'Brand New' review: Xiumin of Exo’s first solo album is a retro delight

Xiumin’s new album is a loving ode to the ’90s, full of nostalgic delight and paying tribute to one of the richest chapters in musical history. – Photos: SM Entertainment

One thing K-pop fans, or listeners who love Korean music in general, haven’t heard much of and enjoyed in the past few years is retro K-pop. Younger music aficionados may not know much about this genre, but songs from those earlier times had catchy melodies that were easy on the ears and simply fun to listen to on repeat.

That’s what Xiumin of boy band Exo hopes to do with his first-ever solo musical project, Brand New, which was released on Monday evening.