Where do I even begin about Taemin?
Released at the tail end of last month, South Korean singer and actor Taemin came back with his 5th mini album Eternal to big (huge, actually) fanfare.
What makes his latest offering so special? Well, aside from the fact that every time Taemin releases music he finds himself yet more comfortable in his signature sound and sense of artistry, this is Taemin’s first album since leaving SM Entertainment, the company he’s been with since he debuted with his group SHINee at the age of 14.
Of course, anyone who is already a Taemin fan knows this, but the special draw of Taemin is that he makes fans of everyone. His charisma and powerhouse performances can only be denied by the most vehement of non-believers.
But, even having said that, changing companies was a big risk. A Taemin production is well-honed, slick, dark, and moody in a way akin to playing a Zelda game on a rainy day, but there was a lot of concern that moving to a small company like BigPlanetMade (BPM) from the tall towers of SME would mean a drop in the production quality or a sense of something missing.
Luckily, he knocked it out of the park.
To start off, Eternal starts with the confidently (and aptly, imho) titled “G.O.A.T,” a track that has more than a spark of inspiration from Seo Taiji’s “Come Back Home.” “G.O.A.T” sees Taemin busting out his rap skills for a few short and sweet bars, and credits on this track include Taemin himself, basecamp, yukon of 0WAVE, and (most notably) colde.
Moving right onto “Sexy In The Air,” this track is very much the typical Taemin title track As the name suggests, “Sexy In The Air” has that dark sexiness Taemin loves to put into his singles, and has a surprising time signature change at the 1:50 mark that only darkens the mood further. This track is also the first on the album which is also produced by K-Pop heavyweights Ryan Jhun and Dem Jointz, plus Racella, Sorana Pacurar, Dre Davidson, Sean Davidson, and Jun Seo – plus Taemin himself.
The third track “Horizon” is my personal favourite. Forlorn and longing with a sci-fi edge, “Horizon” wouldn’t feel out of place in a roguelike soundtrack. My main, and really only complaint with “Horizon” is that it’s just too short, clocking at under three minutes. Production credits on Horizon include Laurent Marc Louis, R.L. King, JOA, two members of The Hub, and Taemin.
Next we have “The Unknown Sea,” which for me is one of the weaker tracks on the album. A melancholic little track all about giving up familiar things and having to deal with the expectations of others when doing so, “The Unknown Sea” is a track that I’m sure will be a big hit at concerts even if listening on my headphones left me a little cold. Produced again by Ryan Jhun and Taemin, the track also features work from Mich Hansen, Jacob Uchorczak, Samuel Ledet, James William Miller, and Sara Davis.
Heading swiftly onto “Crush,” this track features some tasty funk elements that work gorgeously with Taemin’s vocals and serve to make this one my other favourite song on the album. With work from (once again) Ryan Jhun, Taemin himself, James Daniel Lewis, Daniel Shah, Robbie Jay, and Steven Manovski, this song could definitely have worked well as the promoted single even if it doesn’t have the dark drama of “Sexy in the Air.”
On “Deja Vu,” we head right back into moody darkness for a pulsating trip through confusion and looping time. This track more than any other is what I consider the distilled essence of Taemin as an artist; lyrically decently high-concept, broody, with a strong theme of wandering and layered with Taemin’s sweet vocals. Once again composed by Ryan Jhun and Taemin, this track also features Sean Fischer, Enrique Maza, Sorana Lacurar, and Young Chance.
Rounding up the album is “Say Less,” another wistful journey through being unsure of yourself and your decisions. Aided by the simple instrumentals, drum hits, and driving beat, “Say Less” feels more hopeful than a lot of the rest of the album. Once more, we have composition and production from Ruan Jhun and Taemin, featuring Dino Medanhodzic, Jordan Shaw, and Sam Merrifield.
Overall, Taemin’s fifth mini-album Eternal is a solid collection of musings from a man who has spent most of his life in the public eye, now wondering about what exactly that means and the changes that are happening now that the safety net he’s spent his whole career in is something he’s chosen not to count on any longer.
