7. Taemin – ‘Advice’
Watching Taemin evolve is akin to watching a tiger hunt. Your breath quickens, your muscles tense when you feel him move; he plays with us the way a tiger plays with prey, and when he attacks, you know you’re done for. Time and again, the SHINee member has proven that he has absolutely zero chill – zilch, nada – when it comes to expressing himself through his work.
‘Advice’ takes it one step further and becomes his calling sign. “The more you try to trap me, I’ll go off the rails / so take a good look, If you want to see the end, push my buttons,” he says, punctuating the fact that he doesn’t need anyone else telling him what’s good for him – he’ll take his own advice, thank you very much. It’s also oddly poetic how he chose ‘Advice’ as his last release before enlistment, almost as if to warn people that this is only a pause, not the end. TR
Best bit: Exactly 58 seconds into the song, at the height of the chorus, where the piano and the staccato drums intermingle as Taemin’s falsetto declares: “Best take my own advice.” *Siri, how do I tattoo this particular emotion onto myself?*.
3. Key – ‘Bad Love’
There’s always something exciting, almost primal, about watching someone be unabashedly themselves. It leaves one a little breathless and completely blinded, as if going through a transformation worth lifetimes in the course of a song. Key’s ‘Bad Love’ is a religious experience on similar levels, primarily because it’s so beautifully, unapologetically, liberally him that you can almost taste his life experience, his thoughts, his likes and dislikes on your tongue.
Over the course of 2020, we saw multiple variations of retro throughout K-pop, but if there was someone who truly understood that era, it was Key – even if the song came a whole year after the throwback renaissance. Among the fascinatingly morbid pink, goopy aliens and PVC space suits, the deconstructed jackets and the David Bowie-inspired look, the booming vocals and the atmospheric synthwave-influence, Key becomes himself and blooms. This may not be his first rodeo, but man is this his most honest one. TR
Best bit: As the track winds down, the stellar chorus segues into a harmonious outro, where Key belts out steady, clean high notes against a minimal drum arrangement, before abruptly being cut off. Did we replay it again and again? You can never prove it.
read the full article here
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taemin advice era waist<3
[ID: sketchy digital drawings of Taemin (Lee Tae Min). The drawing is done all in a warm red tone. Taemin is posing face on, with both arms up making V / peace signs. He is wearing a cap, cropped jumper and sweatpants. His bare waist is visible. The drawings are the same, but in one the background is a light red oval and in the other it is the outline of the head of a large chess piece. End ID]
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"Listening and watching Taemin’s music and performances are like looking at a piece of contemporary art.
"Although he can easily be categorized under popular music and K-Pop, Taemin’s music is much different from regular idols who create easy to follow songs for their fandoms.
"Actually, you could say that the properties are completely different. Taemin’s music is a mix of cutting-edge sound and retro aesthetics, and his movements are on a different level even in the eyes of someone who is not skilled in dance.
"But these little details can only be seen by those who know the difference, those who are ready to appreciate a higher level of artistry.
This by no means is an evaluation that is only for the idol scene. He is one of the most unique and exemplary solo artists in the entire Korean popular music scene."
- Kim Young Dae, Korean ethnomusicologist and critic
source: @ allabouttaemin twt
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