Taeyeon, she is indeed as expected

 

She is indeed as expected. The song 'To. X' by singer Taeyeon from Girls' Generation has been maintaining a long run in the top ranks of the digital music charts for five consecutive months.

 

Upon its release, this song swept the top of various music charts, including Melon's 'Hot 100' chart, and has recently ranked the 6th place on the latest Melon Weekly Chart (March 4-10), marking a record long run hit by staying in the top 10 for 15 consecutive weeks. Not only that, but Taeyeon's 'Dream' OST for JTBC's 'Welcome to Samdalri', which was also released last year, has been consistently performing well within the top 10, demonstrating long-term success.

 

Music officials commented on 'Digital Queen' Taeyeon's power, "Through her solo song 'If' released not long after her debut, Taeyeon confirmed her status as a fully-fledged vocalist, and since then, both as a member of Girls' Generation and as a solo artist, she has consistently released masterpieces, earning a great deal of trust as an artist."

 

The secret behind the 5 month long run success of 'To. X'?

 

'To. X' is the title track of Taeyeon's 5th mini album released in November last year, and it's an R&B song that conveys the message of realizing that the other person is controlling you and signalling the end of the relationship. It contains Taeyeon's delicate vocals that permeate with a cold atmosphere of guitar riffs that have no dramatic flow and a rhythmical melody. 

 

Lim Heeyun, a popular music critic, said, "Recently, music that highlights moment-to-moment vibes rather than dramatic changes in low and high tones or dynamic ones are being loved. While Taeyeon can pull off more dramatic songs, she has also done well with a song like 'To. X' where moment-to-moment the melody curves are pretty and the rhythm is lively. It's a song that showcases her power as a vocalist."

 

Despite the onslaught of new songs by various singers, the song has continued its long run momentum by maintaining its top ranks in the charts, even riding a challenge trend recently. Although 'To. X' was originally a song without choreography, it began to gain popularity when Japanese dancer Taiga and rapper Shori Winboy filmed a dance challenge for it. Following this, Aespa's Karine, Riize' Shotaro, WEi's Kim Junseo, ENHYPEN's Gyujin, &TEAM's Taki, Kiss of Life's Julie and Natty, TSW's Dohoon and Youngjae, and many junior artists participated in the challenge, further fueling its popularity. 

 

"Taeyeon, an excellent contemporary diva with ability to pull off genres"

 

Taeyeon, who had already proven her skills since debuting with Girls' Generation in 2007, released her solo debut album 'I' in 2015 and has transcended beyond a top vocalist and grown to become a 'Diva'. Not only 'I', but singles like 'Why,' 'Fine,' 'Four Seasons,' 'INVU' and more also dominated the music charts and received favorable comments by listeners, and the outstanding variation through 'To. X' was successful.

 

Regarding Taeyeon as a 'vocalist', Lim Heeyun said, "Taeyeon started out as a dance idol, but it's not an exaggeration to say that from the moment of her debut, she had the completeness of a vocalist. As her activities accumulated, she firmly maintained her position as the main vocalist within the team and as a solo artist, displaying excellent song interpretation skills regardless of the genre or vibe of a song she encounters."

 

Lim Heeyun continued, "While there are many female vocalists in Korea, with K-POP thriving and more young listeners focused on idol music, I think that Taeyeon's voice is suitable for our times. She is a contemporary diva who has exceptional vocal skills, can effortlessly pull off both low and high notes, and can bring out various tempo vibes in a K-POP style."

 

Actually, besides 'To. X', Taeyeon proved her ability as a vocalist transcending generations through the 'Dream' OST for 'Welcome to Samdalri', released at the end of last year. This song is said to have maximized the healing message the drama conveyed by exquisitely connecting to the drama's story in which the main character who left their hometown with dreams but experiences setbacks, then finds comfort and hope back in their hometown.

 

Unlike the vibe in the original 1991 song by Cho Yongpil which exudes both hope and loneliness, Taeyeon's reinterpretation with a medium-tempo rhythmic band arrangement and her characteristic clear and powerful vocals, doubled the overwhelming and healing emotions. As a result, it succeeded in capturing the hearts of not only younger listeners who were unfamiliar with the original but middle-aged listeners who loved the original song.

 

Music critic Ha Jaegun said, "Taeyeon completed a masterpiece with a different charm from the original song using her own style. It's a positive thing for the music industry as a whole when a beloved artist like Taeyeon reintroduces past masterpieces, allowing the younger generations to discover them again."

 

Writer: Park Seyeon

Source: Ilgan Sports

Translated by @309KTYSS
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