canary,” the second track on the album, follows the same lyrical themes of its opener in a darkpop ballad format. The lyrics depict a desperate want and need to spend the rest of her life with this supposed lover. The track carries an echo throughout the instrumentation, similar to a canary’s singing, CHUU’s main inspiration for the song’s title and composition.
Another standout on the album, “Cocktail Dress,” is CHUU’s take on indie-alternative pop. The track is very bubbly and stylish enough to evoke the feeling of an indie film’s closing scene or a carefree road trip playlist.
“Limoncello” and “Love Potion” are similar as they both use upbeat tempos and Afrobeats to depict the playful momentum of life that keeps moving forward. Both songs are bright and cheery, but rather similar in structure and tone, making them blend rather than stand out seamlessly on their own.
“Teeny Tiny Heart” and “Hide & Seek” are the two prominent pop B-sides of the album. Both are fun and quirky, leaning into shiny melodies and energetic production to highlight CHUU’s personality and charm. “Teeny Tiny Heart” portrays the confusion of a small heart falling out of love, while “Hide & Seek” expresses the sweet push and pull of affection. Both songs’ lyrics are lively and run over glossy, anthemic harmonies.
A genre CHUU has never tackled before, “Heart Tea Bag” delves into dreamy R&B. Executed so well, one might not even notice it’s CHUU’s first time trying the genre. The lyrics depict emotions slowly steeping in the rain, emotions being the heart tea bag. A stunning buildup, vocal layering, high notes and rhythmic production keep the dynamic energy of the album alive.
The album’s closer, “Loving You!” is a hyper rock-pop track bursting with explosive energy. CHUU sings, raps and fills the track with her charm, the iconic hyperpop rhythms helping it all flow together. It’s a track full of driving force and experimental instrumentation, keeping in theme with the album’s concept of digital cybercore.
“XO, My Cyberlove” is CHUU’s most ambitious project exploring many different genres and displaying her versatility, complex storytelling and vocal patterning. In navigating love between humans and machines, CHUU delivers a project that feels curious, heartfelt and forward-thinking with popular music genres of the past, present and future.
In the end, “XO, My Cyberlove” isn’t CHUU signing off but rather signing back in to reintroduce herself in a new era of her evolving artistry.
