1. I (Feat. Verbal Jint) 2. U R 3. Gemini 4. Stress 5. Farewell 6. I (Inst.)
Famed for her voice as well as her beauty, Girls' Generation leader Taeyon debuts
as a solo artist at long last. Fans have been waiting for this for a
while! Her new mini-album consists of six tracks, including her
self-penned title song "I" featuring rapper VerbalJint.
Sweeping and anthemic, "I" is a fantastic tune. It's largely acoustic with Taeyeon's voice featuring as the main attraction. Verbal Jint has
his spot early on, and in another section, he raps the lyrics
simultaneously as she sings, giving the tune even more depth. Her voice
is used extremely well here, soaring all over the track. The song is
about living well despite obstacles.
"U R" is a ballad that showcases Taeyeon's ability nicely
as her voice rises to eclipse the instrumentation. The production they
threw at the later parts of the song serves to enhance the effect. She
really lays bare the emotion as her vocals crescendo. The song itself is
an ode to a lover.
"Gemini" is stylistically different from "U R,"
her voice more measured. It's still a slower song, but with gentle
claps and a medium tempo. The vocals range from sweet to strong when
appropriate, and it's got a nice, singable hook: "Come to me baby / Come come to me baby." The lyrics are tender, and speak of being together.
"Stress" is the high-tempo tune on the EP with a pounding drum
and insistent piano riff. The way she wraps her voice around the verses
is breathless with some nice belts during the chorus. The song itself is
awesome, about a bad guy that she just can't resist, and it freaks her
out.
"Farewell" a sweetly-sung ballad, reminding me a
lot of a lullaby. The lyrics are about a breakup, but they're a little
different from the standard. She asks "Are people who walk alone like me?" and suggests that "maybe I should have shown you my shabby self first."
This is a strong, mature debut. The tunes are a bit different than I've
heard before; there are some songs with a unique structure, and, in some
cases, the lyrics are not quite what you'd expect. Throughout the EP,
word choice is evocative, which is just icing on the cake: her voice
tells you exactly how she's feeling. Her songwriting talents are
terrific -- the title track tells you that much. Taeyeon just crushes it here, which is lucky for us fans.
Take in the countryside in Taeyeon's new MV, "I."
She's in Auckland, New Zealand in the Portland Public House
as a waitress. You don't see as much of that as you do the New Zealand
landscape, which is painted in various shades of green and glorious to
behold. As she stands in a field, the wind whips at her hair and she
simply looks radiant. There's even a tad bit of plot, as she considers
what's important in life and figures out that it's her freedom and
dignity.
The costuming here is interesting and mostly
appropriate. Far from sticking her in revealing clothing, she's garbed
in sundress and sweater, and, at times, in turtleneck and cloak, and, of
course, her waitress outfit. The acting is pretty well spot on. She sports a grin through much of it
(except at the pub), and her expression is warm and inviting most of the
time. There are times where she's taking in the scenery with a
contemplative resting face.
The visuals are intense and
grandiose, with sea cliffs, sheep running across a field, winding
country highways, wet moors, and gently rolling hills. There's a quiet
majesty to it all that is quite captivating, and you can practically
hear the song echoing through the valleys there.
Overall, this MV is a pleasure to watch. There's no cheap tricks here,
no obvious cut corners, just an epic show married to an equally epic
track, and a lovely young woman at the center of it all.
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