[IDOLOGY] Taeyeon - 'Something New' The 3rd Mini Album Review (2018)

 

PICK! Mano:

 

Although the world already knows it's the truth and it hurts to say it again, Taeyeon is an outstanding vocalist. And the ability to take any song and make it her own with her unrivaled vocal skill is proven in her two EPs (I, Why) and her full-length album (My Voice). I think readers know that "singing a song well" is more than simply screaming out high notes well. In that sense, Taeyeon has clearly proven, with every fiber of her body, how much of an outstanding vocalist and artist she is in this EP. Although there are no soaring high notes or dramatic progressions, Taeyeon shows off how much her voice control ability has matured through small and fine vocal tone changes. The song's composition is wonderful with the piano that moves precisely on the heavy-sounding bass, with the neatly arranged brass that's not excessive, and with fancy synth and ample harmony. I can't help but like her who sings calmly that there's no need to be special, that it's okay to be a little different, and that you don't need to change for someone else. Don't miss out on 'All Night Long' which is full of a fluttering evening air with NCT's Lucas' wonderful rap.

 

Simdyang:

 

The keyword that came up from the title song 'Something New' in this special album is 'gaze'. To Taeyeon, who is playing a tug of war with the public, it is impressive that there is the irony: the unconventional deviation, as far as she can, that even occurs in the project (like the television screen in the music video*), but there also exists a serene focus on 'my own thing' rather than newness. Regardless of her makeup in the music video, it resembles Taeyeon's eyes that shine clearly. It seems that gaze penetrates the voice, which is thrown out indifferently, and the unpredictable melody. I cannot forget those eyes looking carefully at relationships and her own emotions throughout the whole song and her figure in the album cover which looks as if she is staring at her opponent over the camera. Rather than an album where you can hear Taeyeon's voice, it could be an album where you can visualize it. 

 

Oh-yo: 

 

When I look back at Taeyeon's previous full album "My Voice", I could feel endless surprise and excitement when listening to the album, because, not only the title song but the whole album contained charming B-side tracks of various genres. Although there was also a belief and expectation that the 3rd mini album "Something New" would be of the sort, unfortunately excluding the title song, the B-side tracks songs flow plainly.

 

[*The author is referring to the ending of the Something New music video where the scene of Taeyeon running away after throwing out the bags of money appears on a television screen. The 'deviation' is Taeyeon escaping from reality (reality being that her everyday life is exposed to the public), and the 'irony' is that even the scene of her escaping from reality is seen by the public through the television screen at the end.]

 

 

Translated by: Bee (@taengab)

Source: IDOLOGY.KR