The prince of sultry K-pop is back! The gothic, fall season is here and the prolific Taemin returns with some appropriately atmospheric music on a new EP titled 鈥淕uilty." It is his first release since completing his in the South Korean army in April 2023.
Taemin cut his teeth in the spotlight by starting out in but has emerged as a strong solo artist in the last nine years, with four previously released full-length albums under his belt. 鈥淕uilty鈥� marks his fourth mini album 鈥� and proves that it only takes Taemin six tracks to realize a robust comeback.
Dramatic, mysterious, sometimes unsettling but always dreamy, 鈥淕uilty鈥� is an offer one can鈥檛 refuse.
It would be inaccurate to say he鈥檚 back and better than ever, because he was never not excellent. 鈥淕uilty鈥� is Taemin just being just Taemin, surpassing himself not by being better but by being different. This EP is a pivot from the cool, synth-wave Taemin who explored themes of Stockholm syndrome on 鈥淐riminal鈥� from his 2020 album 鈥淣ever Gonna Dance Again,鈥� or the cool R&B-meets-dance pop cool Taemin of his 2021 EP 鈥淎dvice鈥� to, well, a new kind of cool on 鈥淕uilty.鈥�
From the theatricality of a 30-piece string ensemble on the title track, the record feels like a grand, triumphant return to music. And it certainly doesn't remain stagnant: dynamic synths and magnetic vocals 鈥� complete with spooky, ASMR-esque whispers 鈥� complete the song.
鈥淭he Rizzness,鈥� a silly title playing with internet slang 鈥渞izz鈥� meaning 鈥渃harisma,鈥� is seductive, pulsing, deep bass hip-hop. Taemin is not here to play nice. The song switches midway through, mutating from the musical incarnation of a thriller flick to a horror film with electric guitar tremolos dialed to 11.
Comparatively, 鈥淪he Loves Me, She Loves Me Not鈥� is a tamer pop track, a melancholic tune that twins with the dreamy 鈥淣ot Over You鈥� in the pantheon of heartbreak.
鈥淣ight Away鈥� whisks the listener away on a hopeful daydream of romance with its soft guitars and Taemin鈥檚 gentle vocals. While 鈥淏lue," its opposite on the emotional spectrum, offers a farewell with its vintage drums and hopeful mood.
With 鈥淕uilty,鈥� puts another notch on his great music belt.
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AP music reviews:
Cristina Jaleru, The Associated Press
