XINA's New EP, IRON X, Dropping July 11th 2025
Feature by: Alexandra Haynes, Writer @xalexonlinex
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @MelodicNoiseMedia
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Metallic, sultry, and deeply textured: XINA’s new EP, IRON X, releases tomorrow (July 11th, 2025.) We got to listen to the seven track record early – see my track by track breakdown and EP review below.
Track 1 - “IS THAT AIR YOU’RE BREATHING NOW”
With a cinematic and haunting soundscape kicking off the IRON X ep, XINA wowed me with the depth of space taken in the intro track. With bips that sound like an extremely drawn out metronome, laced up with ringing, single piano key presses, the steady drip of noises XINA teases us with builds layers of sonic paint onto her unique canvas of sound, fully preparing you to enter her twisted artpop fantasy.
Track 2 - “PURE POTENTIALITY”
I previously reviewed this track for MINNESOTA SOUND REVIEWS back in April, with the song dropped in February as a promotional single. It’s probably my favorite song on the record, second only to “CADAVER.” “PURE POTENTIALITY” is catchy despite its chopped up, purposefully jarring post-industrial production, which it leans into heavily to great effect. The beats remind me of whirring sawblades and clanging chains. The buzzing synth melodies that become more and more chaotic throughout add volume, texture, and intrigue.
Track 3 - “CRUEL 2 U”
By track three, we’re fully enveloped in XINA’s brand of experimentalism. “CRUEL 2 U” leans into a more traditional sound for the first half of its runtime, with rich and seductive vocals at the front of the mix, leading the charge with few tricks. Underneath, blood-pumping bass and highly distorted electric guitar riffs play distinctive melodies and threaten to explode. At around 1 min, 18 seconds in, we have a thrilling breakdown where the edgier, darker EBM bones of XINA’s project rise back to the surface. XINA quickly switches up her flow, matching the intensity of the rising percussive elements that hammer towards the new tempo. With some rapid time changes as the song draws to a close, I was left seriously appreciating the artistry and careful composition of this one.
Track 4 - “KILLERS KID”
Where “CRUEL 2 U” leaves us on a high note, with pulses racing, “KILLERS KID” begins with plucky, resonating notes that remind me of tuning forks and meditative sound tools. Freshly cleansed and ready for a new adventure, I’m taken to a pop-horror funhouse. As its name suggests, it leans fully into storytelling. Uneasy sounds build up as the instrumental backing slowly creeps forward and gains voracity. The high-pitched frequencies of squeaking synth noises sound like skittering rats; the increasing volume on bass tones with crackling snaps of distortion maintain the unsettling vibe.
Track 5- “MIXED METALS”
“MIXED METALS” leans on choirly piano and chanting in its introduction. When XINA’s voice arrives, loud and clear, it twirls and pirouettes over the ethereal production, full and cleverly commanded. Although this track is the EP’s shortest, it has a huge impact, serving as a realignment for the listener. This a sonic bridge between the first and second half of the record, signaling a transition to the more angelic sounds ahead.
Track 6- “CADAVER”
Structured more conventionally until it isn’t, “CADAVER” lures your ear into what sounds like a love song, plucky and warm compared to the usual industrial frostiness featured on this record. It pulls the rug out from under you almost immediately though with XINA’s clear, soulful voice, singing a tragic retelling of a lost (and likely abusive) love: “I stayed up crying, too many nights / ‘Til I recognized the pattern / I know better than to check for a pulse, on this idea of us / The cadaver / You threaten me with forever.” Drums that sound like a battle cry come in with this project’s typical highly blended, electronic back beats; they add a more frenetic intensity to the mix, bringing the tension of the subject matter up to the surface of the sound. Smooth, emotional riffs are swirled through as more twinkling production mellows out the overall tone and makes me sway slowly. XINA’s voice by the end of this one dips into a low register, adding a delicious complexity to the conclusion of her vocals.
Track 7- “Pheromones”
What a closer. This song would make for an amazing burlesque backing track - it begs to be performed. As I wrote this note, however, I asked myself, “Well, what did XINA do for the music video?” The visuals are a perfect accompaniment, actually, aligned with my imagination and interpretation of this song - XINA pole dances and appears in costume and color that illustrate its sensuality. The instrumental melodies are smoky, heady until they begin to pick up her signature organized chaos. “Make real good use of my pheromones / I take real good care of my pheromones / I’m a real bitch way down to my bare bones” are iconic bars sung in flowering, siren-esque tones.
MY FINAL REVIEW
IRON X is a perfect demonstration of XINA’s musical identity, crashing onto the scene fearlessly. Each track is multifaceted and fresh, industrial-inspired, with so much packed into them without ever feeling messy. These are sound collages, finely crafted, each layer building towards the bigger picture. The bigger picture here is wrought iron fencing, the sting of wet steel, memories of circus tents, dance floors, and a post-cyberpunk world. Under these high aesthetics, we find something deeply, wretchedly corporeal - a desire to be loved, to be seen, to reclaim ourselves and to become one with what we create. While this EP may not make it into my daily rotation, its experimental sound palette and conceptual nature is exactly what I love about the record. IRON X is art, made to be intentionally enjoyed and revisited. As these seven tracks flow well into one another, they serve as a sort of sonic vacation, taking your ear away from the monotony and predictability of your usual playlist. Metallurgic and transformative, IRON X is refreshingly daring, delightfully electronic, and unconventionally gothic.
