Taemin - Press It - The 1st Album

TAEMIN
Press It - The 1st Album
2016
Spotify

I really doubt that many people reading this blog will be huge fans of Lee Tae-min, the South Korean Singer, Actor and dancer however if you are in Asia right now He is one of the biggest artists out there. This record Press It - The 1st Album is straight up unadulterated pop music. It is sugary, sweet and full of love songs (had to get the English translations) that are meant to populate the ipods of teens as far as the eye can see. However Taemin's delivery is really well done a la Carly Rae Jespsen, taking the vibe and feeling of pop music but putting a modern and interesting spin on it. The first two songs are "Drip Drop" and "Press Your Number" the second of which was produced by Bruno Mars. Both are dance pop tracks with relentless kitsch, but it is "Soldier" where Taemin shows his range as a singer and writer. Much of the lyrics were composed by Taemin himself, which does lead to a broad yet sweet lyrical palate throughout the album. Press It - The 1st Album feels like something Boyz II Men would put out if they were just getting their start today. There is love, heartbreak and melancholy all wrapped up in a pop music bow ready made for mass consumption.

 The occasional English word being thrown in is a bit jarring, but you have to consider how our music must sound when we thrown in a word from another language now and then. The songs often have a nice little twist in them that make you think they are going one direction, but then Taemin suddenly flips the script and takes it down a more interesting path. "Sexuality" for example begins with this deep somewhat ominous electronic beat, but then during the chorus switches back to a straight up pop song. The song goes from something brooding to something much more sweet, which for some is a good thing while others will see it as more of a safe move. A lot of the record feels like a rehash of things that have worked in the past. You can often pick out moments during Press It - The 1st Album that almost directly copy other songs or artists both in delivery and style. There is very little to set Press It - The 1st Album apart from the pack of pop artists other than the different language. After the 10 tracks you realize this is just to pedestrian to really connect, but also good enough to be the wild success it already is in Asia. To try something new and see what is going on musically in other parts of the world this album is worth a listen, but nothing here really impresses all that much.

5.9 out of 10