[Viva La Vida] The unpredictable step in SNSD Taeyeon’s new single album <Four Seasons>
[Written by OhmyNews’ Lee Hyunpa]
When I was a middle school student who wasn't free from hairstyle restrictions (at school), Girls' Generation made their debut in the K-POP scene with 'Into the New World'. The refreshing melody, the hopeful lyrics that are like the theme of a drama about growth, and the sight of girls moving without a single mistake still leaves a strong impression. (No one would have intended it at the time, but later 'Into the New World' was upgraded to the anthem of those of their 20s.) At at the center of the song was Taeyeon, who displayed a cool high note.
Let's look back at the memories. Taeyeon sang well from the time she appeared in the Korean music industry. Aside from 'Into the New World', Taeyeon was clearly the voice that held the center of Girls' Generation. She was invited to many places because of her outstanding singing ability. Taeyeon started to reign as the young queen of OSTs. At that time, the music that defined the image of solo singer Taeyeon was typical Korean ballads such as 'If' and 'Can You Hear Me'.
And in 2015, eight years after her debut, Taeyeon released her first mini album. Contrary to expectations of the public that a ballad album would come out her choise was Modern Rock (I). The lyrics she wrote herself using her wounds also played a huge part. Even in the track 'Stress', she shouted 'You got me smoking cigarettes.' Her transformation was a great success. Not only did she make a musical transformation, but she also achieved good results commercially.
And the following summer, she came out with ‘Why’, a tropical house song filled with seasonal feeling. It is necessary to revisit what Taeyeon said in an interview when she released the song at the time. She commented, "There are many genres and I am healthy". Solo singer Taeyeon's steps were a process of proving this comment. She even showed off acoustic in '11:11' and jazzy sensibilities in 'Rain'.
The first full-length album released in 2017 was also quite impressive. It contained all kind of genres, ranging from synth pop ('Make Me Love You'), alternative rock ('Time Lapse'), and Blues ('I'm OK'). SM provided high-quality production, and Taeyeon wore the clothes well without awkwardness (t/n: Taeyeon was able to digest the genres skillfully). Although it was a department store type of album, it wasn't distracting. (t/n: This comment compares the use of various genres in the album to the chattering that you hear in department stores.) It was no different to 'Taeyeon's one-woman show', where she tried to show what she wanted to do without reservation. Taeyeon's voice is a virtue that can shine songs of different colours in her own colour.
Taeyeon’s next steps that cannot be predicted
In fact, there were times when not all the public applauded. There were cases like 'Something New' that was released last summer. 'Something New' was music that emphasized Neo Soul's groove, using the brass section rather than a high note or lyrical melody. Maybe because it wasn't music that was intuitively upcoming, but out of Taeyeon's solo music, it was the one that had the lowest results on the charts. But wasn't this relative abstruseness and the music video that broke away from typicality all things she intended?
'Before they became old and rusty, let's shine again. The seasons will change again.'
- Four Seasons (Lyrics)
Not long ago, Taeyeon released her new song 'Four Seasons' and charted number 1 on major music charts. Acoustic guitar, synthesizers and string sounds richly fill the song, while Taeyeon sings about love with 'skepticism' instead of thrill. Until now, it's a feeling that is difficult to meet in Taeyeon's music. Now that she is in her 30s and made her debut in her teens, her will to not want to repeat the same things is as valid as ever.
It's not easy to meet Taeyeon on broadcasts these days. She does not appear on entertainment shows that require her to spruce up her looks, but she enjoys directly communicating with fans through Instagram Live and her Youtube channel 'TaengooTV'. She even called a perfumer to fill a concert hall with a special scent, with the desire to leave a performance that is remembered by its scent.
What is most noticeable in Taeyeon's activities is her free will and unpredictability. After 2015, solo singer Taeyeon's acitivities have always caught the general public off guard. Taeyeon began to reject all kinds of moulds expected of her. The praise 'Trust and Listen Taeng' (Trusting and listening to Taeyeon) is entirely hers. The more strongly her free will is reflected, the more exciting Taeyeon's discography will be. Artist Taeyeon has been running without a break for 12 years. Wouldn't the next 12 years be more fun? There's a lot of music in the world, and there would be no limit to what she wants to do.
Source: (OhmyNews)
Translated by @309KTYSS
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