Remember how we said 2023 was SHINee’s year? We meant it, and we were SO right. From group to solo comebacks, we had a lot happening, our minds being blown over and over. And they are not done. This time, it was member TAEMIN’s turn to come for us with his new album Guilty, and we have our heart eyes on and emotions heightened from what he did!
We’ve waited for this moment since he got discharged from his military service back in April, and finally, we have it! TAEMIN’s Guilty has us in our feels from start to end, and to celebrate it, we’re sharing our thoughts on the album and some of our favorite songs from it.
Stream TAEMIN’s Guilty.
‘Guilty’
TRIGGER WARNING: May contain some visually disturbing scenes.
We can’t talk about TAEMIN and not mention his title track. He has a record of releasing incredible, hard-hitting music with stunning videos, and ‘Guilty’ follows that trend of presenting something unique.
TAEMIN shows his musicality in a way that leaves us with our jaws dropped. We never know what to expect from him other than it will be a banger no matter what. And we have never been disappointed. He keeps shocking us, and we don’t know how we still survive after each of his comebacks (we don’t; we just lay down and cry at how talented he is.)
‘Guilty’ is a dark track that sunk its claws into us. TAEMIN knows how to get our attention and even more how to keep it. His vocals are simply beyond comparison. The whispered talking? We feel shivers, and the way his voice puts emotion into the song is pure perfection. We’re factually biased. He’s an artist who can do just anything he puts his mind and heart into, and ‘Guilty’ shows once again just how true that statement is.
Of course, we haven’t forgotten to mention the music video, another brilliant creation. The choreography we see throughout the clip is…wow, we have no words for it. It shows a story that only TAEMIN knows how to present in such a magnetizing way. There is a lot of thought and work put into the creation of ‘Guilty,’ from its lyrics to the meaning behind its clip. We witness plenty of dreary scenes while TAEMIN sings of a love that hurts in ways that get the person confused between what is good and bad—between love and pain. The song, choreography, and music video run so deeply that you’d be replaying it to catch every detail it offers. ‘Guilty’ might just be one of our all-time favorites already.
‘She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not’
Moving to other parts of the album, we wanted to put a couple more tracks to your attention. ‘She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not,’ while having a tuneful sound, emits quite a sad, lonely feeling. We can’t help but imagine the hopeful removal of flower petals as we chant the words. And as we see their end, the realization hits us, a heavy, uneasy feeling washing all over us. There is no way you won’t love this track.
‘Not Over You’
‘Not Over You’ is exactly what you’d think when you see the title: a song about being unable to move on from a strong love, but it’s also way more. TAEMIN’s heartfelt vocals smoothly deliver the pain embedded in the lyrics and melody. Grab your tissues before listening to this track because it’s a strong one (another!) The idol helps us feel the longing as if it’s our own, and being able to accomplish that? We label it under talent. And we all know TAEMIN is full of it; it oozes off him.
The number of times we had tears in our eyes while listening to TAEMIN’s Guilty is lost to us. No matter how many times we replayed the album, the outcome was the same. Guilty stirs up strong feelings, and when music can do that, especially in a language that is not native to us, we bow in admiration and say “thank you” through the tears.
How are you feeling after listening to TAEMIN’s Guilty? Are you as overwhelmed as us? We want to know your experience, so come tell us about it at @thehoneypop, Facebook, and Instagram. Drop your favorite songs while you’re at it.
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