OMG hearing all of Adrian’s inspirations for Black Rose is pure gold. I don’t know if we would hear about this otherwise without your channel 😂😂 thank you so much for this! The amount of passion you all talk about music with is just so endearing :’)
Oh my gosh, I CANNOT BELIEVE that we get to hear from Adrian about Taemin's music!!! Umu and team, thank you SO much for organizing and delivering this content. As a hard-core Shawol, this is golden!! Thank you!!
Oh yes girl, I'd say he's become a master of it... Before I get to understand what he's singing about, his voice only can uplift me, sooth me, rip my heart out... and so with this album the journey was incredible, I was absolutely mesmerized. I'm inmensely proud of being his fan ❤️❤️❤️
Kevin, in an interview, Taemin specifically said he changed the structure of some of the music and was the one who changed the key in the last chorus. He said this song was his baby and he did a lot with the music, lyrics, and production to make it his own. I'm glad you liked it so much because it's a testament to Taemin's musicality. The big thing I do disagree with you on, Kevin, is the cohesiveness of the album. If you read the lyrics (not at face value either) and understand the depth of the concept, you would probably have a change of heart. Taemin has said that this entire album is about a metamorphosis of his persona - shedding his old persona and creating a new, more approachable persona. "Criminal" is about Stockholm syndrome where Taemin is both the victim and the criminal - Ego vs. Alter Ego. This sets up the tone of the struggle between his old persona and the new one trying to emerge. The sheer beauty of the lyrical and visual metaphors used to in the MV to convey this message are ingenious. Once you understand this concept, then the rest of the songs fall into place. They are not about losing girlfriends as a surface reading of the songs' lyrics may imply. Once I understood the concept of "Criminal", I was immediately thinking "...Wow, "Famous" would dovetail nicely with this song..." before I even knew that the Korean version of "Famous" was on this album. "Famous" also incorporates the same style of metaphorical images to reveal the true meaning of the song. Hence, Act I is telling the story of this massive internal struggle According to Taemin, Act II is going to reveal and tell the story of his newly emerged persona. I can't wait for this because we may see a totally new side of Taemin and because he's intimated that his self-composed song, "Heaven' may be on it with a slightly re-arranged mix. I'm also hoping "Identitly" will be included as well. This is why I consider this album a masterpiece - the concept, literary beauty of the lyrics conveying said concept, and the depth of emotions in Taemin's haunting vocals (best I've heard from him).
What I appreciate about discussions with songwriters like Adrian McKinnon is that obviously, both those from Umu's side and those from the songwriter's side learn from each other's opinions and analyses. There's always this reputation of classical musicians as being music "elitists"; Umu and the rest of the ReacttotheK people are trying to break that stereotype. And while their analyses of kpop music can have the tendency (which is understandable) to give non-classical musicians a nosebleed (ear bleed?), how they dissect multiple layers of sound and give "names" or "labels" to those points in songs that impact listeners is a really great thing! And then you have songwriters like Adrian McKinnon who are so generous with their time and knowledge on the culture and workings of a world that possibly really "elitist" classical musicians wouldn't even touch with a 12-foot-long pole. I'm sure Adrian and other songwriters they've interviewed on this channel have also picked up on music theory points and analyses that may even enrich their own songwriting and producing experience. Music, after all, is a shared experience. There's always something new to be learned and something old to be reused and re-imagined again in this artform. In the minds and hearts of listeners, there are truly no genre borders in music.
I noticed when Kevin mentioned 2 French composers, ( one of them I had heard of before), Adrian went "hmm, and started to look up that composer. This is how music is used. To inspire and inform which leads to enriched experiences.
i just wanna say THANK YOU ADRIAN for writing lots of SHINee and taemin's songs and ofc Black Rose bcs its officially one of my favorite b-sidetracks of all taemin's songs ❤️❤️
When he was talking abt taemins vocals, I totally agree Taemins vocals is so underrated. I know he can do so much more but I like how he wants so surprise us
What I thought was interesting about that section of the convo was that Adrian mentioned that he wanted to pitch Taemin about doing even more interesting stuff and it was SM that kinda put the breaks on that. It gave the impression that they really do not meet the Artist who's planning to record the song,. I wonder if Adrian and the other songwriters were able to directly pitch to the Artist, how that would change the dynamic of the music that is being produced, good or bad? Taemin has admitted that he knows what he wants to accomplish with each project and that he can be stubborn, however, he is willing to be open to suggestions that may produce an even better result. Thank you for such an interesting convo. I wonder if Taemin watches this channel. I think he would so happy to know how music fans appreciate his hard work, and how informed they are about music in general.
codebrker24 it annoys me how much of control sm takes when it comes to making music/how artist should sing etc like Taemin knows and can do all these things. I hope taemin sees this bc we’re all so proud of taemin no matter what he does. I hope in act 2 they let him do whatever he wanted bc ik he said he took more vocal lessons, he wants to show more and I’m so here for it
@@eyla107 true..lets hope sm listens...i felt so bad when taemin was so dissapointed when wish you were here (superm song) ranked 1st..he kept saying that he told them to make wish you were here to be the title track ..when will sm hear taemins word
aakkk 11 exactly!! Even baekhyun wanted that song to be the title anddddd also before I forget, remember when they wanted Love to be the title track instead of Move? and taemin didn’t give up THANKGOD they listened to him at the end😭
I thought Adrian McKennon would only talk about Black Rose but I loved to hear his opinions on the rest of the songs. I just loved this whole album. One of the best in kpop this year.
That's it, I'm officially an Adrian McKinnon stan. I loved hearing him talk about his inspiration for Black Rose and I was surprised but very happy he talked about the whole album. Adrian, thank you so much for contributing to this amazing album. Umu and Kevin, thank you for the amount of attention you're giving to Taemin's comeback and for the incredible content you're putting out. Sincerely, a Shawol
Wow I surprised when Adrian said he wants to see Taemin performing for “Just me and you”. Because Taemin said this song has performance(lyrical hip hop) and he made a VCR for his concert, which was cancelled due to pandemic back in March. I really hope the situation gets better soon and we can see that finally!!
I wish they would just release it as an MV and chalk it up as a promotion of the Album. I have said that an MV for every song should have been made. This would be another first in the industry, plus, they would have been in-line with the pandemic.I know it is a massive amount of money but would have been so worth it. Oh, I am so greedy~.
Thank you so much for this. I want to touch on the 2 KIDS youtube views thing, I agree that it's very different from what Taemin usually does, so that definitely had something to do with it, and that also the MV was pretty raw & chill (it fit the vibe of the song perfectly, I am not complaining as I love it so don't get me wrong) which I know for sure Kpop fans don't really like those type of MVs, especially from someone known for his expensive fancy godly concepts, powerful amazing jaw dropping performance and unique sensual powerful choreo. But there's a bigger issue than what people would expect from Taemin and for me, it's the MAIN reason why 2 KIDS didn't get as much attention and love as it deserved : *SM didn't promote the single AT ALL*, casual fans didn't even know about it sadly, and really only full blown shawols supported the release, and we're a small fandom too so yeah... As Umu said, Taemin was working at the same time on SuperM when it dropped, so he couldn't even promote it (he only even promoted Criminal, his main release, for 3 days only sooo... idk what to tell ya, SM were sooo wrong for making him film SuperM MVs, shows and interviews when promotion time should've been given to his solo relase as well) and also, SM released SuperM's comeback news literally 1 or 2 days after 2 KIDS' release, which overshadowed it for most of the casual fans that knew about it. To me, that was pretty sad, upsetting and unfortunate, looking forward to new Taemin releases just for them to barely get the promotion they deserved because a company sucks at planning the comebacks timings. But as much as we'd love for Taemin to get high views and such, nobody can deny how much of a king he is, and how much of an AMAZING all rounded artist he is, so numbers mean nothing because what truly matters is what he's bringing into such an oversaturated, mainstream and competitive market such as Kpop, and I am more than glad to be seeing and a part of his journey! I'm sure everyone else is too!
I absolutely agree with your comment - SM did totally nothing and in a way sabotaged Taemin’s release of 2 Kids with everything that was going with SuperM. But as you say this really doesn’t matter cause what Taemin brings to the table is so unique and has such a quality that will remain absolutely timeless. And there’s a reason why he is referred to as a King of Kpop. I personally love 2 Kids, because of a song itself and how it pulls my emotional strings and because it’s such a unique song in Taemin’s discography. I couldn’t care less about the views - when I see the amount of views on certain Kpop releases which are so mediocre and so generic I wouldn’t listen to them if someone paid me for it, I honestly only shrug my arms... Anyway Never Gonna Dance Again is for me a masterpiece of an album, I couldn’t have hoped to anything better than this.
I am glad and happy for Taemin activities in SuperM, it brings happiness to him and a lot of new fans but SM was very shitty for saying SuperM activities wouldn't affect the members original and solo activities, and it happened to Taemin. I'm still mad but my anger wouldn't get me anywhere nor change SM. They better not messed the upcoming Act 2 and SHINee comeback and give SHINee their own label if they are lazy to promote them
Though I agree with all of that, This release was delayed because Taemin became injured. I don't think SM was even going to release it but then squeezed it in the schedule. If you noticed, they also promoted Shinee's Aniversary at the same time as well. SuperM's comeback and release had been scheduled. Sm has said they want Korean Fans to know about SuperM but SM debut them in the States. I know why this was so and I won't get into it here. Taemin promoted under Shinee and not really on his own. I would think this shows how tight they schedule and they really do not leave much wiggle room for themselves to make changes that will produce the best results for said given projects. It's kinda like betting on the wrong horse, then trying to change the jockey at the last minute, only to realize it was your original jockey that got you to the race track and the finish line, in first place.
I love Adrian's view on music, about how singles should stand the test of time. its really smart that SM has this kind of guy with this type of thinking. I also love hes complerely infatuated w taemin and his potential. i only wish he had more input in the video cos we'd love more of his thoughts on the album. Some of the times he was too quiet Umu's excitement is also very palpable and i do love hosts who have genuine interest in the subject theyre talking about. Kevin's critiques are also a nice balance to the trio. Good job you three!
It's not that people aren't liking Taemin's music, it's really that SM isn't giving him any promotions which is really hard to watch as a Shawol. What Kevin called sloppy in 2 Kids is what makes the song feel so thick and painful for me. Maybe I need to listen to an instrumental version edit lmao because I'm not getting/feeling what either Umu or Kevin are saying at all. But 2 Kids aside, the whole album tells a beautiful and cohesive story. It makes me want to write chapters and chapters telling someone's story from an inside POV. Strangers and Clockwork tie for my favorites. Black Rose and Criminal tie right after, then 2 Kids, then probably everything else. I can't wait for Act 2.
I'm with you on the favorites for this album. I felt like criminal and black rose caught your interest, but it was strangers and clockwork that caught your heart. I enjoyed act 2, but for me act 1 was just it. It was perfect.
I do feel 2 Kids is so painful and I guess it's based on my own exp so I can't understand why Umu felt hopeful or tropical about it. It's just so painful and heartbreaking to me
Thank you guys for this and thank you Adrian so much for making such great songs for Taemin and SHINee. I want to point out 2 Kids was not released between SuperM songs, that was Criminal. Taemin was given almost no promotion nor activities for his album, they had him doing all this SuperM stuff instead of what he usually does for his solo comebacks. It's very unfair. SM just dropped 2 Kids in early august, with literally no promo. We fans found out two days before it was released and we didn't even know it had an MV, so imagine the general public. That's a major factor why 2 Kids isn't as popular as a Taemin song would normally be.
Thank you Umu, for bring us so much quality content ♥ I am always amazed when I watch these chats with Adrian, Moonshine, Ellen and Cazzi and others. It is so good to see these reviews about artists that I listen to and I have no one to talk to about it. I hope that you get to meet many other producers and that the channel continues to grow more and more with more quality!!!
I really enjoyed this video! I always feel like a proud mom hearing how great artists praise Taemin's work. I've been listening to him for a long time but I'm not a musician, so despite knowing what colors or textures I enjoy the most, I can't say it in a specific way. But listening to you and Adrian, I can understand more. I'm with Adrian on this, "Strangers" is my fav too. It sounds close to my personal taste and it's a style that Taemin had never tried before. Hope Taeminie can see this video. He would be so happy to hear Adrian's opinions. Also, I hope Adrian can watch "Just me and you" vcr because he was right: this song blooms with Taemin's delicate movements. . . PD: "Black rose" is a tremendous song. But I also want to thank him for "Shift", "Feel good", "Love talk", "Idea". Adrian has many gems 💎
Thank you so much to Umu and Kevin for all your analysis on the album (it's always so fun to see you discuss all the musical things casual fans overlook) and also to invite Adrian, because I have ALWAYS like all of his music (he's def one of my favorite composer/producer) and also, yes, the album is masterpiece, Taemin really killed this one.
Thank you so much for a great content, I enjoyed your outlook on the music and all the details. I feel Taemin put so much thought and effort into this album and it absolutely payed off, cause the album is amazing! I want to express that 2 Kids is in my opinion an absolutely perfect song and I know a lot of Shawols that claim they fell in love with it from the very first listen. The fact that it focuses so much on Taemin gorgeous vocals and the emotional aspects (those lyrics are really heartbreaking and yet so relatable) is actually the best thing about it. I totally don’t agree with Kevin that it needs something extra in the chorus, I absolutely love the syncopated base line and how it gives you a sense of freedom. Some reactor once commented that this song has a cathartic feeling to it in spite of sad lyrics and I couldn’t agree more. Listening to it gives me pure joy and incredible feeling of hope, it’s almost like a pat on my back to tell me hey, everything’s gonna be ok!
I think that Taemin still harbors a little bit of insecurity with his vocal abilities. And it makes me so happy that people are pointing out how much he's improved vocally. He's truly worked hard to improve himself.
Oh Umu you finished it! I saw your tweet about the editing and so I was anticipating this album review with Adrian. Love everything about this. I wouldn't be averse to listening for another hour. You all make it so interesting for me. Thank you :) I think of what Kevin said that most of what he don't like on particular songs is more of his personal preference, and I get it. I agree with Adrian though, that the whole album sounds so cohesive. I can hear it and attest to it cause I listen to the whole album almost everyday. Not only that, but I think the lyrics as well are connected and were similarly talking about memories and dreams. And the vocals are just so gorgeously done. I actually disagree with Taemin, I think he's a gifted, powerful vocalist. He knows how to put the right amount of subtlety and power into his voice to convey emotion and connect with the listener. He's both a phenomenal performer and an effective storyteller, which not all artists are.
Strangers is my FAVORITE song on this album! I've been listening to it on repeat for a few weeks now and I just can't get enough. It really brings me a sense of comfort and I resonated with what Adrian said likening it to the sun rising as it gave me a sense of warmth. It's definitely been a go-to song for me when I feel depressed and just need something to listen to that helps free me from reality. I agree with Umu that this whole album is an emotional experience and I feel that this is a turning point in Taemin's career. I love this album so much and I'm looking forward to the next one!
Can Adrian be part of all SHINee reactions (and part of their album production too, of course)? The Black Rose imagery that he brought up is perfect for horror-loving Taemin. I love how he follows Taemin's career progression and even reads up on his interviews. The connections he made to Can't Get You Out of My Head and Icebox totally make sense.
I loved hearing all your thoughts on the album & especially hearing Adrian's insights from participating in the album himself! I agree, the album is amazing and really showcases how much Taemin has grown and evolved as an artist. I've listened to the album countless times, but I'm definitely going to go back again and re-listen with a new perspective and appreciation. Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
this is the earliest i've ever been i don't know what to say @_@ thank you umu for reacting to taemin! he has such good music and i'm so glad i stopped sleeping on him this year!!
thanks, umu, Kevin and Adrian. because you guys pay more attention to Taemin's album. I hope there will be more people like you. who want to open minds and give an appropriate assessment on this album.
This very insightful and I love it. I already love Taemin and his music but you guys point out so much more things than I would ever be able to point out on my own and it made me admire taemin, the music, and the people behind it even more. So glad Adrian was able to be in this album review. Thank you for this!!!
omg I'm watching right now and I'm just so excited about this! This is amazing! I love Adrian (and of course you guys!)! I hope Taemin will watch this!
I admire Adrian and his work so much, it's amazing to hear his thoughts. Umu and Kevin, I love your reviews too, please react to more Super Junior music, they released some great songs this year and they have some of the best harmonies in the industry
Thank you thank you thank you! It's so nice to hear you guys' and Adrian's thoughts about this whole album. I couldn't even express how much this album means to me because it literally top my album list for Taemin and to witness his new journey, growth and challenges.. so precious.
Love~~~~ this~~~ As someone who don’t have muscial knowledge, and just here to enjoy good music and Taemin hard work, thank you for this video. I can see many thought, many work behind the scene to producer this album masterpiece. Thank you so much.
I love that you all are equally as excited about this album as I am! At first, Criminal and Just Me and You were my favourites but as I started hearing all of your analysis (this one and your initial reaction), I've started getting into Waiting For and 2Kids more. I did listen to the last track when it was released but I didn't like it as much as it really didn't feel like a typical dark Taemin track. But as soon as I heard Umu's opinion on it (a poignant ending to the album, making you want more), I started to hear it differently. I loved Famous even before this analysis so I'm not gonna gush about it haha 😅 I'm glad you guys brought Adrian onto the show as I didn't love Black Rose as much but definitely after hearing his inspiration for the song, I'm definitely seeing it in a different light! Thank you so much for this - it's so nice to see classical musicians analyse K-pop songs so passionate (I'm a classical violinist but my music theory is nowhere near as good). I couldn't put words onto why I like different tracks on the album but you've definitely explained it for me! Thanks again, looking forward to hear your analysis on different songs in the future! 💜✨
Thank you so much for this. Maybe I am the only one, but 2Kids is my favourite song of the entire album. I love that they didn't add additional percussions. Like Umu said, it added a free feeling to me. And I think that it fits the theme of the song very well. I feel so sad that Taemin had no time to promote this song. But that is Kpop, there is so much competition, you have to be fast with your promotion, if you want to be successful.
I believe Taemin said in an interview that 2 Kids was a song SM recommended he release as a prerelease. I enjoyed it, but agree that it was a turn following the direction of his discography thus far. Thanks for sharing Adrian's and your thoughts on this album! It was a really good listen.
Adrian, thank you work working with Tae and Shinee. Your songs are some of my favorite and I hope you get more inspired and continue to create music for them and us ❤️
Hearing you guys dive deep into the musical subtleties of this album gets me nostalgic for my chorus classes in middle and high school, since that was really the last time I spoke about music in technical terms. This gives me additional appreciation for the album, and I loved hearing all of your interpretations and associations.
Im taemin fan so I’m bias for he’s music, but this album has a different feel that Im really into almost like a more mature taemin a more grown work, witch is what I was expecting. And all the song make really on waiting mode for part 2
Personally I think that Act 1 is full of callbacks to SHINee's and Taemin's previous work. I've heard many other Shawols say that Black Rose feels like a sequel to Mystery Lover. I'd also add that Nemo is reminiscent of their early roots, specifically Romeo+Juliette. The instrumentals in Just Me and You would be right at home next to Jonghyun's Aurora or Orbit. Clockwork is almost like a slower, spacier, Orgel, and I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting. Even though each song was new and unique, as a whole, this album seemed very familiar to me, like I was right at home listening to it. But I do I understand the criticism that taken by itself, the album seems not quite there/not cohesive, and I really appreciate reviews like this that I can learn from and think about. Thanks for the quality content, as always.
I just want to say THANK YOU Adrian for working with Taemin un this amazing album 💕. I absolutely love NGDA A1. And I absolutely hate SM for not promoting Criminal and the album better.
Thank you so much once again to Umu and Kevin for putting so much attention into Taemin's work, as a shawol and music lover I'm really touched. Adrian has such a beautiful way of speaking about music and hearing him talk about not only Black Rose but also the rest of the album and how well it's arranged gave me life! Honestly, if you read this Adrian, let me tell you I'm a big big fan of your work and your kind personality. I can't wait for the day you'll meet Taemin and talk to him :))))
omfg ice box by omarion!!!! yesssssss!!!! see this is why we need amazing producers/songwriters like Adrian McKinnon in kpop yoo this dudeee! i love this videos and im so hyped for this relationship this channel has with Adrian yall are the cutest
Thank you for this! So awesome to hear all of your thoughts and actually it made it much more nteresting that you all had different thoughts and opinions at times. Always nice to hear different point of views said in a respectful manner! 2 Kids was my fav song when it came out! Now it's tied with Black Rose :)
In regards to 2 kids being a departure from Taemin's direction as an artist -- I think that's one of the best qualities of Taemin. He's the type to refuse being pigeonholed into one style, one genre, one anything. I think a lot of it comes from his time being so experimental in SHINee, but also from the fact that he refuses to let people tell him who he is. The fact that he's such a successful soloist who has broken gender norms in Kpop after people called him tone deaf, "just a dancer", and too feminine is a perfect testament to that. Move has made him into a Sex icon, which is powerful, but also will not be the limit of who he is as an artist.
2 Kids is my favourite song and reminds me of Francis and the Lights. Compared to what I normally expect from a meticulously produced SM track, it feels raw and emotional, and the vocoder really showed off how emotive and dynamic a vocalist Taemin actually is. Combined with the song lyrics and his freestyle dancing in the MV, I suddenly found myself crying... I think it captures this sense of bittersweet nostalgia really well. And as much as he is acknowledged for his dance, I’ve started to really anticipate his slow songs now, Clockwork is amazing
This was a very insightful post discussion! And even though I do not agree with your critical views Kevin, I still really appreciate & agree with what you did end up liking. I love every one of your analysis. Looking forward to future videos!
Thank you so much for this guys, all three of you are awesome T.T I don't know have much knowledge in music but your reviews are always so fun to watch! Love to hear about Adrian's insights and thoughts too! I love Taemin and I love his music so much. You can really tell that he puts all of his efforts in this album.
I found 2KIDS to be super raw in its simplicity because of its lyrics and if it had gone any grander it would have taken away from the feeling the song was supposed to give you. I actually didn't quite love it at first because the vocals seemed to go a complete different way from the instrumental at first (sorry I don't know musical terms, the vocal melody was different, maybe?) but that's what makes it even more amazing, I feel like I am listening to two different songs at once but that makes me want to listen to it more. As for my favorites, Criminal, Black Rose, Strangers, Clockwork and I have grown to enjoy the others a lot as a complete set. I cannot wait for Taemin's "rebirth" on Act 2.
Thank you so much for this, I don't know much of musis but I know I loved his album, and I'm pretty sure a huge part of why it is so well done and cohesive is Taemin. He said this is the album that has more of his imput, specially the work he did with Criminal, so yeah he is a really great dancer, singer and artist and overall his vision is so unique that I think he brings a lot to the table.
Thank you sm for this video I really enjoyed hearing Adrian’s thoughts and getting more insight on the production process!! I definitely felt that Tim burton vibe while listening to Black Rose I think it goes really well with another song from Taemin called Impressionable. Also K-pop gets a lot of inspiration from western music and has producers from all over the world so I think the comparisons you made are completely fair lol
I hope u will react more to Taemin & other Shinee members since all of them have solo. Also their group discography. I like to hear whats your opinion on them since u guys are pros hahah.
and about taemin releases getting low views, i think so many different things play at this sorta thing :( even criminal, for instance, is such a freaking bop and has an incredible production in all senses still didn't get as "many" views as it absolutely deserves. for me, it's even superior to the iconic hit that was 'move'. but then, again, these things are kind of... a mistery or have different interpretations to why it's getting the attention it's getting. there are so many possibitilies to why something really strikes/reaches/conquers more people or not :T
![[EP.09-1] RAVI's CLOSE UP! 역시 끼리끼리는 싸이언스?! 월드스타 친구 등판..!With 태민(TAEMIN)!](/img/1.gif)
OMG hearing all of Adrian’s inspirations for Black Rose is pure gold. I don’t know if we would hear about this otherwise without your channel 😂😂 thank you so much for this! The amount of passion you all talk about music with is just so endearing :’)
Oh my gosh, I CANNOT BELIEVE that we get to hear from Adrian about Taemin's music!!! Umu and team, thank you SO much for organizing and delivering this content. As a hard-core Shawol, this is golden!! Thank you!!
Teaming may not be the moost powerful vocalist ever in terms of being loud, but he’s powerful in the way he communicates through his singing.
Oh yes girl, I'd say he's become a master of it... Before I get to understand what he's singing about, his voice only can uplift me, sooth me, rip my heart out... and so with this album the journey was incredible, I was absolutely mesmerized. I'm inmensely proud of being his fan ❤️❤️❤️
I love Taemin's phrasing when he sings. He has such an expressive voice, like he really paints a picture with his voice.
Kevin, in an interview, Taemin specifically said he changed the structure of some of the music and was the one who changed the key in the last chorus. He said this song was his baby and he did a lot with the music, lyrics, and production to make it his own. I'm glad you liked it so much because it's a testament to Taemin's musicality.
The big thing I do disagree with you on, Kevin, is the cohesiveness of the album. If you read the lyrics (not at face value either) and understand the depth of the concept, you would probably have a change of heart. Taemin has said that this entire album is about a metamorphosis of his persona - shedding his old persona and creating a new, more approachable persona.
"Criminal" is about Stockholm syndrome where Taemin is both the victim and the criminal - Ego vs. Alter Ego. This sets up the tone of the struggle between his old persona and the new one trying to emerge. The sheer beauty of the lyrical and visual metaphors used to in the MV to convey this message are ingenious. Once you understand this concept, then the rest of the songs fall into place. They are not about losing girlfriends as a surface reading of the songs' lyrics may imply. Once I understood the concept of "Criminal", I was immediately thinking "...Wow, "Famous" would dovetail nicely with this song..." before I even knew that the Korean version of "Famous" was on this album. "Famous" also incorporates the same style of metaphorical images to reveal the true meaning of the song. Hence, Act I is telling the story of this massive internal struggle
According to Taemin, Act II is going to reveal and tell the story of his newly emerged persona. I can't wait for this because we may see a totally new side of Taemin and because he's intimated that his self-composed song, "Heaven' may be on it with a slightly re-arranged mix. I'm also hoping "Identitly" will be included as well.
This is why I consider this album a masterpiece - the concept, literary beauty of the lyrics conveying said concept, and the depth of emotions in Taemin's haunting vocals (best I've heard from him).
I love the way you articulated this. Definitely agree on all accounts.
All of this comment
all of this and also i cant wait for heaven on act 2 that song speaks to my soul
Agree 100%
100% agree with this!!!
What I appreciate about discussions with songwriters like Adrian McKinnon is that obviously, both those from Umu's side and those from the songwriter's side learn from each other's opinions and analyses. There's always this reputation of classical musicians as being music "elitists"; Umu and the rest of the ReacttotheK people are trying to break that stereotype. And while their analyses of kpop music can have the tendency (which is understandable) to give non-classical musicians a nosebleed (ear bleed?), how they dissect multiple layers of sound and give "names" or "labels" to those points in songs that impact listeners is a really great thing!
And then you have songwriters like Adrian McKinnon who are so generous with their time and knowledge on the culture and workings of a world that possibly really "elitist" classical musicians wouldn't even touch with a 12-foot-long pole. I'm sure Adrian and other songwriters they've interviewed on this channel have also picked up on music theory points and analyses that may even enrich their own songwriting and producing experience.
Music, after all, is a shared experience. There's always something new to be learned and something old to be reused and re-imagined again in this artform. In the minds and hearts of listeners, there are truly no genre borders in music.
I noticed when Kevin mentioned 2 French composers, ( one of them I had heard of before), Adrian went "hmm, and started to look up that composer. This is how music is used. To inspire and inform which leads to enriched experiences.
i just wanna say THANK YOU ADRIAN for writing lots of SHINee and taemin's songs and ofc Black Rose bcs its officially one of my favorite b-sidetracks of all taemin's songs ❤️❤️
When he was talking abt taemins vocals, I totally agree Taemins vocals is so underrated. I know he can do so much more but I like how he wants so surprise us
More than underrated its better to say that he is not promoted well..if he had good promotions this album had a chance to win album of the year
What I thought was interesting about that section of the convo was that Adrian mentioned that he wanted to pitch Taemin about doing even more interesting stuff and it was SM that kinda put the breaks on that. It gave the impression that they really do not meet the Artist who's planning to record the song,. I wonder if Adrian and the other songwriters were able to directly pitch to the Artist, how that would change the dynamic of the music that is being produced, good or bad? Taemin has admitted that he knows what he wants to accomplish with each project and that he can be stubborn, however, he is willing to be open to suggestions that may produce an even better result. Thank you for such an interesting convo. I wonder if Taemin watches this channel. I think he would so happy to know how music fans appreciate his hard work, and how informed they are about music in general.
codebrker24 it annoys me how much of control sm takes when it comes to making music/how artist should sing etc like Taemin knows and can do all these things. I hope taemin sees this bc we’re all so proud of taemin no matter what he does. I hope in act 2 they let him do whatever he wanted bc ik he said he took more vocal lessons, he wants to show more and I’m so here for it
@@eyla107 true..lets hope sm listens...i felt so bad when taemin was so dissapointed when wish you were here (superm song) ranked 1st..he kept saying that he told them to make wish you were here to be the title track ..when will sm hear taemins word
aakkk 11 exactly!! Even baekhyun wanted that song to be the title anddddd also before I forget, remember when they wanted Love to be the title track instead of Move? and taemin didn’t give up THANKGOD they listened to him at the end😭
I thought Adrian McKennon would only talk about Black Rose but I loved to hear his opinions on the rest of the songs. I just loved this whole album. One of the best in kpop this year.
That's it, I'm officially an Adrian McKinnon stan. I loved hearing him talk about his inspiration for Black Rose and I was surprised but very happy he talked about the whole album.
Adrian, thank you so much for contributing to this amazing album. Umu and Kevin, thank you for the amount of attention you're giving to Taemin's comeback and for the incredible content you're putting out.
Sincerely, a Shawol
Wow I surprised when Adrian said he wants to see Taemin performing for “Just me and you”. Because Taemin said this song has performance(lyrical hip hop) and he made a VCR for his concert, which was cancelled due to pandemic back in March. I really hope the situation gets better soon and we can see that finally!!
I wish they would just release it as an MV and chalk it up as a promotion of the Album. I have said that an MV for every song should have been made. This would be another first in the industry, plus, they would have been in-line with the pandemic.I know it is a massive amount of money but would have been so worth it. Oh, I am so greedy~.
Thank you so much for this.
I want to touch on the 2 KIDS youtube views thing, I agree that it's very different from what Taemin usually does, so that definitely had something to do with it, and that also the MV was pretty raw & chill (it fit the vibe of the song perfectly, I am not complaining as I love it so don't get me wrong) which I know for sure Kpop fans don't really like those type of MVs, especially from someone known for his expensive fancy godly concepts, powerful amazing jaw dropping performance and unique sensual powerful choreo. But there's a bigger issue than what people would expect from Taemin and for me, it's the MAIN reason why 2 KIDS didn't get as much attention and love as it deserved : *SM didn't promote the single AT ALL*, casual fans didn't even know about it sadly, and really only full blown shawols supported the release, and we're a small fandom too so yeah... As Umu said, Taemin was working at the same time on SuperM when it dropped, so he couldn't even promote it (he only even promoted Criminal, his main release, for 3 days only sooo... idk what to tell ya, SM were sooo wrong for making him film SuperM MVs, shows and interviews when promotion time should've been given to his solo relase as well) and also, SM released SuperM's comeback news literally 1 or 2 days after 2 KIDS' release, which overshadowed it for most of the casual fans that knew about it. To me, that was pretty sad, upsetting and unfortunate, looking forward to new Taemin releases just for them to barely get the promotion they deserved because a company sucks at planning the comebacks timings. But as much as we'd love for Taemin to get high views and such, nobody can deny how much of a king he is, and how much of an AMAZING all rounded artist he is, so numbers mean nothing because what truly matters is what he's bringing into such an oversaturated, mainstream and competitive market such as Kpop, and I am more than glad to be seeing and a part of his journey! I'm sure everyone else is too!
I absolutely agree with your comment - SM did totally nothing and in a way sabotaged Taemin’s release of 2 Kids with everything that was going with SuperM. But as you say this really doesn’t matter cause what Taemin brings to the table is so unique and has such a quality that will remain absolutely timeless. And there’s a reason why he is referred to as a King of Kpop. I personally love 2 Kids, because of a song itself and how it pulls my emotional strings and because it’s such a unique song in Taemin’s discography. I couldn’t care less about the views - when I see the amount of views on certain Kpop releases which are so mediocre and so generic I wouldn’t listen to them if someone paid me for it, I honestly only shrug my arms... Anyway Never Gonna Dance Again is for me a masterpiece of an album, I couldn’t have hoped to anything better than this.
I am glad and happy for Taemin activities in SuperM, it brings happiness to him and a lot of new fans but SM was very shitty for saying SuperM activities wouldn't affect the members original and solo activities, and it happened to Taemin. I'm still mad but my anger wouldn't get me anywhere nor change SM.
They better not messed the upcoming Act 2 and SHINee comeback and give SHINee their own label if they are lazy to promote them
@Auntie67@@shineetaemint6548 I agree with you both! I'm so excited for Act 2 and I hope it will be managed in a better way.
Though I agree with all of that, This release was delayed because Taemin became injured. I don't think SM was even going to release it but then squeezed it in the schedule. If you noticed, they also promoted Shinee's Aniversary at the same time as well. SuperM's comeback and release had been scheduled. Sm has said they want Korean Fans to know about SuperM but SM debut them in the States. I know why this was so and I won't get into it here. Taemin promoted under Shinee and not really on his own. I would think this shows how tight they schedule and they really do not leave much wiggle room for themselves to make changes that will produce the best results for said given projects. It's kinda like betting on the wrong horse, then trying to change the jockey at the last minute, only to realize it was your original jockey that got you to the race track and the finish line, in first place.
Black Rose is such a beautiful song
I love Adrian's view on music, about how singles should stand the test of time. its really smart that SM has this kind of guy with this type of thinking. I also love hes complerely infatuated w taemin and his potential. i only wish he had more input in the video cos we'd love more of his thoughts on the album. Some of the times he was too quiet
Umu's excitement is also very palpable and i do love hosts who have genuine interest in the subject theyre talking about.
Kevin's critiques are also a nice balance to the trio.
Good job you three!
It's not that people aren't liking Taemin's music, it's really that SM isn't giving him any promotions which is really hard to watch as a Shawol. What Kevin called sloppy in 2 Kids is what makes the song feel so thick and painful for me. Maybe I need to listen to an instrumental version edit lmao because I'm not getting/feeling what either Umu or Kevin are saying at all.
But 2 Kids aside, the whole album tells a beautiful and cohesive story. It makes me want to write chapters and chapters telling someone's story from an inside POV. Strangers and Clockwork tie for my favorites. Black Rose and Criminal tie right after, then 2 Kids, then probably everything else. I can't wait for Act 2.
I'm with you on the favorites for this album. I felt like criminal and black rose caught your interest, but it was strangers and clockwork that caught your heart. I enjoyed act 2, but for me act 1 was just it. It was perfect.
I do feel 2 Kids is so painful and I guess it's based on my own exp so I can't understand why Umu felt hopeful or tropical about it. It's just so painful and heartbreaking to me
Adrian really really reeeeaaaally admires Taemin, has he said if he ever met him irl?
He hasn't but he said he's chatted with Mark at SuperM's debut in LA, so...they've at least been in the same room once? 😂
@@ReacttotheK oh, to at least have a chat with someone close to him... What a dream! 😭😭😭
@@ReacttotheK hasn’t he said once that he watched shinee dance on the married to the music set and how they were a little like robots dancing?
renroser yeah, Adrian was invited to the filming of Shinee’s MTTM
Thank you guys for this and thank you Adrian so much for making such great songs for Taemin and SHINee. I want to point out 2 Kids was not released between SuperM songs, that was Criminal. Taemin was given almost no promotion nor activities for his album, they had him doing all this SuperM stuff instead of what he usually does for his solo comebacks. It's very unfair. SM just dropped 2 Kids in early august, with literally no promo. We fans found out two days before it was released and we didn't even know it had an MV, so imagine the general public. That's a major factor why 2 Kids isn't as popular as a Taemin song would normally be.
Many fans thought that Black Rose is sequel of Mystery Lover....
Yes this album is art.. T_T
To me, Black Rose is the combination of Final Dragon, Shadow, & now that you mention it, Mystery Lover 😂.
Thank you Umu, for bring us so much quality content ♥
I am always amazed when I watch these chats with Adrian, Moonshine, Ellen and Cazzi and others. It is so good to see these reviews about artists that I listen to and I have no one to talk to about it.
I hope that you get to meet many other producers and that the channel continues to grow more and more with more quality!!!
I am a fan of SM artists, and an Exo-L. It’s just fair to acknowledge that Taemin is the most interesting and outstanding idol.
I really enjoyed this video!
I always feel like a proud mom hearing how great artists praise Taemin's work.
I've been listening to him for a long time but I'm not a musician, so despite knowing what colors or textures I enjoy the most, I can't say it in a specific way. But listening to you and Adrian, I can understand more.
I'm with Adrian on this, "Strangers" is my fav too. It sounds close to my personal taste and it's a style that Taemin had never tried before.
Hope Taeminie can see this video. He would be so happy to hear Adrian's opinions. Also, I hope Adrian can watch "Just me and you" vcr because he was right: this song blooms with Taemin's delicate movements.
.
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PD: "Black rose" is a tremendous song. But I also want to thank him for "Shift", "Feel good", "Love talk", "Idea". Adrian has many gems 💎
Thank you so much to Umu and Kevin for all your analysis on the album (it's always so fun to see you discuss all the musical things casual fans overlook) and also to invite Adrian, because I have ALWAYS like all of his music (he's def one of my favorite composer/producer) and also, yes, the album is masterpiece, Taemin really killed this one.
LITERALLY MY FAVORITE ALBUM! ADRIAN, TAEMIN, AND EVERYONE WHO WORKED ON IT ARE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!
Thank you so much for a great content, I enjoyed your outlook on the music and all the details. I feel Taemin put so much thought and effort into this album and it absolutely payed off, cause the album is amazing! I want to express that 2 Kids is in my opinion an absolutely perfect song and I know a lot of Shawols that claim they fell in love with it from the very first listen. The fact that it focuses so much on Taemin gorgeous vocals and the emotional aspects (those lyrics are really heartbreaking and yet so relatable) is actually the best thing about it. I totally don’t agree with Kevin that it needs something extra in the chorus, I absolutely love the syncopated base line and how it gives you a sense of freedom. Some reactor once commented that this song has a cathartic feeling to it in spite of sad lyrics and I couldn’t agree more. Listening to it gives me pure joy and incredible feeling of hope, it’s almost like a pat on my back to tell me hey, everything’s gonna be ok!
Auntie67 Hey, nice to see you again^^ everything gonna be ok, and Taemin will be the king of Kopp.
阮三水 Good to see you too! And good thing is Taemin is a king of Kpop :)
I think that Taemin still harbors a little bit of insecurity with his vocal abilities. And it makes me so happy that people are pointing out how much he's improved vocally. He's truly worked hard to improve himself.
Oh Umu you finished it! I saw your tweet about the editing and so I was anticipating this album review with Adrian. Love everything about this. I wouldn't be averse to listening for another hour. You all make it so interesting for me. Thank you :)
I think of what Kevin said that most of what he don't like on particular songs is more of his personal preference, and I get it. I agree with Adrian though, that the whole album sounds so cohesive. I can hear it and attest to it cause I listen to the whole album almost everyday. Not only that, but I think the lyrics as well are connected and were similarly talking about memories and dreams. And the vocals are just so gorgeously done. I actually disagree with Taemin, I think he's a gifted, powerful vocalist. He knows how to put the right amount of subtlety and power into his voice to convey emotion and connect with the listener. He's both a phenomenal performer and an effective storyteller, which not all artists are.
Strangers is my FAVORITE song on this album! I've been listening to it on repeat for a few weeks now and I just can't get enough. It really brings me a sense of comfort and I resonated with what Adrian said likening it to the sun rising as it gave me a sense of warmth. It's definitely been a go-to song for me when I feel depressed and just need something to listen to that helps free me from reality. I agree with Umu that this whole album is an emotional experience and I feel that this is a turning point in Taemin's career. I love this album so much and I'm looking forward to the next one!
So I was not the only one who thought of Daft Punk
Can Adrian be part of all SHINee reactions (and part of their album production too, of course)? The Black Rose imagery that he brought up is perfect for horror-loving Taemin. I love how he follows Taemin's career progression and even reads up on his interviews. The connections he made to Can't Get You Out of My Head and Icebox totally make sense.
I loved hearing all your thoughts on the album & especially hearing Adrian's insights from participating in the album himself! I agree, the album is amazing and really showcases how much Taemin has grown and evolved as an artist. I've listened to the album countless times, but I'm definitely going to go back again and re-listen with a new perspective and appreciation. Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Umu describing 2 Kids as "free" is so fitting since it doesn't have a choreo, the dancing in the MV was mainly FREEstyle
this is the earliest i've ever been i don't know what to say @_@
thank you umu for reacting to taemin! he has such good music and i'm so glad i stopped sleeping on him this year!!
thanks, umu, Kevin and Adrian. because you guys pay more attention to Taemin's album. I hope there will be more people like you. who want to open minds and give an appropriate assessment on this album.
This album did feel very cohesive to me when I first heard it through. I love it so much
15:00 Taemin is such a great vocalist many people underestimate his singing talent and just focus and his dancing.
I love this review thank you so much! I learned so many things ! Taemin so talented! Im Proud that I stan Taemin!
Adrian is back YES!
even though i came here bcs i am blinded by my love to Taemin, but it is actually fun to hear perspective from them. really cool
Looking forward for the Act 2 thank u so much!
Black Rose is a masterpiece!! Thank you, Adrian!
This very insightful and I love it. I already love Taemin and his music but you guys point out so much more things than I would ever be able to point out on my own and it made me admire taemin, the music, and the people behind it even more. So glad Adrian was able to be in this album review. Thank you for this!!!
The fact that Taemin has the chops to pull this off is impressive.
알아듣지못해서ㅠㅠ태민의 보컬 안무 음색 곡 해석력 까지 최고의 아티스트다 나의 자부심 이태민 💖
omg I'm watching right now and I'm just so excited about this! This is amazing! I love Adrian (and of course you guys!)! I hope Taemin will watch this!
I admire Adrian and his work so much, it's amazing to hear his thoughts. Umu and Kevin, I love your reviews too, please react to more Super Junior music, they released some great songs this year and they have some of the best harmonies in the industry
I LOVE THESE SERIES OF INTERVIEWS WITH ADRIAN❤️❤️❤️ I AM A FAN NOWWW
Thank you thank you thank you! It's so nice to hear you guys' and Adrian's thoughts about this whole album. I couldn't even express how much this album means to me because it literally top my album list for Taemin and to witness his new journey, growth and challenges.. so precious.
Love~~~~ this~~~ As someone who don’t have muscial knowledge, and just here to enjoy good music and Taemin hard work, thank you for this video. I can see many thought, many work behind the scene to producer this album masterpiece. Thank you so much.
i loved hearing all the detailed inspiration points from adrian, thank you for your time
I love that you all are equally as excited about this album as I am! At first, Criminal and Just Me and You were my favourites but as I started hearing all of your analysis (this one and your initial reaction), I've started getting into Waiting For and 2Kids more. I did listen to the last track when it was released but I didn't like it as much as it really didn't feel like a typical dark Taemin track. But as soon as I heard Umu's opinion on it (a poignant ending to the album, making you want more), I started to hear it differently. I loved Famous even before this analysis so I'm not gonna gush about it haha 😅 I'm glad you guys brought Adrian onto the show as I didn't love Black Rose as much but definitely after hearing his inspiration for the song, I'm definitely seeing it in a different light!
Thank you so much for this - it's so nice to see classical musicians analyse K-pop songs so passionate (I'm a classical violinist but my music theory is nowhere near as good). I couldn't put words onto why I like different tracks on the album but you've definitely explained it for me! Thanks again, looking forward to hear your analysis on different songs in the future! 💜✨
Woooooooow!!! this is amazing!!! Thank you for your hard work!!!! 👏👍💚
Thank you so much love that you guys enjoy Taemin's music ^^
thank you for this amazing interview
Thank you so much for this.
Maybe I am the only one, but 2Kids is my favourite song of the entire album. I love that they didn't add additional percussions. Like Umu said, it added a free feeling to me. And I think that it fits the theme of the song very well.
I feel so sad that Taemin had no time to promote this song. But that is Kpop, there is so much competition, you have to be fast with your promotion, if you want to be successful.
I believe Taemin said in an interview that 2 Kids was a song SM recommended he release as a prerelease. I enjoyed it, but agree that it was a turn following the direction of his discography thus far. Thanks for sharing Adrian's and your thoughts on this album! It was a really good listen.
Oh my god, i've never been this early at reaction video! I've been waiting for this. Thanksss
Such a pleasure to get this kind of background and thoughts on one of my favorite albums of all time. Thank you!!!
Adrian, thank you work working with Tae and Shinee. Your songs are some of my favorite and I hope you get more inspired and continue to create music for them and us ❤️
Hearing you guys dive deep into the musical subtleties of this album gets me nostalgic for my chorus classes in middle and high school, since that was really the last time I spoke about music in technical terms. This gives me additional appreciation for the album, and I loved hearing all of your interpretations and associations.
I really enjoy these interviews with Adrian! I would love if you guys did more with him or even other composers/songwriters ❤️
A beautiful album! Act2 comes in november, looking forward to what Taemin has to show us!
every video with adrian becomes one of my faves from this channel
Im taemin fan so I’m bias for he’s music, but this album has a different feel that Im really into almost like a more mature taemin a more grown work, witch is what I was expecting. And all the song make really on waiting mode for part 2
Personally I think that Act 1 is full of callbacks to SHINee's and Taemin's previous work. I've heard many other Shawols say that Black Rose feels like a sequel to Mystery Lover. I'd also add that Nemo is reminiscent of their early roots, specifically Romeo+Juliette. The instrumentals in Just Me and You would be right at home next to Jonghyun's Aurora or Orbit. Clockwork is almost like a slower, spacier, Orgel, and I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting. Even though each song was new and unique, as a whole, this album seemed very familiar to me, like I was right at home listening to it. But I do I understand the criticism that taken by itself, the album seems not quite there/not cohesive, and I really appreciate reviews like this that I can learn from and think about. Thanks for the quality content, as always.
As much fun as the reactions are I really love the behind the scenes videos you do with writers. It's really interesting.
I just want to say THANK YOU Adrian for working with Taemin un this amazing album 💕. I absolutely love NGDA A1.
And I absolutely hate SM for not promoting Criminal and the album better.
Thank you so much once again to Umu and Kevin for putting so much attention into Taemin's work, as a shawol and music lover I'm really touched. Adrian has such a beautiful way of speaking about music and hearing him talk about not only Black Rose but also the rest of the album and how well it's arranged gave me life!
Honestly, if you read this Adrian, let me tell you I'm a big big fan of your work and your kind personality. I can't wait for the day you'll meet Taemin and talk to him :))))
the whole holding back with the vocals, and the subtleness of it all can be said for his dancing too.
Legit don’t mind any comparisons u guys make. I love ur reactions
omfg ice box by omarion!!!! yesssssss!!!! see this is why we need amazing producers/songwriters like Adrian McKinnon in kpop yoo this dudeee! i love this videos and im so hyped for this relationship this channel has with Adrian yall are the cutest
Thank you for this! So awesome to hear all of your thoughts and actually it made it much more nteresting that you all had different thoughts and opinions at times. Always nice to hear different point of views said in a respectful manner!
2 Kids was my fav song when it came out! Now it's tied with Black Rose :)
In regards to 2 kids being a departure from Taemin's direction as an artist -- I think that's one of the best qualities of Taemin. He's the type to refuse being pigeonholed into one style, one genre, one anything. I think a lot of it comes from his time being so experimental in SHINee, but also from the fact that he refuses to let people tell him who he is. The fact that he's such a successful soloist who has broken gender norms in Kpop after people called him tone deaf, "just a dancer", and too feminine is a perfect testament to that. Move has made him into a Sex icon, which is powerful, but also will not be the limit of who he is as an artist.
2 Kids is my favourite song and reminds me of Francis and the Lights. Compared to what I normally expect from a meticulously produced SM track, it feels raw and emotional, and the vocoder really showed off how emotive and dynamic a vocalist Taemin actually is. Combined with the song lyrics and his freestyle dancing in the MV, I suddenly found myself crying... I think it captures this sense of bittersweet nostalgia really well. And as much as he is acknowledged for his dance, I’ve started to really anticipate his slow songs now, Clockwork is amazing
I have been patiently waiting for this! 🥺
I don't know why but I felt clockwork more like a japanese ballad than a korean one (?) It gave me hikaru utada feels. I love it :).
This was a very insightful post discussion! And even though I do not agree with your critical views Kevin, I still really appreciate & agree with what you did end up liking. I love every one of your analysis. Looking forward to future videos!
I'm so excited for this conversation!!
Black rose is such a master piece. So far my favourite..looking forward for Act2
Thank you so much for this guys, all three of you are awesome T.T I don't know have much knowledge in music but your reviews are always so fun to watch! Love to hear about Adrian's insights and thoughts too! I love Taemin and I love his music so much. You can really tell that he puts all of his efforts in this album.
I can't believe we get this content for free! thank you all so much💕💓
I found 2KIDS to be super raw in its simplicity because of its lyrics and if it had gone any grander it would have taken away from the feeling the song was supposed to give you. I actually didn't quite love it at first because the vocals seemed to go a complete different way from the instrumental at first (sorry I don't know musical terms, the vocal melody was different, maybe?) but that's what makes it even more amazing, I feel like I am listening to two different songs at once but that makes me want to listen to it more. As for my favorites, Criminal, Black Rose, Strangers, Clockwork and I have grown to enjoy the others a lot as a complete set. I cannot wait for Taemin's "rebirth" on Act 2.
Thank you so much for this, I don't know much of musis but I know I loved his album, and I'm pretty sure a huge part of why it is so well done and cohesive is Taemin. He said this is the album that has more of his imput, specially the work he did with Criminal, so yeah he is a really great dancer, singer and artist and overall his vision is so unique that I think he brings a lot to the table.
Clockwork really had jonghyun song vibe..♡♡
4:00 YES!
Just YES.
I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO ENJOYED THAT PART!
Thankyou so much for making this video Umu Kevin and Adriann 🥺✨✨
Thanks Adrian for writing such a beautiful song for TAEMIN
Wow truly so interesting to go so in depth about these songs
Good job, umu adrian and kevin!
The amount of knowledge I got after watching this, thank you umu 💙
This was very informative! Thank you for the quality content and was really happy to hear Adrian's insights!
Adrian is amazing and he inspiring me to get me back in my writing music.
and to think their is a second album to look forward to.
I know!! I can't freaking wait, it should be another masterpiece!!! 😭❤️
omg omarion ice box im shook i havent heard that in ages
Thank you sm for this video I really enjoyed hearing Adrian’s thoughts and getting more insight on the production process!! I definitely felt that Tim burton vibe while listening to Black Rose I think it goes really well with another song from Taemin called Impressionable. Also K-pop gets a lot of inspiration from western music and has producers from all over the world so I think the comparisons you made are completely fair lol
Wow thank you!!! Its really interesting to watch this review
I hope u will react more to Taemin & other Shinee members since all of them have solo. Also their group discography. I like to hear whats your opinion on them since u guys are pros hahah.
this is everything i wanted and more! thank you umu, kevin and adrian for such an incredible discussion
and about taemin releases getting low views, i think so many different things play at this sorta thing :( even criminal, for instance, is such a freaking bop and has an incredible production in all senses still didn't get as "many" views as it absolutely deserves. for me, it's even superior to the iconic hit that was 'move'. but then, again, these things are kind of... a mistery or have different interpretations to why it's getting the attention it's getting. there are so many possibitilies to why something really strikes/reaches/conquers more people or not :T
guys thank you so much for this. i can finally die in piece. i love you all.
thank you for this interview!
Umu, I wonder if you had the same emotional reaction to "Clockwork" as I did because it reminded me of Sulli's "Dorothy."
You should watch their initial reaction to the album - Umu was v emotional about it
Ahhh I love Adrian!!