‘Vocal Goddess’ Taeyeon’s Transformation... 5th mini album, and yet a musical progression

 

Taeyeon who has somewhat softened in her 5th mini album ‘To. X’
But with the addition of a detailed weapon, she has stepped forward
Still holding the position as the final round boss of K-POP vocalization
Seems capable of maintaining her current condition even in her 50s

 

Taeyeon (Kim Taeyeon, 34) released her 5th mini album ‘To. X’ on November 27. ‘To. X’ topped the iTunes album charts in 21 regions worldwide, the iTunes Worldwide Album Chart, and China’s largest music platform QQ Music Digital Album Sales Chart and Kugou Music Digital Album Sales Chart in China. Of course, it also recorded first place on domestic music charts.

 

A month has passed since the release of the ‘To. X’ album, and it’s one of the albums that I listen to almost every day, so it’s currently at the top of my list. I was deeply impressed ever since I heard it the first time so I decided to write about it for this column.

 

The moment I first pressed play on the 5th mini album, I went ‘Oh?’ for a moment, but shortly after it changed to ‘As expected!’. That was because it was a wonderful transformation of Taeyeon, a leader in reading the trends.

 

Although her face is the center (referring to Taeyeon’s visuals), Taeyeon, who uses a clear sound that resonates with power at any high note, currently has the highest level of twang talent among K-POP solo idol vocalists. As evident in songs ‘Fine’ and ‘Fire (especially the live version)’ and other songs, Taeyeon’s speciality explosive high notes, high-quality sound delivery with unwavering clarity, stable breathing, and although she seems to be slender in terms of physicality, she’s a perfect balance that gives off tremendous charisma. On top of that, she has a beautiful appearance. She’s a ‘vocal goddess’ that leaves one speechless.

 

God says he is fair, but he seems to have bestowed more on Taeyeon. Of course, SM Entertainment’s hard training and thorough planning played a part, but had Taeyeon faced musical limitations as a singer, reaching the top would have been incredibly difficult.

 

Another amazing point is her consistent display of top-tier music and performance quality without experiencing any slumps, from her time in the group (Girls’ Generation) to her current solo career. Including Girls’ Generation, she’s been a senior singer for 17 years this year.

 

In the 5th mini album ‘To. X’, Taeyeon displays the typical example of a ‘Trust and Listen To Vocal’ craftsman with her singing ability, sophisticated sensibilities, and cleverness. Rather than showcasing phrases that handle amazing high notes or power that flows coolly, she slightly refined her distinctive strengths. Leading with electric guitar-centered tracks, she presents a different groove from before. This might feel somewhat less impactful to people who have consistently listened to Taeyeon. However, this is also a different breakthrough for Taeyeon as a musician. Despite these changes, all the songs are impressive enough to admire Taeyeon and say ‘As expected, Taeyeon’. 

 

Oh Hanseung, a vocal instructor at Dong-Ah Institute of Media and Arts said, “Her presence is clearly shown where her own singing is the center without the fancy arrangements or strong beats. Taeyeon’s singing doesn’t tire out the ears, even after listening to her songs continuously for two hours.” Furthermore, he said, “Taeyeon’s sound spans trendy, elegant, and sentimental frequencies that can be listened to for a long time. A proper ideal sound of ‘natural compression’ that doesn’t have a frequency that makes your ears fatigue.”

 

Seo Geunyoung, a K-POP vocal professor at Kyung Hee University’s Postmodern Music department said, “When singing, the thyroarytenoid muscle that uses the chest voice and the cricothyroid muscle affecting the head voice are antagonistic and tend to tilt in either direction. Having a good balance of these will allow for both low and high notes to be executed well, but vocalists who excel in high notes while delivering clear sound are doing this exceptionally well. Taeyeon is the representative singer [of this].”

 

‘Top Instructor’ of vocal training Jang Hyojin, who is receiving the number one love calls from not only top K-POP idol stars but also famous singers and actors, said, “In the ‘To. X’ album, Taeyeon sang in a more trendy pop vocal style compared to before, in particular she sang it in the same vocal style of Ariana Grande’s from 5-6 years ago. Singers who sing with this style of vocalization often do not have the vocal power that is typical of pop vocalists, but Taeyeon naturally possesses powerful vocals, so her powerful sound and precise diction stands out even in her flowing-like vocalization.”

 

Vocal trainer Jang Hyojin also noted, “Taeyeon uses a pop vocal style when processing a verse and uses light breathing while vibrating the upper part of her vocal cords. The biggest advantage of this style is that she freely switches between her chest voice and falsettos even in similar pitch ranges, making the song sound much more colorful.” 

 

Jang Hyojin added, “Because it’s not a song with a wide vocal range compared to Taeyeon’s other songs, she smoothly alternates between her chest voice and falsettos in a way that would otherwise make the song sound monotonous, avoiding a sense of dullness while listening to it.

 

Finally, trainer Jang Hyojin expressed his expectations saying, “For Taeyeon, who previously competed with her powerful voice and a full head voice, the addition of these detailed weapons seem to be a good factor that will make Taeyeon’s fans and listeners look forward to her music world being upgraded further in the future.”

 

Song Sungkyung, a renowned music arranger and keyboardist who has worked with many singers and groups such as Yoon Jongshin, IU, Lee Seungchul, Wonder Girls, Infinite, Lovelyz, was shocked while working with Taeyeon during Kim Hyuncheol’s Train to Chuncheon as part of the ‘Monthly Yoon Jongshin’ project. Song Sungkyung said, “Taeyeon’s singing ability is too excellent to be disparaged by using tags such as idol or celebrity. Taeyeon is a ‘real’ vocalist.”

 

Shin Yeonah, the leader of the luxury vocal group Big Mama and a vocal professor of practical music at Howon University, said, “When dancing and singing, one should maintain a stable pitch and sound without shaking, but in order to achieve such a vocal condition, one requires a well-developed core strength, and in this case, Taeyeon is a singer who has that breath control.” Shin Yeonah added, “Taeyeon is the final round boss of vocalization. As a singer who possesses the strengths of her voice very well, if she takes care of her health well, I think she will be able to maintain her current singing ability even after she is over 50.”

 

Writer: Jo Sungjin

Source: Sports Korea

Translated by @309KTYSS 

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