K-Bops in K-Pop

I was practically vibrating waiting for this comeback. The teasers had me reeling and I already knew that I was going to adore the single. Taemin is one of my favorite solo artists in Kpop and I’m always thrilled to see what he’s working on. I don’t want to give away anything this early in the review, but this comeback was not at all what I expected.

Day and Night

The guitar in this is what had me hooked the moment I heard the teaser. It’s sexy and slow. The video takes place mostly in some woods which is oddly fitting, though I can’t quite place why. The song is entirely different than Move, but it’s successful and intriguing in its own right. I can’t say whether I prefer this one to Move because it really is like comparing apples to oranges but I will say that this has a much calmer feeling than Move. It’s the kind of song that you could listen to in the wintertime, in bed, at twilight.

Snow Flower

Okay, y’all know by now how I feel about ballads. As much as I wanna love the beautiful vocals and the quiet yet powerful piano, I really can’t get down with ballads. Taemin’s voice is stunning–it always is–but this felt like a song off a Disney soundtrack and I wasn’t entirely invested.

I’m Crying (Korean Version)

I loved the piano intro of this song. I thought it was pretty in a flowery way; it reminded me of flower petals falling off cherry blossom trees in the spring time. This is arguably also a ballad but it’s not quite as slow as Snow Flower. I could see myself getting into this song, though realistically I probably wouldn’t listen to it as often as I listen to some of Taemin’s other songs.

Hypnosis (Rearranged Version)

*Sigh* Right. Another ballad. I actually quite liked the beginning before it built to the stereotypical chorus with the dramatic strings. Taemin’s voice was lovely but it felt like every other ballad I’d ever heard. It could’ve been slipped into literally any romantic Kdrama and been right at home. Out of the three, however, this is probably the easiest to like.

Final Thoughts

Maybe I’m being overly harsh, but I just wasn’t feeling this. I love Taemin and I love all that he’s capable of, but this just wasn’t my favorite. I think perhaps it’s my general distaste for ballads as a whole. When I titled this blog “K-BOPS in K-Pop,” I did so for a reason–I’m a bop girl. Ballads are nice every once in a while but I’m just not a fan of the typical drama of a standard ballad. Day and Night was an incredible single and a suitable follow-up for Move, but the rest of the repackage I could’ve done without. It didn’t feel like it added anything to Move the album.

What did you all think about the repackage? Did you enjoy it or was it as disappointing for y’all as it was for me?