The consistently styled album booklet for X concludes with a quote from Oscar Wilde, which suggests that when love comes to an end, the weak weep, the rational find a new love, and the wise already have one in reserve.

In an interview with the Perun HR portal, Jyrki Linnankivi admitted that recording and singing those songs was far from easy, as he had to relive the entire situation. He confessed that there were several nights during the recording process when he felt sad and lonely. After working on the album for a few weeks, he even told a friend that the whole experience felt terrible. He noted that although he was brought to tears a couple of times, it was also fascinating to explore and reveal his emotions in such a way.

Ironically, love is the central theme of the record. Every song touches upon it in one form or another, showing different facets of the feeling. X turned out surprisingly multifaceted: The 69 Eyes not only maintained their signature style but also filled the album with a mixture of melancholy, solid rock bangers, and a languid atmosphere that is characteristic of both their music and Jyrki Linnankivi's vocals. While staying true to themselves, The 69 Eyes managed to keep up with the times and deliver a vibrant album.

The album X opens with the track “Love Runs Away,” which was inspired by Elvis Presley's hit “My Baby Left Me.” According to Jyrki Linnankivi, who also writes the lyrics for The 69 Eyes, most of the songs on this record reflect his feelings following a breakup with his former partner. The album X became a symbol of a past love and ended relationships. Jyrki also pointed out that the opening track “Love Runs Away” and the final song “When A Love Comes To An End” embody the beginning and the end of love, as well as how a person copes with it.

The following track, “Tonight,” was described by the band as the darkest and coldest song on the album, evoking images of nighttime kisses in the rain on a skyscraper rooftop. In fact, “Tonight” became one of the most memorable tracks on X and appeared at the top of the charts more frequently than the others. Its destiny was shaped by its sound and tension, which builds up in the verses and explodes with energy in the chorus.

In the official album preview, the band described the song “Black” as a message of missing someone, especially at night, picturing them in black underwear and knowing they will return. This track is written in the band's signature style, which The 69 Eyes call goth'n'roll, and it essentially serves as a danceable track.

The song “If You Love Me The Morning After” is nearly as dramatic as “Tonight,” falling just a bit short in sonic brightness but matching it completely in emotional pain. The 69 Eyes described it as a song with some of the most beautiful choruses they had ever written. It is hard to argue with this, as Jyrki Linnankivi's voice blends uniquely with the melody of this part, giving it a certain solemnity. The song was inspired by Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet.

It is followed by another song that features a color in its title—“Red.” It offers a truly luxurious sound, an emotional performance, and a new facet of Linnankivi's voice, which sounded so calm in the previous track but now pushes to the breaking point. The 69 Eyes described it as a combination of love and blood, calling it one massive emotion that completely envelops the listener. The band successfully achieved their goal of conveying the intense feelings that tormented them while working on X.

Much like “Black,” “I Love the Darkness in You” is another goth'n'roll track that keeps the listener from getting too comfortable or sinking entirely into the gloom, thanks to its catchy and vibrant sound. The 69 Eyes referred to it as a dancefloor filler, adding that looking across a smoky club dancefloor, one would see Gothic Girl and Christina Death dancing as if there were no tomorrow. Both Gothic Girl and Christina Death are female characters from songs released by The 69 Eyes prior to the X album.

One must agree with the critics that “Borderline” stands out as one of the finest songs in the entire discography of The 69 Eyes. It sounds truly unique, tight, and mesmerizing, delivering an unmatched atmosphere of intimacy and total immersion in the music. In the official preview, the track was described as a direct message from the vocalist, who sings solely for the listener, promising to belong to them forever through this song.

X is remarkable because, despite being a deep and painful creation, it prevents the listener from fixating solely on negative emotions, constantly shifting the mood. The subsequent track on the playlist, “I'm Ready,” seems to be included for this exact purpose. It delivers a southern-style bluesy rock 'n' roll sound that feels highly Americanized yet still retains the distinct identity of The 69 Eyes. The band described it as going down to the roots and shaking hands with the devil himself.

“I Know What You Did Last Summer” comes as a pleasant surprise on X. It would have fit perfectly as a soundtrack for the movie of the same name, as it carries a distinct movie OST vibe and remains incredibly melodic thanks to its keyboard arrangements. The track truly radiates a strong nineties atmosphere.

The standard version of the album comes full circle with a song about a broken heart, “When A Love Comes To An End.” As previously mentioned, it serves as a continuation of “Love Runs Away,” which opens the tracklist. The band noted that the track summarizes the entire album and its central theme, describing it as a mysterious melody serving as doors of perception.

Although the album officially ends there, it also features a bonus track called “Rosary Blue,” recorded with American tattoo artist Kat Von D. The song uses a play on words based on the term “rosary,” which refers to the Catholic prayer beads used to count prayers and meditate on mysteries. There are four types of these mysteries: luminous, joyful, sorrowful, and glorious.

Rating: 10/10