ICHILLIN’ pre-released their song Glass Heart at the beginning of the month, but without a music video it never made its way onto this blog. Now, they’re back with that song’s attached mini album and title track XL (Extra Love). In the past, I’ve given credit to this group for bucking trends and offering sounds that are a bit more daring than most of their contemporaries. Unfortunately, that approach seems to have ended here.
If you are a fan of 2025’s overall girl group sound, you’ll probably enjoy XL (Extra Love) as well. It’s lightweight, airy and quite muted for most of its running time. I swear, all of today’s producers are pulling from the same sample pack because I’ve heard these beats and synth tones many times already. Of course, even the most formulaic production can work if the composers place a fantastic song over the top. But for me, the melodies and performance here do little to buoy its sense of familiarity.
XL‘s verses waft by without much effect at all. The chorus is slightly stickier, though still needs more punch to truly stand out. The girls sound great, but I feel like I say that all the time. Solid vocals should be in service to a strong song, and there’s a big piece of the equation missing on this one.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.25 |
