TAEYEON – My Voice – The 1st Album
Track List:
1. Fine
2. Cover Up
3. Feel So Fine
4. I Got Love
5. I`m OK
6. Time Lapse
7. Sweet Love
8. When I Was Young
9. Lonely Night
10. Love in Color
11. Fire
12. Eraser
13. Time to Walk through Memories (CD Only)
Girls' Generation leader Taeyeon has dropped her first full-length album 'My Voice,' giving us 13 brand new tracks. Known for hits like "I" and "Starlight," she's no stranger to a solo career, but this is the first time she's released something that's longer than a mini-album. So, let's take this for a spin and see how it sounds.
"Fine" starts out folksy, sung to an acoustic guitar. It doesn't betray where it goes in the chorus at all. And that's where it gets really good, Taeyeon unchaining that amazing voice and it soars to heights we haven't really heard before. This is better vocal work than even "I." And it is epic and billowy, and the echo effects help accentuate this nicely. This is a powerful start to an album, and it's exciting to imagine what lies ahead.
The next track "Cover Up" is another beast entirely, and is a neat little piece of electro-pop. There are some Girls' Generation-y nods here, and this track sounds like it would be equally at home on an album with her seven other bandmates. It's pretty and sweet, and there are some nice touches in the bridge. Catchy and danceable, it's definitely playlist-worthy.
"I Got Love" is a pounding, mid-tempo, R&B-inspired tune, and there are some interesting touches inside the main tune itself. Everything about the melody is fuzzy, muffled -- everything but her voice. The vocals here are different than the other tracks we've heard, and her voice is more sexy-kitten growl than anything. The choruses are mixed with an echo, and she's more restrained on this one, though no less passionate. There's no wondering why they released this as a single.
"I Got Love" is a pounding, mid-tempo, R&B-inspired tune, and there are some interesting touches inside the main tune itself. Everything about the melody is fuzzy, muffled -- everything but her voice. The vocals here are different than the other tracks we've heard, and her voice is more sexy-kitten growl than anything. The choruses are mixed with an echo, and she's more restrained on this one, though no less passionate. There's no wondering why they released this as a single.
The pretty, ethereal "Time Lapse" pulls some of these disparate sounds together. It's soft during the main verses, and Taeyeon's vocals sound pleading and sweet. But it positively pounds during the chorus, giving this song some more emotional weight as she pleads her case. It's a different sort of ballad, almost a power ballad, that throws electric guitars in there and has her compete with them, seeing if she can keep them from drowning her out. It also makes this tune just different enough to keep my interest.
The ballad "Love in Color" is more my speed. It eschews the trappings of more traditional ballads and allows Taeyeon to express herself through the song without throwing in tons of production. The piano riff remains fairly steady throughout, and we can hear the perfection in her vocals laid bare like this. She has a wonderfully sweet voice, and it is perfectly showcased here.
The ballad "Love in Color" is more my speed. It eschews the trappings of more traditional ballads and allows Taeyeon to express herself through the song without throwing in tons of production. The piano riff remains fairly steady throughout, and we can hear the perfection in her vocals laid bare like this. She has a wonderfully sweet voice, and it is perfectly showcased here.
"Eraser" is a different kind of song. It's got more in common with some techno-industrial rock than ordinary pop. Her voice is angry here, a pure expression of rage. I like the fierceness here, and this song for some reason summons images of Sia. It's a departure from her comfort zone, and she totally kills it. I didn't know she could go here, but she did, and the result is a razor-sharp performance.
"Time to Walk through Memories (CD Only)" is where she covers a song from 2008, originally by the band Nell. She does this quite well. They changed it up a little, though, adding harmonies and some stronger instrumentation. It doesn't change the message, though. Nor does it change her vocals on this track, and they're delivered more sweetly than the original. It does morph the song a little, and pulls it away from a quiet reflection and more emulates busy thoughts. Still, it's a fine cover of a fine song.
This album definitely crosses genres, encompassing soul, ballad, dance, and rock numbers. While this is nothing new in general, I think there are some pieces that buck the trend on this LP. Her voice is even slightly different as she pushes herself to sing in various registers and styles. The disc as a whole is somewhat reflective, dealing with the highs of love and the crushing loneliness that comes with love lost. She's a versatile artist, and that makes for a pretty incredible album.
Like the song, the MV is sultry. Unlike "Fine," the song has no real narrative, and likewise with the MV.
Regardless, the video is chock-full of stunning images of Taeyeon, in various dresses, singing and giving great face. It's sexy in the same way that BoA's "Kiss My Lips" is sexy: sans love interest, and all about the singer.
Rather than draw us into a story, they use the performance to their advantage. At one moment she's bathed in spotlights, and in another scene, she's walking through the darkness. There are cutaways to various things such as snatching up diamonds up or pouring dust from a cup, but for the majority of the time, we have Taeyeon. And that is not a bad thing at all.
She is lovely, and here her looks are on display. It's not really cheap or tawdry -- they didn't go for the easy out, and that's why this MV is better than it could be. It doesn't look low-rent, and at times looks positively opulent. There's some ultra-modern space age effects here and there that help this thing really pop. Did I like it? Yeah, I can say that I did. Would I watch it again? You bet.
The MV starts out with a bit of plot, Taeyeon is walking through a store, while arguing with her boyfriend on the phone. Then the music starts, and we see cute moments, fleeting seconds of bliss spent with a love interest. And there are scenes where she spends time alone, and the MV mirrors her actions for the most part. There are some poignant parts, and I'll avoid egregious spoilers -- in this part, at any rate. If you don't want spoilers, stop reading now.
Towards the end, the MV takes a hard left, and I think this is what sets this MV apart. I've seen a hundred "I'm missing you" MVs, all with cute moments meant to make you smile or shed a tear. But this is a bit different. There's a scene where they break the fourth wall, and she is not just playing a part in an MV, she's overcome. Her melancholy look at the end, along with the line from the song "It's not fine," is particularly compelling.
She gives wonderful visuals, and that's part of what makes this awesome. But I think she has genuine acting chops too. She was convincing. Not only that, but the direction and the genius hints that something is wrong are fantastically woven into the MV. While the song has a definite narrative that lends itself well to a story format, the MV itself has some great twists. Yeah, this definitely tops my list.
(scores are averaged across both MVs)
MV Relevance..........8
MV Production.........9
MV Concept.............8
Album Production....9
Album Concept........9
Tracklisting..............9
OVERALL...............8.6
"Time to Walk through Memories (CD Only)" is where she covers a song from 2008, originally by the band Nell. She does this quite well. They changed it up a little, though, adding harmonies and some stronger instrumentation. It doesn't change the message, though. Nor does it change her vocals on this track, and they're delivered more sweetly than the original. It does morph the song a little, and pulls it away from a quiet reflection and more emulates busy thoughts. Still, it's a fine cover of a fine song.
This album definitely crosses genres, encompassing soul, ballad, dance, and rock numbers. While this is nothing new in general, I think there are some pieces that buck the trend on this LP. Her voice is even slightly different as she pushes herself to sing in various registers and styles. The disc as a whole is somewhat reflective, dealing with the highs of love and the crushing loneliness that comes with love lost. She's a versatile artist, and that makes for a pretty incredible album.
MV REVIEW -- "I GOT LOVE"
Like the song, the MV is sultry. Unlike "Fine," the song has no real narrative, and likewise with the MV.
Regardless, the video is chock-full of stunning images of Taeyeon, in various dresses, singing and giving great face. It's sexy in the same way that BoA's "Kiss My Lips" is sexy: sans love interest, and all about the singer.
Rather than draw us into a story, they use the performance to their advantage. At one moment she's bathed in spotlights, and in another scene, she's walking through the darkness. There are cutaways to various things such as snatching up diamonds up or pouring dust from a cup, but for the majority of the time, we have Taeyeon. And that is not a bad thing at all.
She is lovely, and here her looks are on display. It's not really cheap or tawdry -- they didn't go for the easy out, and that's why this MV is better than it could be. It doesn't look low-rent, and at times looks positively opulent. There's some ultra-modern space age effects here and there that help this thing really pop. Did I like it? Yeah, I can say that I did. Would I watch it again? You bet.
MV REVIEW -- "FINE"
The MV starts out with a bit of plot, Taeyeon is walking through a store, while arguing with her boyfriend on the phone. Then the music starts, and we see cute moments, fleeting seconds of bliss spent with a love interest. And there are scenes where she spends time alone, and the MV mirrors her actions for the most part. There are some poignant parts, and I'll avoid egregious spoilers -- in this part, at any rate. If you don't want spoilers, stop reading now.
Towards the end, the MV takes a hard left, and I think this is what sets this MV apart. I've seen a hundred "I'm missing you" MVs, all with cute moments meant to make you smile or shed a tear. But this is a bit different. There's a scene where they break the fourth wall, and she is not just playing a part in an MV, she's overcome. Her melancholy look at the end, along with the line from the song "It's not fine," is particularly compelling.
She gives wonderful visuals, and that's part of what makes this awesome. But I think she has genuine acting chops too. She was convincing. Not only that, but the direction and the genius hints that something is wrong are fantastically woven into the MV. While the song has a definite narrative that lends itself well to a story format, the MV itself has some great twists. Yeah, this definitely tops my list.
Score
MV Relevance..........8
MV Production.........9
MV Concept.............8
Album Production....9
Album Concept........9
Tracklisting..............9
OVERALL...............8.6
SEE ALSO: Taeyeon reveals behind-the-scenes of 'Letter to Myself' MV and jacket shoot
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