I would reccomend Advice (again - mix of modern music with classical piano), Black Rose (not sure if it's good reaction material though cause there is no music video - just performance video - but the song is great) and IDEA (very very artistic).
Good analysis of this song. Thank You. You can also check some of his softer songs like "My Day" or others, even if they are less famous : ruclips.net/video/Uj0q9fOmSD8/видео.html or, better, his 'Killing Voice' session : ruclips.net/video/G05JT4nnDAo/видео.html
Please react to Taemin's live performance of one of his Japanese ballad songs while playing a piano ruclips.net/video/ExjnXDc0goo/видео.htmlsi=h0OkY383iwEyAnMC
Please react to one of Taemin's live concert performance of one of his ballad songs Itsuka Kokode while playing a piano ruclips.net/video/ExjnXDc0goo/видео.htmlsi=t0NWEmnA5Fu7bnXv
For me personally, TAEMIN is a completely different artistic level than other K-pop artists. What attracts me to him is his craftsmanship and technique. You might want to react to his live performances such as Hipnosis and Rise
Taemin is my favorite K-pop artist, the scale of his talent is astounding. Since you’re interested in vocal analysis the most there are some of his less popular songs (mostly b-sides) worth checking out. I would love to see your reaction to Day And Night MV, live performance of Rise from his tour called Sirius and live performance of I’m Crying from his tour called Xtm.
It's actually funny because at that part before the final chorus, when the song dropped we didn't have subs immediatelly (there was a small delay) and people were going crazy trying to decide whether he said 더 망쳐줘 (destroy/ruin me more) or 도망쳐 줘 (run away) as they sound very, very similar in korean lol
Taemin said it was supposed to be a double meaning and intentionally sounds that way. It's his two sides struggling and simultaneously saying "yes, destroy me more but also run away. Taemin LOVES what he does as an artist, but it often conflicts with his worldview. Hence the desire to keep going through the destruction that makes him such a phenomenal artist, despite the conflicting idea of running away to preserve his identity as a person of faith (Catholic). Basically, it's what all Christians struggle with through life -- we are always facing a choice. As a Christian myself, I always appreciate Taemin's honesty with dilemma we all face. How far can we go before we lose ourselves?
Please check out the song Heaven where his voice is amazing! ❤❤❤ Also the recommendation here in the comments of the Soldier and Rise live combination is surely worth your attention.
"Criminal" is the second part of Taemin's Never Gonna Dance Again album that came out in 2021. It's part of a trilogy, which started with his prologue "2 Kids," and continued with "Criminal," which is part of Act 1 of the album. And it was followed up by "Idea," which is part of Act 2 of the album and it brings the whole concept full circle. And now his follow up release, "Advice," has become the epilogue to the story. Taemin said in an interview: "The two acts put together tell a story. '2 Kids’ is about growing pains and depicts the story prior to the story in the album. You can think of '2 Kids' as a teaser before the movie called 'Never Gonna Dance Again.' Act 1 shows a new side of me. I think it’ll be something you’ve never seen in K-pop before. And Act 2 is the end-all-be-all. It’s the ultimate level of intensity. Never Gonna Dance Again’ was originally the name of the concept. Because it doesn’t make sense for me to stop dancing. But I wanted to give a sense of rebellion with the irony of the title.” Just so you know, the Taemin you see is not necessarily the criminal in the song. I see him as the victim who is being held captive by the criminal. The criminal is his lover (i.e. the other side of him) that he is singing about, which is a metaphor for the pressure he feels under as a Kpop idol. The song is about living in a toxic relationship and being brainwashed by a lover. He has now fallen in love with the person (or thing -- i.e. his career) who is inflicting all the pain and suffering on him, so now he accepts the abuse as a normal part of the relationship. Even though he is being abused by that person -- possibly a metaphor for the pressure he is creating for himself with the need to always be the best in everything he does -- he can't help but love them and allow them to continue to hurt him, etc.
All the abuse is happening to him, he is not hurting anyone else or doing anything criminal himself. Therefore, the story isn't about Taemin being a criminal. Notice, the S.W.A.T. team isn't arresting him. They pretty much walk right past Taemin and ignore him as they search for the criminal. The "boss" vibe is a facade he puts on to make people believe he is in control, but as we see in the choreography, he is being manipulated by all the outside forces around him. For example, we see him lying across the backup dancers backs and they pick him up and manipulate him to do what they want him to do at that moment. A lot of his dance moves are designed to make him look like a marionette puppet that is being pulled around by strings and being told what to do. Which is what you see when he is crouched down and he creates that wiggly, wave movement in the dance, etc. As part of the story, he has been held captive for so long that, as it says in the lyrics of the song, he is now suffering from Stockholm syndrome, so he is no longer fighting the abuse and that is why you see him throw his bindings away. The criminal -- which is a metaphor for the pressure he has felt in his career -- no longer has to tie him up to keep him there. (Because he has fallen in love with the pain and suffering he inflicts on himself as an artist, etc.) The backup dancers represent the forces he is struggling against as he fights with his mind over whether to stay or go, etc. Fun fact: It was Taemin's idea to include the police blotter/news clips in that part of the song. If you notice, the sound bites are from all over the world and they are speaking multiple languages. This album's whole concept is a metaphor for his life and career. With every release from this album, the concept was designed to be darker then the last. In "2 Kids" he was emotionally and physically beating himself up with regrets. In "Criminal" he was living in a toxic relationship. In "Idea" he takes the theme one step further, and says that even though it was my idea and my plan to live this life, nothing comes without a price, and because of that need for perfection, any chance of being average or living a regular life is pretty much dead. Taemin has sacrificed everything to become the magnificent and unique performer and person that we know him as today. But there really is no one that pushes him or holds him to a higher standard then himself. Taemin has said that he really has never taken a true vacation since he was a trainee -- he started with SM Entertainment when he was around 11 years old -- and he doesn't know what to do if he isn't constantly working and training. As he has said, there has never been anything that has come easy to him and he has only gotten to where he is today because he has worked hard to accomplish everything. He is constantly pushing himself to become the best of the best in everything he does. All of Taemin's dances tell a story. As he has said, he specifically designs his choreography to be a part of the story within the song and MV. So, "Criminal" is supposed to be slightly creepy, as well as sexy. He is literally being abused and asking you to please "destroy me more." As a member of SHINee, Taemin has trained his entire career to be able to pull off this type of intense and intricate dancing while singing live and always sounding flawless the whole time. (SHINee debuted in 2008 when Taemin was only 14 years old.) That is what SHINee are known for. So not only is Taemin an amazing dancer, but he is also one of the best singers in the industry, and the 5 members of SHINee make up one of the top groups, that everyone looks up to and dreams of even coming close to being as good as. If you are impressed with Taemin's dancing, not only should you see his dance practice video for "Criminal," but just wait until you see a live performance. You will be even more blown away. And if you want to see Taemin explain the concept behind his dance moves, watch a tutorial video he did where he explains the dance to Jeno and Mark from NCT.
Taemin's talents, versatility and artistry are unrivaled and unparalleled 👑💯💎🔥 Please react to Taemin's Killing Voice performance, ADVICE, IDEA, Day and Night, Sayonara Hitori, Under My Skin, Flame of Love MVs, RISE live performance. Subscribed for more Taemin video reactions. Please also check out his amazing legendary group SHINee, please react to Don't Call Me, Atlantis, Hard, 1of1, Tell Me What To Do MVs.
Great video! More Taemin pleeease, I love his voice and the breathy quality but also the power he can add. I think it's really distinct. I recommend IDEA, 2 Kids, Heaven, Strings - the second two are b-sides but the vocals and instrumentals esp are stunning in all of them imo. Also there's a Killing Voice episode, where he sings a medley of lots of his songs, it's such a good showcase of his voice and versatility.
Honestly, his lives are better. I recommend Soldier + Rise live, and Guilty video, where it's clear he's become a much better singer since Criminal. For real, like the other members of SHINee, he's only improved with time. Absolutely extraordinary.
"Criminal" is from Act 1 of his 2020 "Never Gonna Dance Again (NGDA)", 2-part, full-length album. The concept of this song is that of Stockholm Syndrome. Act 2 continues the storyline with the title song, "IDEA" using the concept of Plato's Theory of Forms. The entire album was co-directed and co-produced by Taemin. His fingertips are in every single aspect of the album. He worked very closely with the lyricists to ensure the wording clearly reflected his thoughts and ideas for the two concepts that function as a cohesive whole for the theme. In fact, it was Taemin who suggested adding the police radio chat in the background of the bridge. He specifically requested that it was added in both Korean and English. You can clearly see how involved he was with everything in the two mini-docs: "The Artist: Taemin": ruclips.net/video/m2_MVBxmdyc/видео.html and "Taemin: The Stage": ruclips.net/video/G9jGIVzmscw/видео.html It is also always fascinating to watch how Taemin works with his entire crew when preparing his concerts. It's crazy that he is able to be so intimately involved in everything, especially when he often has other commitments while preparing for such a mega solo concert in advance. Here is a 3-part behind the scenes look at Taemin putting together his latest concert, "Meta-Morph" which was held just last December: "Meta-Morph" BTS, Part 1 (Dance practices): ruclips.net/video/yA4P-AGDi4s/видео.html "Meta-Morph" BTS, Part 2 (Rehearsal and last minute changes): ruclips.net/video/xBHFRow7HCc/видео.html "Meta-Morph" BTS, Part 3 (Concert days 1 & 2): ruclips.net/video/58ZnVKMjG0c/видео.html
Onew the member of Shinee which Taemin is in actually sang an opera song nessun dorma You should hear Onew's song called Circle which is the title track for his album that was awarded by Billboard Music Awards as the best kpop album of 2024
I noticed a lot of details in the song that I really didn't pay attention to thanks to your analysis! I'll never stop being amazed by how people like you, who work professionally with music, are able to pick up on so much even on the first listen! As for further Taemin songs to analyse, 'Advice' might be interesting to dig into. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on it.
I caught your videos from a Dimash reaction video (beacuse I really like him :D) and I got to say I love your in-depth analisys! I feel like you are teaching me how to listen! I'm a long-time fan of Taemin and I've listened to Criminal a bunch of times and with some of the things you pointed out it feels like I'm listening to the song for the first time again! Please do more of these analysis! I'll be here to watch them even if they are 1 hour long videos! I really like Taemin's "Soldier", it's probably his best vocal performance in my opinion, check it out if you have some time ;)
Loved your feedback on production. It's worth to mention that Taemin does an incredible job of portraying vocally the state of mind of two different characters: victim (in first and second choruses) and his breathy technique does transmit alot of confusion and powerlessness, and criminal (in last chorus) where Taemin uses alot of belting singing to pass on the commanding tone of his dark criminal side. Also, the phrase in bridge is indeed "Destroy me more", it symbolizes the moment victim side does accept the dominance of a criminal side and gives in completely. I do suggest to dive in Taemin's IDEA, Sayonara Hitori (japanese track) or Goodbye (its korean version), and Heaven live performance. And of course, if you liked Taemin you will LOVE the legendary group he is part of, which is Shinee: from their latest tracks: Atlantis, Don't Call me, Hard to iconic tracks like Sherlock, Everybody, Lucifer, Stranger (I highly recommend to check live performance since they are highly recognized for its unmatched quality).
thank you for reaction! as I understand, you can trust the subtitles on the music videos, since they are added by the company itself (I am not talking about automatically generated ones of course)
Appreciate the Taemin reaction! He's grown so much as a vocalist since debuting at 14, and it's lovely to see knowledgable people outside kpop recognize the result of all his hard work. Love how much you get into the production in addition to vocals, most people can comment on one but not the other and keeping track of both is a lot. I hope ppl aren't being too harsh about you missing some stuff - like you said, it's a _lot_ and I think you're doing great. Criminal was the title track for Never Gonna Dance Again Pt. 1 so I of course recommend Idea off Pt.2, which is one of my favorites ^^ As for other kpop suggestions, I'd recommend his label mates EXO. Fantastic singers, really great songs and production - I think they would give you plenty to dig into. I'm sure everyone will chip in songs, but Tempo seems like a good place to start or one of their new b-sides, Let Me In.
I do really appreciate how break down production, especially the difference between genres. ❤ This is a catchy song. ❤❤ So sorry I missed the premier; I start work at the time you start the premier. But I'll do my best to join via Bluetooth next time.
I would strongly suggest you react to the following Taemin MVs (I'm not going to add links because they are easily found: "The Rizzness" (2023). This is a Performance video and part 2 of "Guilty". You will hear a different sound from Taemin with this one. "IDEA" (2020). This is part 2 of the NGDA album and "Criminal". "Advice" (2021). The somewhat epilogue to NGDA album while also being the lead in to "Guilty". Release 2 weeks before enlistment. "Mystery Lover" (2016) LV: ruclips.net/video/KCRtpu8KLuk/видео.html Taemin live is a whole other experience. I've included what should be safe lives to react to: "Soldier+Rise" - This is the coup de gras of lives for vocal ability. Seriously. If you don't critique any of the others below, at least do this one. You want belting? This one's got plenty of BELTING! Many others have reacted to it safely: ruclips.net/video/sTcDEkRc0E0/видео.html "Impressionable" live performance (fancam): OK, this is an awesome song; one of my favorites. Taemin's vocals give you that sinister feeling and perfectly convey the mood and intention of the song: ruclips.net/video/5Z0dcHbT2P4/видео.html "Love" - Another stellar vocal moment for Taemin: ruclips.net/video/_A3FS4MuLHQ/видео.html
So glad to see you've analyzed this one! Criminal is by far my favorite by Taemin. I started with your analysis of "Guilty," and I happened to see this in the recommended sections, so thank you! This gives me a deeper appreciation for my favorite song of Taemin's. I also really appreciate that you give examples in your videos for the types of sounds you are referencing (i.e., underwater, police distress call, playing the notes on a keyboard). Also, if I may request an anaylsis for another k-pop artist and song: "Halazia" by ATEEZ
Taemin's 'Criminal' contains the theme of 'Stockholm Syndrome'. 'Destroy me more.', which appears at 16:27 in the video, sounds like 'run away.' in Korean, which has a different meaning but similar pronunciation. So, it expresses the criminal's conflicting feelings of 'destroy me(love me)' and 'run away from me' at the same time.
Please react to AKMU as well. ✨AKMU is a sibling duo. The brother is Lee Chanhyuk and he writes and produces all their music. The sister is Lee suhyun and she has such a perfect voice. I love their music and their voices. I would love to see your reaction and analysis on them. (some recommendations: "Dinosaur" , "how can i love the heartbreak, you're the one I love", "re-bye", , "Fish in the water", "Chantey", "Melted", ""Fry’s Dream")
he actually does really interesting this with how he pronounces words as well--For example, the song is about Stockholm syndrome, so the way he pronounces "Destroy me More" could also be read as "Run away"
Musically I feel like you'll really enjoy both Seventeen and WOODZ. They both write and compose their own music and they use a lot of elements that can be quite unexpected together. For now I'll just say Seventeen's Maestro and Woodz' Waiting... reacting to those two songs will give you at least am idea of what they bring to the table musically (and i do think its quite interesting places they go with the production). Anyway, hope you have time to watch and enjoy these! 😊
I just had a thought about a video I would love to hear your analysis of. ATEEZ has a performance of Black Cat Nero on a show called Ledgendary Wars. It is 100% live vocals along with incredible dance and performance. It is a cover that they arranged for that show. Also, Advice as your next Taemin. It is phenomenal.
I would HIGHLY recommend reacting to Taemin's live performances: Danger (Japanese version) - ruclips.net/video/aNNM4fh7ekA/видео.htmlsi=kPkSPK1V1o7HgDIG Rise (it starts with a short part of the song Soldier and then moves on to Rise) - ruclips.net/video/cpAPy0tjVJ0/видео.html Under my skin - ruclips.net/video/HXWm0NSunCg/видео.html Slave - ruclips.net/video/1dzqTIEs5Qk/видео.html Play me - ruclips.net/video/wQoq1RP1KUA/видео.html Door - ruclips.net/video/zs-lAx1tQMI/видео.htmlsi=g9udmWgkGYRG1zI5 Sexuality - ruclips.net/video/28l5gg7tSB0/видео.htmlsi=xmafBYDziCR7KDgC Move (From 2017) - ruclips.net/video/Y-T18NnKZUs/видео.htmlsi=pHwHrLwystWb6n5- Move (From 2023)- ruclips.net/video/2U2ZAvpzgyY/видео.htmlsi=2H_nhjbsQ_UqV3zf Hypnosis - ruclips.net/video/y_1QoIVokoA/видео.html Snow flower - ruclips.net/video/jzMQLH-BF0Q/видео.htmlsi=ECw8CEnlNjUkpbQy I'm crying (Original Japanese version) - ruclips.net/video/Agi4bppvfBk/видео.htmlsi=VRDhzbq34PZguFE5 I'm crying (Korean version) - ruclips.net/video/1UwvzJRgIeM/видео.html I think it's love (he sang this in concert years before the album it was on even came out) - ruclips.net/video/vpDsFHQscj8/видео.html Sayonara hitori {Goodbey} - ruclips.net/video/CKpm9XcDiqs/видео.html Famous - ruclips.net/video/yL7Sh4REC5k/видео.html Day and night - ruclips.net/video/auBEryjrblE/видео.html Criminal - ruclips.net/video/J8plOWvQtBc/видео.html Advice - ruclips.net/video/5KnU8_ECxgE/видео.htmlsi=4JdkSeuFKqII0Q4c Identity + Want - ruclips.net/video/cevIg-3gVGU/видео.html Sekai de Ichiban Aishita Hito - ruclips.net/video/WiB_MaJuz5c/видео.html Already - ruclips.net/video/PS1A3hfhuY8/видео.html Guess who - ruclips.net/video/V1Ou_PaExVg/видео.html Soldier - ruclips.net/video/0uiI2k_6jRA/видео.html Mystery lover - ruclips.net/video/8GtuHBpkUPQ/видео.html
Rylanor's Last Stand by By StringStorm))))) "Bip" sound effects - "SOS" signal on morze's, musical based on short story "Ancient Awaits" (Warhammer 40k). Month of Shame By StringStorm)))) another musical based on the another siedge on hte planet Armageddon and aftermath fight between Logan Grimner's Space Wolfs and Holy Inquisition in face of Hesmey Kysnaros. Inqusition trying to execute Astro Millitarum soldiers (Imperial Guard) in fear that the can be corrupt by a demonic influence, and Space Marines of Logan Grimner starts to protect them from this acts and this comes to the short war between this 2 Imperial military factions with a lots of casualties on both sides. Then they conduct a Peace Seaquence but stand on their owns about each other. "Leashes dogs who never learn their place" (words about Emperor's personal EXECUTIONAL Legion of the 1st FOUNDATION) and "Flapermouth partisipants")))) a tragic story of indecent men fighting for decency against decent men forced to be indecent. Nice lyrics, sleeper songs..... Need reaction))))
I mean I know you seem to have taken a bit of a break from kpop analysis but at some point I would LOVE both Taemins 'Advice' (his vocally most interesting song imo) as well as his big bro Onew singing "Rainy Blue" analyzed 😊😊
DUDE what you said at 16:30 "I don't really trust RUclips captions". What a refreshing statement. You are right to not trust K-Pop RUclips captions. On most days, Western natives are getting 30% of the actual thing. At best. Too many reactors just treat subtitles as "the lyrics" instead of "issues-laden translation of a very complex writing in a very distant language". Thanks for unapologetically stating a fact. This GUILTY explainer should give you an idea how much information is lost in translation, and how much of Taemin's true depth and beauty the world has been missing ruclips.net/video/KE04kB6pAnQ/видео.html
Would love to see you react to Kim Yeji - 'Legends Never Die' (Superband 2 LIVE). What they did to that song is phenomenal and I don't even like the original all that much.
If you wanna try some really good vocals in "k-pop", you can try the girls group "Mamamoo". The 'killing Voice' session is maybe the best to stat with and then "Where Are We Now" : ruclips.net/video/WvkTcNQsxzc/видео.html ruclips.net/video/zzk09ESX7e0/видео.html
those are the correct captions as it is from the official channel which are accurate enough generally. fan translated ones like in lyric videos are ones to be skeptical of mainly.
it's not always the case, SM isn't good at providing good subtitles, it has been confirmed many times by Koreans themselves/people who know Korean. actual fans (not random channels) translations in a lot of cases can be better
@@dear7003 yes I know it’s not always going to be 100% accurate but it’s better than the ones from popular color coded lyric videos unless it’s from a dedicated fan or translation team that actually cares about getting the message across best.
One group that I think you should do the vocal analysis is stray kids, because one of the members, sings in a low voice and also because they produce their own music.
@@sofeels_ Is that the way you react to opinions which not match yours ? Very poor. PS: I lived in South Korea for two years and heard a lot about these K-pop guys. It's very uniform music. They all sound almost the same and their performances and clips look almost the same. Taemin is not an exception in my opinion.
@@wizardma lot of those 'kpop guys' idolize Taemin or wanted to become artists in the first place because of him (he has been an artist for 16 years), there's no one like him in kpop, even musical critics and producers say this. he uses a lot of biblical themes in his music/videos (he's a catholic), philosophy and literature, all his concepts are pretty deep, connected together and made by him he's also often named as the best idol dancer/performer by professional dancers, choreographers and other artists
@@sleeplessnight03 I'm not a K-Pop expert, but K-Pop overall is a extremely commercialized generic genre. This is the opposite of art, its an industrial well designed standardized product. Taemin is a part of that.
@@wizardm sorry, but you don't really know what you're talking about. i'm not talking about kpop in general, i'm talking about this specific artist, who is heavily involved in the creation of his music and concepts. there are tons of interviews and documentaries, where he talks about it in details and shows the creation process of every aspect. it's not the company that makes all of this for him (he's not even a part of the company anymore)
Fun facts on Taemin. He is a self taught dancer though he sought professional lessons later on He was taught to sing by his members leader Onew and the late Jonghyun He's known his members key and jonghyun since he was in the 5th grade. He is a Catholic and has been playing piano since he was age 11 He's afraid of all insects and bugs but in the mv for want he is holding a real snake.
Absolutely nutty how talented Taemin is! Always a pleasure to break down his performances :] what else from Taemin do I NEED to see?
I would reccomend Advice (again - mix of modern music with classical piano), Black Rose (not sure if it's good reaction material though cause there is no music video - just performance video - but the song is great) and IDEA (very very artistic).
Good analysis of this song. Thank You. You can also check some of his softer songs like "My Day" or others, even if they are less famous :
ruclips.net/video/Uj0q9fOmSD8/видео.html
or, better, his 'Killing Voice' session :
ruclips.net/video/G05JT4nnDAo/видео.html
Rise, please!
Please react to Taemin's live performance of one of his Japanese ballad songs while playing a piano ruclips.net/video/ExjnXDc0goo/видео.htmlsi=h0OkY383iwEyAnMC
Please react to one of Taemin's live concert performance of one of his ballad songs Itsuka Kokode while playing a piano ruclips.net/video/ExjnXDc0goo/видео.htmlsi=t0NWEmnA5Fu7bnXv
For me personally, TAEMIN is a completely different artistic level than other K-pop artists. What attracts me to him is his craftsmanship and technique.
You might want to react to his live performances such as Hipnosis and Rise
Taemin the king of K-pop 🥰💎🎊
G Dragon is the King of Kpop. I love Taemin very much but GD rules.
@@sjames1955 tbh gdragon is kinda forgotten while taemin still is inspiring others and is everywhere
Taemin is my favorite K-pop artist, the scale of his talent is astounding. Since you’re interested in vocal analysis the most there are some of his less popular songs (mostly b-sides) worth checking out. I would love to see your reaction to Day And Night MV, live performance of Rise from his tour called Sirius and live performance of I’m Crying from his tour called Xtm.
Yes he does say "destroy me more" at the ending chorus!
It's actually funny because at that part before the final chorus, when the song dropped we didn't have subs immediatelly (there was a small delay) and people were going crazy trying to decide whether he said 더 망쳐줘 (destroy/ruin me more) or 도망쳐 줘 (run away) as they sound very, very similar in korean lol
Taemin said it was supposed to be a double meaning and intentionally sounds that way. It's his two sides struggling and simultaneously saying "yes, destroy me more but also run away. Taemin LOVES what he does as an artist, but it often conflicts with his worldview. Hence the desire to keep going through the destruction that makes him such a phenomenal artist, despite the conflicting idea of running away to preserve his identity as a person of faith (Catholic). Basically, it's what all Christians struggle with through life -- we are always facing a choice. As a Christian myself, I always appreciate Taemin's honesty with dilemma we all face. How far can we go before we lose ourselves?
Please check out the song Heaven where his voice is amazing! ❤❤❤ Also the recommendation here in the comments of the Soldier and Rise live combination is surely worth your attention.
"Criminal" is the second part of Taemin's Never Gonna Dance Again album that came out in 2021. It's part of a trilogy, which started with his prologue "2 Kids," and continued with "Criminal," which is part of Act 1 of the album. And it was followed up by "Idea," which is part of Act 2 of the album and it brings the whole concept full circle. And now his follow up release, "Advice," has become the epilogue to the story.
Taemin said in an interview: "The two acts put together tell a story. '2 Kids’ is about growing pains and depicts the story prior to the story in the album. You can think of '2 Kids' as a teaser before the movie called 'Never Gonna Dance Again.' Act 1 shows a new side of me. I think it’ll be something you’ve never seen in K-pop before. And Act 2 is the end-all-be-all. It’s the ultimate level of intensity. Never Gonna Dance Again’ was originally the name of the concept. Because it doesn’t make sense for me to stop dancing. But I wanted to give a sense of rebellion with the irony of the title.”
Just so you know, the Taemin you see is not necessarily the criminal in the song. I see him as the victim who is being held captive by the criminal. The criminal is his lover (i.e. the other side of him) that he is singing about, which is a metaphor for the pressure he feels under as a Kpop idol. The song is about living in a toxic relationship and being brainwashed by a lover. He has now fallen in love with the person (or thing -- i.e. his career) who is inflicting all the pain and suffering on him, so now he accepts the abuse as a normal part of the relationship. Even though he is being abused by that person -- possibly a metaphor for the pressure he is creating for himself with the need to always be the best in everything he does -- he can't help but love them and allow them to continue to hurt him, etc.
All the abuse is happening to him, he is not hurting anyone else or doing anything criminal himself. Therefore, the story isn't about Taemin being a criminal. Notice, the S.W.A.T. team isn't arresting him. They pretty much walk right past Taemin and ignore him as they search for the criminal.
The "boss" vibe is a facade he puts on to make people believe he is in control, but as we see in the choreography, he is being manipulated by all the outside forces around him. For example, we see him lying across the backup dancers backs and they pick him up and manipulate him to do what they want him to do at that moment. A lot of his dance moves are designed to make him look like a marionette puppet that is being pulled around by strings and being told what to do. Which is what you see when he is crouched down and he creates that wiggly, wave movement in the dance, etc.
As part of the story, he has been held captive for so long that, as it says in the lyrics of the song, he is now suffering from Stockholm syndrome, so he is no longer fighting the abuse and that is why you see him throw his bindings away. The criminal -- which is a metaphor for the pressure he has felt in his career -- no longer has to tie him up to keep him there. (Because he has fallen in love with the pain and suffering he inflicts on himself as an artist, etc.) The backup dancers represent the forces he is struggling against as he fights with his mind over whether to stay or go, etc.
Fun fact: It was Taemin's idea to include the police blotter/news clips in that part of the song. If you notice, the sound bites are from all over the world and they are speaking multiple languages.
This album's whole concept is a metaphor for his life and career. With every release from this album, the concept was designed to be darker then the last. In "2 Kids" he was emotionally and physically beating himself up with regrets. In "Criminal" he was living in a toxic relationship. In "Idea" he takes the theme one step further, and says that even though it was my idea and my plan to live this life, nothing comes without a price, and because of that need for perfection, any chance of being average or living a regular life is pretty much dead. Taemin has sacrificed everything to become the magnificent and unique performer and person that we know him as today.
But there really is no one that pushes him or holds him to a higher standard then himself. Taemin has said that he really has never taken a true vacation since he was a trainee -- he started with SM Entertainment when he was around 11 years old -- and he doesn't know what to do if he isn't constantly working and training. As he has said, there has never been anything that has come easy to him and he has only gotten to where he is today because he has worked hard to accomplish everything. He is constantly pushing himself to become the best of the best in everything he does.
All of Taemin's dances tell a story. As he has said, he specifically designs his choreography to be a part of the story within the song and MV. So, "Criminal" is supposed to be slightly creepy, as well as sexy. He is literally being abused and asking you to please "destroy me more."
As a member of SHINee, Taemin has trained his entire career to be able to pull off this type of intense and intricate dancing while singing live and always sounding flawless the whole time. (SHINee debuted in 2008 when Taemin was only 14 years old.) That is what SHINee are known for. So not only is Taemin an amazing dancer, but he is also one of the best singers in the industry, and the 5 members of SHINee make up one of the top groups, that everyone looks up to and dreams of even coming close to being as good as.
If you are impressed with Taemin's dancing, not only should you see his dance practice video for "Criminal," but just wait until you see a live performance. You will be even more blown away. And if you want to see Taemin explain the concept behind his dance moves, watch a tutorial video he did where he explains the dance to Jeno and Mark from NCT.
very interesting , thank You for this great 🤗 expalantion 💜
Taemin's talents, versatility and artistry are unrivaled and unparalleled 👑💯💎🔥 Please react to Taemin's Killing Voice performance, ADVICE, IDEA, Day and Night, Sayonara Hitori, Under My Skin, Flame of Love MVs, RISE live performance. Subscribed for more Taemin video reactions. Please also check out his amazing legendary group SHINee, please react to Don't Call Me, Atlantis, Hard, 1of1, Tell Me What To Do MVs.
I love his breathy and mournful voice. He is a purely gifted person and a wonderful human being.
thanks for the reaction.
please react to Soldier + Rise live
I suggested Soldier as well! :D Great minds think alike!
Guilty and rizzness are both out of this world crazy great. Taemin never misses!!!!!
he already reacted to Guilty
Great video! More Taemin pleeease, I love his voice and the breathy quality but also the power he can add. I think it's really distinct.
I recommend IDEA, 2 Kids, Heaven, Strings - the second two are b-sides but the vocals and instrumentals esp are stunning in all of them imo. Also there's a Killing Voice episode, where he sings a medley of lots of his songs, it's such a good showcase of his voice and versatility.
Taemin is the best!!
Honestly, his lives are better. I recommend Soldier + Rise live, and Guilty video, where it's clear he's become a much better singer since Criminal. For real, like the other members of SHINee, he's only improved with time. Absolutely extraordinary.
"Criminal" is from Act 1 of his 2020 "Never Gonna Dance Again (NGDA)", 2-part, full-length album. The concept of this song is that of Stockholm Syndrome. Act 2 continues the storyline with the title song, "IDEA" using the concept of Plato's Theory of Forms. The entire album was co-directed and co-produced by Taemin. His fingertips are in every single aspect of the album. He worked very closely with the lyricists to ensure the wording clearly reflected his thoughts and ideas for the two concepts that function as a cohesive whole for the theme. In fact, it was Taemin who suggested adding the police radio chat in the background of the bridge. He specifically requested that it was added in both Korean and English. You can clearly see how involved he was with everything in the two mini-docs: "The Artist: Taemin": ruclips.net/video/m2_MVBxmdyc/видео.html and "Taemin: The Stage": ruclips.net/video/G9jGIVzmscw/видео.html
It is also always fascinating to watch how Taemin works with his entire crew when preparing his concerts. It's crazy that he is able to be so intimately involved in everything, especially when he often has other commitments while preparing for such a mega solo concert in advance. Here is a 3-part behind the scenes look at Taemin putting together his latest concert, "Meta-Morph" which was held just last December:
"Meta-Morph" BTS, Part 1 (Dance practices): ruclips.net/video/yA4P-AGDi4s/видео.html
"Meta-Morph" BTS, Part 2 (Rehearsal and last minute changes): ruclips.net/video/xBHFRow7HCc/видео.html
"Meta-Morph" BTS, Part 3 (Concert days 1 & 2): ruclips.net/video/58ZnVKMjG0c/видео.html
Taemin's live RISE performance please, it's a very majestic song. I hope some Shawols will give you the link.
Black Rose taemin blizzzz❤❤
Onew the member of Shinee which Taemin is in actually sang an opera song nessun dorma
You should hear Onew's song called Circle which is the title track for his album that was awarded by Billboard Music Awards as the best kpop album of 2024
UP
Yes, pleasse check out Onew's Nessun Dorma out of zero classical training. He's also from Shineee.
Up
Rise live ❤
Loved this analysis of an amazing artist!! Bring him kn as a guest artist with The Bass Gang!!!!
Thank you for your reaction. It is greatly appreciated by Taemin/SHINee fans. The analysis aspect of your videos is the best part. 💙
Please listen to Shinee, the full band he’s in! Lots of vocal technique to explore with all of them!!!
you should react to his Killing Voice! it's a video where he sings parts of his songs
Taemin is very talented, but so are you 👍Your eye for detail and ability to discern sounds are second to none. It's always impressive to see
The King of Kpop 👑
I noticed a lot of details in the song that I really didn't pay attention to thanks to your analysis! I'll never stop being amazed by how people like you, who work professionally with music, are able to pick up on so much even on the first listen! As for further Taemin songs to analyse, 'Advice' might be interesting to dig into. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on it.
Fantastic analysis! I agree with Peter's Mom - guest artist with TBG sounds amazing.
I caught your videos from a Dimash reaction video (beacuse I really like him :D) and I got to say I love your in-depth analisys! I feel like you are teaching me how to listen! I'm a long-time fan of Taemin and I've listened to Criminal a bunch of times and with some of the things you pointed out it feels like I'm listening to the song for the first time again! Please do more of these analysis! I'll be here to watch them even if they are 1 hour long videos! I really like Taemin's "Soldier", it's probably his best vocal performance in my opinion, check it out if you have some time ;)
same here!
Love his music 🙌
Loved your feedback on production. It's worth to mention that Taemin does an incredible job of portraying vocally the state of mind of two different characters: victim (in first and second choruses) and his breathy technique does transmit alot of confusion and powerlessness, and criminal (in last chorus) where Taemin uses alot of belting singing to pass on the commanding tone of his dark criminal side. Also, the phrase in bridge is indeed "Destroy me more", it symbolizes the moment victim side does accept the dominance of a criminal side and gives in completely. I do suggest to dive in Taemin's IDEA, Sayonara Hitori (japanese track) or Goodbye (its korean version), and Heaven live performance. And of course, if you liked Taemin you will LOVE the legendary group he is part of, which is Shinee: from their latest tracks: Atlantis, Don't Call me, Hard to iconic tracks like Sherlock, Everybody, Lucifer, Stranger (I highly recommend to check live performance since they are highly recognized for its unmatched quality).
thank you for reaction!
as I understand, you can trust the subtitles on the music videos, since they are added by the company itself (I am not talking about automatically generated ones of course)
Love your reaction and analysis. I think you’ll like the medley he has on his Killing Voice video. And I would love to see your analysis on that.
Appreciate the Taemin reaction! He's grown so much as a vocalist since debuting at 14, and it's lovely to see knowledgable people outside kpop recognize the result of all his hard work. Love how much you get into the production in addition to vocals, most people can comment on one but not the other and keeping track of both is a lot. I hope ppl aren't being too harsh about you missing some stuff - like you said, it's a _lot_ and I think you're doing great.
Criminal was the title track for Never Gonna Dance Again Pt. 1 so I of course recommend Idea off Pt.2, which is one of my favorites ^^ As for other kpop suggestions, I'd recommend his label mates EXO. Fantastic singers, really great songs and production - I think they would give you plenty to dig into. I'm sure everyone will chip in songs, but Tempo seems like a good place to start or one of their new b-sides, Let Me In.
I ❤ Taemin
Here is a new sub for Taemin,my favourite artist.
I'm so on time for this one!
Great R&A, as always! Well done!
I do really appreciate how break down production, especially the difference between genres. ❤ This is a catchy song. ❤❤ So sorry I missed the premier; I start work at the time you start the premier. But I'll do my best to join via Bluetooth next time.
PLISS REACIONA A Killyng voces de TAEMIN. .❤
Thank you for reacting to Taemin! 🖤
I would strongly suggest you react to the following Taemin MVs (I'm not going to add links because they are easily found:
"The Rizzness" (2023). This is a Performance video and part 2 of "Guilty". You will hear a different sound from Taemin with this one.
"IDEA" (2020). This is part 2 of the NGDA album and "Criminal".
"Advice" (2021). The somewhat epilogue to NGDA album while also being the lead in to "Guilty". Release 2 weeks before enlistment.
"Mystery Lover" (2016) LV: ruclips.net/video/KCRtpu8KLuk/видео.html
Taemin live is a whole other experience. I've included what should be safe lives to react to:
"Soldier+Rise" - This is the coup de gras of lives for vocal ability. Seriously. If you don't critique any of the others below, at least do this one. You want belting? This one's got plenty of BELTING! Many others have reacted to it safely: ruclips.net/video/sTcDEkRc0E0/видео.html
"Impressionable" live performance (fancam): OK, this is an awesome song; one of my favorites. Taemin's vocals give you that sinister feeling and perfectly convey the mood and intention of the song: ruclips.net/video/5Z0dcHbT2P4/видео.html
"Love" - Another stellar vocal moment for Taemin: ruclips.net/video/_A3FS4MuLHQ/видео.html
So glad to see you've analyzed this one! Criminal is by far my favorite by Taemin. I started with your analysis of "Guilty," and I happened to see this in the recommended sections, so thank you! This gives me a deeper appreciation for my favorite song of Taemin's. I also really appreciate that you give examples in your videos for the types of sounds you are referencing (i.e., underwater, police distress call, playing the notes on a keyboard).
Also, if I may request an anaylsis for another k-pop artist and song: "Halazia" by ATEEZ
YESS MORE TAEMIN PLS
Taemin's 'Criminal' contains the theme of 'Stockholm Syndrome'.
'Destroy me more.', which appears at 16:27 in the video, sounds like 'run away.' in Korean, which has a different meaning but similar pronunciation.
So, it expresses the criminal's conflicting feelings of 'destroy me(love me)' and 'run away from me' at the same time.
Hay taemin hay like y no se nada de musica pero aqui estoy viendo una analisis
❤❤❤
Please react to AKMU as well. ✨AKMU is a sibling duo. The brother is Lee Chanhyuk and he writes and produces all their music. The sister is Lee suhyun and she has such a perfect voice. I love their music and their voices. I would love to see your reaction and analysis on them. (some recommendations: "Dinosaur" , "how can i love the heartbreak, you're the one I love", "re-bye", , "Fish in the water", "Chantey", "Melted", ""Fry’s Dream")
Max Changmin - Fever if you are looking for amazing vocals.
I highly suggest reacting to his "Killing Voice" video (it's safe to react to) for a bigger variety/range.
he actually does really interesting this with how he pronounces words as well--For example, the song is about Stockholm syndrome, so the way he pronounces "Destroy me More" could also be read as "Run away"
Musically I feel like you'll really enjoy both Seventeen and WOODZ. They both write and compose their own music and they use a lot of elements that can be quite unexpected together. For now I'll just say Seventeen's Maestro and Woodz' Waiting... reacting to those two songs will give you at least am idea of what they bring to the table musically (and i do think its quite interesting places they go with the production). Anyway, hope you have time to watch and enjoy these! 😊
Taemin is king. Loved your reaction.
Could you please check ten- Nightwalker someday
I just had a thought about a video I would love to hear your analysis of. ATEEZ has a performance of Black Cat Nero on a show called Ledgendary Wars. It is 100% live vocals along with incredible dance and performance. It is a cover that they arranged for that show.
Also, Advice as your next Taemin. It is phenomenal.
I want you to do more kpop so i can see you discovering the amazing artists that i love
I would HIGHLY recommend reacting to Taemin's live performances:
Danger (Japanese version) - ruclips.net/video/aNNM4fh7ekA/видео.htmlsi=kPkSPK1V1o7HgDIG
Rise (it starts with a short part of the song Soldier and then moves on to Rise) - ruclips.net/video/cpAPy0tjVJ0/видео.html
Under my skin - ruclips.net/video/HXWm0NSunCg/видео.html
Slave - ruclips.net/video/1dzqTIEs5Qk/видео.html
Play me - ruclips.net/video/wQoq1RP1KUA/видео.html
Door - ruclips.net/video/zs-lAx1tQMI/видео.htmlsi=g9udmWgkGYRG1zI5
Sexuality - ruclips.net/video/28l5gg7tSB0/видео.htmlsi=xmafBYDziCR7KDgC
Move (From 2017) - ruclips.net/video/Y-T18NnKZUs/видео.htmlsi=pHwHrLwystWb6n5-
Move (From 2023)- ruclips.net/video/2U2ZAvpzgyY/видео.htmlsi=2H_nhjbsQ_UqV3zf
Hypnosis - ruclips.net/video/y_1QoIVokoA/видео.html
Snow flower - ruclips.net/video/jzMQLH-BF0Q/видео.htmlsi=ECw8CEnlNjUkpbQy
I'm crying (Original Japanese version) - ruclips.net/video/Agi4bppvfBk/видео.htmlsi=VRDhzbq34PZguFE5
I'm crying (Korean version) - ruclips.net/video/1UwvzJRgIeM/видео.html
I think it's love (he sang this in concert years before the album it was on even came out) - ruclips.net/video/vpDsFHQscj8/видео.html
Sayonara hitori {Goodbey} - ruclips.net/video/CKpm9XcDiqs/видео.html
Famous - ruclips.net/video/yL7Sh4REC5k/видео.html
Day and night - ruclips.net/video/auBEryjrblE/видео.html
Criminal - ruclips.net/video/J8plOWvQtBc/видео.html
Advice - ruclips.net/video/5KnU8_ECxgE/видео.htmlsi=4JdkSeuFKqII0Q4c
Identity + Want - ruclips.net/video/cevIg-3gVGU/видео.html
Sekai de Ichiban Aishita Hito - ruclips.net/video/WiB_MaJuz5c/видео.html
Already - ruclips.net/video/PS1A3hfhuY8/видео.html
Guess who - ruclips.net/video/V1Ou_PaExVg/видео.html
Soldier - ruclips.net/video/0uiI2k_6jRA/видео.html
Mystery lover - ruclips.net/video/8GtuHBpkUPQ/видео.html
GRACIAS POR REACCIONAR A TAEMIN .SUPREMACIA DEL KPOP .PLISS REACIONA A TAEMIN BACK ROSE ..IDEA ADVICE ..RISE .SOLDIER LIVE .SIRIO. .
please review Geoff's Unshaken.
very fun fact: the melody of this song is an interpolation of iOS xylophone ringtone 😄😂
You should react to Advice by taemin its one of his greatest songs vocally
Rylanor's Last Stand by By StringStorm))))) "Bip" sound effects - "SOS" signal on morze's, musical based on short story "Ancient Awaits" (Warhammer 40k).
Month of Shame By StringStorm)))) another musical based on the another siedge on hte planet Armageddon and aftermath fight between Logan Grimner's Space Wolfs and Holy Inquisition in face of Hesmey Kysnaros. Inqusition trying to execute Astro Millitarum soldiers (Imperial Guard) in fear that the can be corrupt by a demonic influence, and Space Marines of Logan Grimner starts to protect them from this acts and this comes to the short war between this 2 Imperial military factions with a lots of casualties on both sides. Then they conduct a Peace Seaquence but stand on their owns about each other. "Leashes dogs who never learn their place" (words about Emperor's personal EXECUTIONAL Legion of the 1st FOUNDATION) and "Flapermouth partisipants")))) a tragic story of indecent men fighting for decency against decent men forced to be indecent.
Nice lyrics, sleeper songs..... Need reaction))))
I mean I know you seem to have taken a bit of a break from kpop analysis but at some point I would LOVE both Taemins 'Advice' (his vocally most interesting song imo) as well as his big bro Onew singing "Rainy Blue" analyzed 😊😊
Would be incredibly interested to see your take on his band member Onew doing Nessun Dorma. Can search “Shinee Onew Opera “
Love to see you react to Super M, 'One + Infinity'
React to Forestella perform Je Suis Malade
His vocals in most recent comeback “Guilty” have leveled up even more. I’d highly recommend you check it out!
He already did 🙃
Please react to jonghyun cocktail 🔥🔥🔥
React to Forestella perform Hijo De Luna
Black rose plz
Hey man do u mind if you could react to Johnathan Young Hoist the Colours version?
Taemin and Baekhyun from EXO are my two favorite kpop performers in all of Kpop! ❤❤. Have you ever checked out Baekhyun?
DUDE what you said at 16:30 "I don't really trust RUclips captions". What a refreshing statement. You are right to not trust K-Pop RUclips captions. On most days, Western natives are getting 30% of the actual thing. At best. Too many reactors just treat subtitles as "the lyrics" instead of "issues-laden translation of a very complex writing in a very distant language". Thanks for unapologetically stating a fact.
This GUILTY explainer should give you an idea how much information is lost in translation, and how much of Taemin's true depth and beauty the world has been missing ruclips.net/video/KE04kB6pAnQ/видео.html
Are you done reacting to Geoff?
The voices in the bridge are overlapping newscasters.
Would love to see you react to Kim Yeji - 'Legends Never Die' (Superband 2 LIVE). What they did to that song is phenomenal and I don't even like the original all that much.
Please react to Dimash When i've got you
If you wanna try some really good vocals in "k-pop", you can try the girls group "Mamamoo". The 'killing Voice' session is maybe the best to stat with and then "Where Are We Now" :
ruclips.net/video/WvkTcNQsxzc/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/zzk09ESX7e0/видео.html
Can you please check out EXO killing Voice on Dingo.
Don't discount the other members of Shinee
Hello can you please react to { BAEKHYUN CRY FOR LOVE } it’s sooo good I would love to see your reaction on it 🥹🩵
those are the correct captions as it is from the official channel which are accurate enough generally. fan translated ones like in lyric videos are ones to be skeptical of mainly.
it's not always the case, SM isn't good at providing good subtitles, it has been confirmed many times by Koreans themselves/people who know Korean. actual fans (not random channels) translations in a lot of cases can be better
@@dear7003 yes I know it’s not always going to be 100% accurate but it’s better than the ones from popular color coded lyric videos unless it’s from a dedicated fan or translation team that actually cares about getting the message across best.
I love Taemin, but you should check out Exo. They're in the same company. Highly recommended EXO Tempo or MAMA
EXO Mama is superb for vocal analisys!
One group that I think you should do the vocal analysis is stray kids, because one of the members, sings in a low voice and also because they produce their own music.
Too many interruptions for me. Cheers
Unmatched? He isn't even the best vocalist in SHINee, never mind SM or the rest of KPop.
Have you checked out BTS?
His voice sounds very generic and random to me.
There is nothing special or artistic in it.
Sucks to be you I guess
@@sofeels_ Is that the way you react to opinions which not match yours ? Very poor.
PS: I lived in South Korea for two years and heard a lot about these K-pop guys. It's very uniform music. They all sound almost the same and their performances and clips look almost the same. Taemin is not an exception in my opinion.
@@wizardma lot of those 'kpop guys' idolize Taemin or wanted to become artists in the first place because of him (he has been an artist for 16 years), there's no one like him in kpop, even musical critics and producers say this. he uses a lot of biblical themes in his music/videos (he's a catholic), philosophy and literature, all his concepts are pretty deep, connected together and made by him
he's also often named as the best idol dancer/performer by professional dancers, choreographers and other artists
@@sleeplessnight03 I'm not a K-Pop expert, but K-Pop overall is a extremely commercialized generic genre. This is the opposite of art, its an industrial well designed standardized product. Taemin is a part of that.
@@wizardm sorry, but you don't really know what you're talking about. i'm not talking about kpop in general, i'm talking about this specific artist, who is heavily involved in the creation of his music and concepts. there are tons of interviews and documentaries, where he talks about it in details and shows the creation process of every aspect. it's not the company that makes all of this for him (he's not even a part of the company anymore)
Fun facts on Taemin.
He is a self taught dancer though he sought professional lessons later on
He was taught to sing by his members leader Onew and the late Jonghyun
He's known his members key and jonghyun since he was in the 5th grade.
He is a Catholic and has been playing piano since he was age 11
He's afraid of all insects and bugs but in the mv for want he is holding a real snake.
Do check out shinee's entire discography and solo work