A new voice on Kpop
If you’re a fan of Shinee and Taemin, you are guaranteed to like this album. It’s got the depth and boldness you want from someone as talented as Taemin and the visuals are just as stunning as the tracks themselves.
I wasn’t as excited about this album as my Shawol friends, largely because I’m a terrible Shawol and I hadn’t listened to any of the teasers. However, after my initial listen on my way to work I knew I had to write a review for it because it’s the kind of album that warrants talking about. For this and all future reviews, I’m gonna break down my thoughts track by track.
This is his title track and it totally delivers. It has this sensuous feeling that pairs really well with the choreography. Not to mention that the music video leans into this, showing shots of Taemin in the rain giving the camera the most intense bedroom eyes I’ve ever seen. If this song doesn’t make you want to go to a club and dance, then you’re not listening to it right.
This album has a few tracks that showcase Taemin’s power vocals and this is the first one. It starts off slow, building to a mind-blowing climax in the chorus. It has a vaguely eerie feeling, in the echo-y way his vocals tie in with the bare piano accompanying it, which makes it the kind of song you want to listen to it when it’s raining outside.
This song has got to be one of my favorites. It struck me as so unique and interesting. The beginning is understated so you don’t expect the turn the chorus quickly takes. However, the synth-y jazzy chorus is the highlight of the song, making you wish you were in a space age jazz club. It’s something different and unexpected, which is–ironically–what you expect from anyone in Shinee.
This song features Seulgi from Red Velvet and it has such a fun chorus. Their voices pair really beautifully together and the song has an upbeat feeling that’s still somehow relaxed. It reminds me, in a strange way, of Shut Up and Groove by Heize and Dean. It has that kind of “Let’s get in the car and drive to this song” type of a feeling.
This is another one of those tracks that really show off how incredible Taemin’s voice is. There’s a rawness with this track that you don’t find in the others. It really feels like he’s laying himself bare and it makes for a really moving ballad. Don’t listen to this song unless you want to get all up in your feelings.
Let me be very honest. This song is…dirty. Like very dirty. But damn it all if it isn’t amazing. It has a very Halloween-y feel and if you’ve ever seen Jimin from BTS’s Lie performance, the Thirsty live performance has that level of drama. Taemin’s vocals in the chorus is what really does it for me in this song. There’s something so desperate and blatantly sexual about the way he sings “You make me thirsty” that makes a chill run up your spine.
Just by listening to the beginning you would think you’re getting yourself into another slow song, but the song quickly transforms by the chorus. The song keeps shifting from a fast-paced chorus to a slow-moving verse and the transition keeps you on your toes. It’s an interesting and understated song that has the kind of sneaky quality to get stuck in your head months after your first listen.
Back to You is a soft, acoustic track that leads you into the end of the album. I saw him perform this on the Vlive Rooftop Set thing he did and it’s another beautiful display of his voice. This is the perfect song to listen to when it’s cold outside and you don’t want to get out of bed.
This is the Korean version of his Japanese track so if you’ve already listened to that, then you know how good it is. However, for those who have yet to experience Flame of Love in all its glory, now is the time. It has a beautiful, story-like feeling that makes you feel like you should be in a historical drama waiting for your love to return from war.
Unbelievable. Incredible. Exactly as expected from Taemin. If you’re a fan of Shinee and Taemin, you are guaranteed to like this album. It’s got the depth and boldness you want from someone as talented as Taemin and the visuals are just as stunning as the tracks themselves.
K-Bops in K-Pop 