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I actually like that he chose a more subdued song for his first title track after returning from the military because it showcases his growth as a singer but also becuase it feels (at least to me) like a fresh start, his last releases before leaving (which I loved but still) were pretty frantic, almost desperate for more time but now he feels and sounds more free than ever whilst retaining his style

I think that Guilty has actually become my favorite Taemin song of all time. Strings, theatricality and drama, overlapping whispering, chanting, those vocals popping off at the end…all catnip to me. I thought it was powerful AF. Along with the MV which has been interpreted in so many different ways and is so layered and fascinating!

Guilty is actually my favorite title track of his, so far. I guess the haunting atmosphere and vocal prowess is everything in this song. I simply loved it, and more than that I felt it watching the mv. I love the direction of this mv. out of the ordinary and typical in a mv in the kpop industry. The best thing is that it combines cinematography, choreography, haunting atmosphere storyline, drama, Taemin's outfits and acting. all in one package that makes it beautifully overwhelming as is Taemin's brand. It is the most complete and very well produced Mv in my opinion of all the releases this year and the best in Taemin's own discography. only taemin is capable of making my skin crawl with a tittle track. no one else can. That says a lot about the type of artist he really is.

The MV is amazing. In terms of meaning, I think it’s my favourite of all Taemin releases. The song was so epic though and I’m so excited to see his live stages. It’s clear a lot of people share similar opinions on it’s grandeur but your opinion is totally valid. That’s my favourite thing about Taemin and SHINee in general. People have such strong opinions about their favourite TTs because they’re always committed no matter what genre they explore.

I actually think this may be one of my favorite Taemin comebacks (as a whole) in a while. I love Guilty, but I find myself noting his improvement in vocals on this. Like two years off really did him good. I liked The Rizzness more than I expected. Taemin sells it, but the music… that guitar in the back ground is awesome. But while Taemin’s titles always hit for me, I’ve been listening to this whole album on repeat since it dropped. I’ve struggled all year with really *feeling* the music. Like I’ve liked things, loved things even, but only Woodz’s Oo-Li and B.I’s To Die For have been the only two I’ve felt in my soul so far until Taemin’s Guilty. It’s gonna stick with me for a long time.

I really like Guilty, but I agree, the big deal here is the vocal level up. He sounds AMAZING!

I ran here! Love hearing what you have to say about Taemin. I actually had a little different reaction when I saw Guilty. It's the perfect title imo. Reminds me of the subdued nature of Move. You're so right about the vocals. He sounds amazing. The haunting vibe of this song just hits for me (it's that 3/4 time signature) and I feel like it fits him. Somewhere between Strings and Impressionable for sure. I've had the whole album on replay. Great reaction as always. ❤

listening to him do the riffs and runs is my favourite parts of these reactions 😭💕

This is one of the most powerful song he’s ever done. I’m amazed you find it underwhelming. 😱 Choreo by Casper and Bada Lee. ❤

I love dramatic music. Those strings, the layering and the slow build up of his voice👌 I also really liked how they used the contemporary dancers

I love how Taemin brings so much to the table since first time that i see him i was traped his aura is on another level and couldn't be more happy to witness his art once again , here for more bring on Taemin.....thanks for reacting ❤

Guilty is one of my favorites releases of the year by far. But i know you are gonna destroy the rizzness haahahahhahaaha i can feel it in my bones.

the most beautiful vocals, so proud 🌟

Taemin is art

I can’t believe Guilty unseated Want as my favorite title track of his. His vocals are, like you said, flawless. They have a bit of Jonghyun’s touch to it, which makes sense since they had such a strong musical partnership. Taeminnie is growing into it (very much has).

Overall I loved the album! all the songs fit my taste❤ I am not a native American speaker so I don't know what's wrong with "the rizzness" 😅 but for taemin's first time doing this kind of music, he slayed it

I've only seen/heard the TT so far but wow. I was blown away by the MV. The parallel to presumably his struggles in the military with the barracks. The choreo reflecting people manipulating and controlling him. The part I am really curious about is meaning of the (?) funeral scene? Why is he holding a gun? Is this the death of old him ie pre-military Taemin? or is it the death of who he was turned into during the military with the climax and the way his vocals and dance become more free? I need someone who is far smarter and knows more about Taemin and his lore to explain it to me.

I was expecting more storytelling in the mv just based on the trailers we got but this also works. I was so entranced by his vocals throughout this song, I guess that alone is enough to tell a story on its own plus showcasing the choreo works to intensify the emotions. It made me feel what he was feeling even if I had no idea what it was about. This feels very raw and I love that. Also the changes in his singing style you pointed out is so fascinating !

I love his performence. He talks with his body and use his voice like an instrument.

I also think Taemin tightened his lower notes , if that makes sense ? It’s less airy, more controlled , the vibrato doesn’t feel forced I’m not saying it was that way before I’m just saying that his vocals keep getting better . I was so shocked like I know this man is great but now you’re telling me he could get greater !!!???

the second i heard him on those first fanmeetings in april, i heard a world of difference in his singing technique. i wondered if he'd roll back into his previous style by the time he released music, but he's only gotten better ever since, his awareness of placement has never been this precise. it's the first time we get this much head voice! he must have gotten a new coach during the hiatus and god bless whoever that is, they're working wonders

watching your reactions always reminds me to give songs another listen paying close attention to all the backing vocals

No one could be like TAEMIN TAEMIN is the different level forever. His vocal is so insane THE KING of kings

It took a few listens but I have SLMSLMN on repeat.... I love it soooooo much xoxoxoxoxoxoxox so hauntingly beautiful

Ohhh i was waiting for you!!!!!... I loved the whole album , i think that you will love the vocals despite the songs may not fill your expectations. Love u

So proud of Our TAEMIN Boy🥰💖🫶👏 They deserve the Best ! This album IS a real mastepiece🔥🔥🤴👑🧀

Guilty is masterpiece❤ i cried the first time too much emotion

Love that youe kept referencing his past songs to see the difference/improvements. Guilty grew on me actually. Seems like a closing act and looking forwards to new chapter of fresh taemin.

Taemin said himself that he didn't release something that is way too out of character for him as a title track and instead opted to experiment more with the b-sides for some change, which imo after his 2 years hiatus makes perfect sense, he gave us Guilty which is so taemin and also tried something new with the other songs like the rizzness (although that word still makes me giggle it will take me a while to get used to it 😭) I loved guilty and the powerful vocals in it, and overall i feel like he seems very much more relaxed with his singing and he tries to showcase it in any opportunity he gets, so far a lot of the shows that he went on were all singing focused (like killing voice for example), and i love to see that growth. Haven't seen your reaction for the rest of the songs bcs I'm commenting halfway through the video but I'm interested to see your take on the rizzness 😭 it's seriously a banger if only the word rizz got scrapped from it.. And about the other songs personally my fav is She loves me, She loves me not and right after is Not over you, masterpieces fr.

ive been waiting 😅

taemin is the best main dancer vocalist hands down

Amazing! I like how you tie Strings with Guilty. I was thinking as well the song has some resemblance.. now i know where it came from. I also think that “The Rizzness” sound very Aespa-like. TOTALLY AGREE on the vocals. This album is all about his vocals and if you see most of his works in reality shows he dance less but sing more..Killin’ vocals - yes!

Taemin said the song and video concept came from a 1957 book he had read that inspired him. 'L 'Erotisme by French philosopher George Bataille. George Bataille expressed his desire instrest to explore complex emotions.

Thank you for your review! Yes, Taemin has returned from his military hiatus mature and creative and beautiful. I do love Guilty for allowing Taemin to express his multi-layered narrative through his body, voice, and spirit. My favorite song overall is Night Away though. Listening to it makes me feel happy as well as nostalgic for some of my happiest times in my life. I have always loved how Taemin plays with his instrument. I am so happy he is back.

I hate trends. I would rather let the singers or if they are trying to make their own songs do what they want. That is why I like this song its different. I also like Stray Kids and Seventeen because they always make their own beats and songs and they are amazing.

I really like Taemin's new sound. He sounds amazing and the music is more "mainstream", but without being replaceable. I also kind of drift away from the typical K-Pop sound. Another reason why this album really speaks to me. Let's see what level he reaches next time.

I love that you can pick up and track how his technique has evolved.

Taemin 🥰🎊🎁

So I listened to the album before I saw the mv, and was initially a little underwhelmed by the the title. Watching the mv, everything felt much more explosive and made me appreciate Guilty more as a song. Is it my favorite Taemin title? No, but I still really like it. That being said, Not Over You is my favorite on the album and The Rizzness is . . . something. I don't dislike it, like it sounds good but the lyrics are so strange lol

I can't believe you don't like it guilty, it's immaculate,his vocals.the music😩

Taemin is a legend.

Ok and I really like the honesty in your reactions. I know you a true Taemin fan cause your criticism comes from a soft place. If you say something you feel may negatively impact others impression of Taemin. You immediately give more detail to explain. I like that and I’m just going to say it. Taemin kind of cemented hisself at the round table for many reactors and I truly feel the reaction community fizzled when joined the military. Like just waiting for the Prince to return. That being said musically Taemin is always next level. His music is 9/10 a bop. Even if there is a song that isn’t great. It still passes causes it’s Taemin.

I agreed when you said he reminds me of the weeknd reacting to guilty

I guess it could be about the mental repercussions of being in the military and living your everyday life as a tool for a fight between governments in which you have no voice, spending all your time and energy learning the most efficient ways to kill people you do not use. nor do I want to hurt (could the phrase "loving you is a crime" be about having empathy and compassion for the "opposite side" in the war) and the loss of childhood and innocence it would cause. We see Taemin looking very anxious while holding the gun at target practice and even taking it out on himself through self-harm (because of guilt??) he (or someone else I can't say) then sets the target on fire at 5 :20, possibly as a rebel?? Throughout the MV there is also a theme of everyone being in uniform or boring clothes, so this is juxtaposed with super expressive outfits like Taemin in a skirt which could be a commentary on how the military steals your self-expression and sense of identity, since you have to wear a uniform, shave your head and follow orders. The first scene is quite indicative of both the loss of childhood (children's photos drawn on the wall) and the loss of self, as Taemin is sitting in a room full of colorful clothes while wearing a very simple outfit. This is just my theory, I have no intention of speaking for Taemin, especially when an anti-military concept would be very controversial and would result in a lot of hate for him. That hurt expression is unforgettable. It's a strong shock and stimulus. Taemin was the first K-pop artist I was exposed to (and became obsessed with) and he became my first prejudice (now ult) for exactly this reason. Always with you, Taemin. 🫰😍

YEAAHHHHH YOU ARE BACKKKK

Besides the title song, I also really like the song 'She Loves Me Or Not.

I was a little underwhelmed the first time I heard it, but Guilty is definitely one of those songs that the more you listen to it, the better it gets. The first songs that came to mind when I heard it are Shadow and Mystery Lover from his earlier albums. I'm not a rizzness enjoyer, that chorus is just too goofy for me. Otherwise I really enjoyed this album. Holding out hope that we get a retro concept from him eventually lol

Might be the first time I disagree with your review 😅 this TT (and all his b-sides ngl) is definitely one of my favorites and it fits his cb from the military perfectly. Knowing the story behind this concept also helped the narrative on why he chose this song. With his 10-yr solo career, he’s done almost everything, from warm ballads to very grand music with the greatest dance breaks, but he’s proved that he will keep on growing as an artist & not stick to what people are expecting of him just bec “they worked before” which might be the reason why you find this cb underwhelming. Love your intricate analysis tho on his growth as a vocal performer. There are some details that I totally missed when I first listened to his song and I appreciate that you pointed them out. This is one of the few channels that I’ve been waiting for to watch a review on this cb bec I know that you’ll go technical on this lol Ps. Totally agree with that smirk + roll eyes over that dancer’s do. He really needs to retire that hairstyle (or maybe Taemin should get new male dancers bec bleh-sorry not sorry)

I thought the rizzness was maybe a Kai song or something and was given to Taemin. I enjoy the album though. I feel like he went a bit of a different route this time but I like it. I'm really proud of how much Taemin continues to improve vocally, it's amazing.

He is an art

Guilty gives me goosebumps. It’s hard to give me goosebumps.

I personally loved the whole album because it matches all my favorite songs from the artists I love so this comeback was huge for me. Although I might just be biased because if this had been another group or singer I didn't like I'd find it boring lol. I do think the title track could've had something instrumental-wise in the second or third chorus to keep elevating the song and keep it interesting , but the adlibs and the bridge kinda help out on that aspect. SLMSLMN gives major NGDA Act 1 vibes imo! It reminds me of Strangers. Overall I thought the album was quite cohesive, and it's probably my favorite album of his in terms of replayability. The bsides are VERY similar sonically though and I wouldn't be surprised if it's not your cup of tea based on your opinion of SLMSLMN haha.

Rizzness is a masterpiece

His vocals have always been incredible, but in this album it feels way richer and fuller and I can't get over it

You said it reminds you of the weeknd and you know what it reminds me of? hooverphonic's mad about you, like idk what it is, maybe the strings and the grand chorus and how subdued-ly addictive it is but that's kind of the vibe m getting

I can't wait but I'm also scared. Like, is it a good frown or a bad frown 😅 ? I see The Rizzness so I think I know your thoughts on her already. But for Guilty, I cannot wait !!

Just here to agree w loving his lows etc, he sounds amazing. 👌🏿 I think Taemin contains multitudes that ppl aren't ready to grapple w, he gives us peeks every now and then and I think Guilty is one of those moments. I'm so tired of ppl using the same explanations for what the song/video mean, bc if you're really paying attn to his life, his story, and his trauma then its perfectly clear imo. 🤷🏿‍♂️ *Tattoos take a while to remove, my bff owns a tattoo and piercing studio and has had laser work done a few times. Its very fkn painful and that's partially why ppl drag out the removal, plus your skin has to heal from being literally cooked lol.

She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not is such a fuckin hit 🎯

Not Over You outshines every song on the album ngl

Interesting, I absolutely loooove Guilty. I guess it's personal taste though, I'm not much into fast paced songs like Advice 😝

Yaaaay

I kind of find it underwhelming that you find Guilty underwhelming cause I am completely overwhelmed with this song.. I feel that I must persuade you to like it.. you don’t have to be honest this time..do it like the other 95%.. give us fan service 😉

the production strongly carries the rizzness like whoever produced the song did their thing cause the beat sold it for me

I feel like he’s voice is sounding better somehow

💓

Have you seen Rizzness live? It's... wow!

🥰🥰🥰💗💗💗💗💗👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

underwhelming ??you have lost your sense of taste guilty is so far his best TT

people say it's an interpolation of all mine by kanye west

Thank you for your honest reaction as always! I really enjoyed 'Guilty' myself, it's probably my favourite of his title tracks so far. I bounced off 'The Rizzness' a bit, but enjoyed it way more as a performance, since it has an interesting choreo and his collaborating dancers are so good. My favourite b-side on the mini album is 'She Loves Me Not'. There's just something about that track that really appeals to me. I really like your analysis and how you were able to see parallells to previous tracks from Taemin and even other SM artists. Like you, I also enjoy Taemin's singing so much on this mini. I feel like he's enjoying singing so much right now, and it comes across in his singing. He's been really going for vocally challenging songs in his recent variety show appearances that I checked out, and no matter if he's singing, dancing or just talking, there's an air of confidence about him that's really nice to experience. I'm guessing that he's grown a lot as a person and that in its turn has helped him grow as a musician as well.

For me the song The rizzness made me immediately think of kanye west all mine this is really similar for the chorus part

give all mine by kanye west a listen. the chorus part of the rizzness reminds me of a part that song.

the rizzness sounds a lot to me like kanye “all mine” when i first heard it i was so confused

Can someone tell me this song the intro

I've wanted to point this out for a while but your audio is really off. I was confused by vocal lines and some of the mods missing in guilty, rizzness was odd too, but track 3 sounds like a different song, almost like it's re-encoded twice. I think some of your thoughts would stay the same but something is wrong for sure because even the vocal layers are over-compressed.

It’s funny Guilty isn’t A BOP like most if his releases… So it’s not something I’m going to listen to nonstop. But you’re right-it feels very honest and for that I love it. In general, I love this more adult and raw release from a kpop artist. I do feel like tiktok challenges with this song will be silly. It seems too emotive for that kind of bs 😂 but maybe I’m wrong and people will rock it

I can't believe you don't like "guilty", it's the first time Taemin has a title track where he shows himself more vocally.

Waiting for this react! You’re late! Jk Lols

this whole album seems like its gonna age horribly idk def disappointed in taemin. his voice is great but these song choices are skips or mid