Seeing Taemin at this year’s KCON reconfirmed his utter dominance as a performer. I’ve been lucky enough to watch him with SHINee a couple of times, but few artists can command a stage so completely on their own. He deserves all the hype he gets. With that said, I feel his music is beginning to move further from the elements I’ve loved about his solo discography.
I expect to be in the minority with Guilty, as many are sure to fawn over the song. Taemin’s work invites that kind of response. He puts so much of himself into it. The feeling just oozes out of the track. However — and this isn’t a problem unique to Taemin — I find Guilty to be quite dull as a song. Yes, it’s surrounded by all sorts of aural drama, including a theatrical strings arrangement that gives the track an artful grace. But the tempo plods and the melodies feel circuitous and aloof. It’s like a monologue put to music rather than a fantastic pop song filtered through Taemin’s worldview.
In other words, I adore the performer but don’t connect with the music. This is a frustrating conundrum, especially when we know what Taemin is capable of when tying his artistry to an equally dynamic track. I’m delighted to see him back as a soloist and pleased that he refuses to make concessions, but other than as a performance piece I’m not sure when I’d listen to Guilty.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
will you be reviewing Moon Jung Up’s new single “X.O.X.”?
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I am still trying to get over the choreography, finding it hard to assess the song itself because what I could see of the dance in the MV blew me away too hard.
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I am not unbiased (understatement). I get kind of a Shanghai-Las meet Little Nas X vibe, so I love it. Also dug the U-Know-like chipmunk on speed rap.
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I can also see setting it alongside either James Brown’s It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World or Led Zeppelin’s No Quarter in a playlist.
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Why, I did just that.
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You know how SM is re-doing old classics in symphonic form, sometimes for better sometimes for worse? (“Growl” just didn’t work out.)
This one should have gone all in and started with the full symphony. The fake farty instrumental let the whole song down for me.
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Came into this excited, but with tempered expectations. Not too thrilled Taemin jumped onto the “spelling out the hook” bandwagon, but overall I really enjoyed the song on first listen.
8.5/10 which is pretty high for first impressions. I’m sure this will grow after a couple more.
Also Nick, the embedded linked in your review to criminal and Press your number doesn’t work via email notification.
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ok… its like a 10/10 right now… it measures up to all his previous releases and then some in the drama aspect. The strings, the whispers, the angst
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Weird! Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s anything I can do about the email settings. 😦
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I like it, though not as much as I tend to enjoy Taemin’s TTs the first time around.
Hoping for a buried treasure, this mini album is filled to the brim with candidates.
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I do not know, it makes me feel things, I assume that is what’s about?
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I do not know, it makes me feel things, I assume that is what’s about?
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Reminds me too much of the criminal atmosphere for me to not like this track…
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I like this! I haven’t heard a new Taemin solo in two years, so this was worth the wait.
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As a fan of Taemin I was so excited to experience his comeback after what’s felt like a long time. The trailers really caught my attention, unfortunately once I heard the song I was very disappointed. Tbh, even the choreography was a bit unmemorable. I did love the music video though! I just wish the choreography was shot a bit better.
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This track is 90% drama, 9% MV and 1% song.
I still find myself surprised to see how SM Entertainment is able to shave its best artists’ potential to a level of anonymity which is definitely unparalleled in K-Pop market, but that’s it: when you got discharged from military service in april and you have to do all the stuff Taemin did – with SHINee and as a soloist – within november, something has to get clearly blacklisted. And SM Entertainment has no rivals in choosing always music.
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Taemin chose this song. He had it since 2021 but decided to release Advice first. He reworked it for 2023. Like Hard, people are blaming SM for a choice SHINee made. They have creative freedom.
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Man, it’s so nice to have him back!
I do think this is one of his weaker title tracks overall but it does have some highlights for me. On one hand, the bridge onwards is fantastic and very dramatic. It’s nice to see Taemin really letting his (underrated) vocals rip. And I loved the usage of strings and other orchestral instruments. But then there are some elements that I didn’t really like (the spelt out chorus was not it). It reminds me of RIIZE’s new song since I had similar thoughts to it (could be great songs but are hindered by some elements)
I do agree that it functions more as a performance piece to showcase his dancing than an actual song. But hopefully time will tell whether it will grow on me or not. For now, I’m happy he’s back and here to stay.
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I think this song is for a particular mood and today I’m in that exact mood where this kinda song blows me away! ❤😅😂 He’s a force to reckon with alright – whether the vocals or the choreo – his gripping performance just keeps you focussed throughout.
Me and my sibling just heard Key’s Good and Great yesterday too and our main observations as always are “Shinee is just gold – no matter what just watching any of them perform is a treat” and “Why on earth do these guys seem to look younger and younger with each comeback?😂😂”
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I liked this a lot, it has all the elements I enjoy about his music and artistry.
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ngl for me this whole album is just a far inferior version of Taeyeon’s INVU
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I love Taemin and the drama he brings to his music, be it through performance or his vocal delivery. I don’t know how I feel about this song as a song (it’ll cement in a day or two, I’m sure), but there’s definitely something magnetic about it, and I haven’t even watched the video yet. The strings are great, and his belting is made of magic. As for the album as a whole, I enjoyed the latter half of it more than the first half. Nothing stuck out to me in a major way, but it’s a dark, rainy day where I’m based, and the vibe resonated.
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Not my style either, but still stands above almost everything else I’ve heard this month. 7/10
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Wow I am super disappointed, and it hurts to say this but the song GUILTY IS dull, dull and then DULL. The video is a different story but we don’t LISTEN TO VIDEOS. I could not wait for this to come out and I feel like… ” that’s it?”
I love Taemin insanely but this song is just too boring, it does not hook in any way, its FLAT. Sadly I would never choose to listen to it.
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I had a similar opinion on first listen (albeit still thought it was an 8.5 or so) but I think even with just a few more listens it really opens up. His performance as always is phenomenal but the song itself builds tremendously to that bombastic finish, I appreciate just how dark it sounds, the whispering definitely adds a lot to it and Taemin’s vocals really suit the dramatic flares it takes, def think this could be a grower for a lot of people, absolutely love it.
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This song got its little claws into my brain. It’s ominous, kind of creepy, and makes me feel a bit on edge. I don’t much like songs that spell out words, so I deduct points for that, but on the whole I’m intrigued by it.
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It’s not great. As a fan, I’m disappointed to be honest. I enjoyed the MV though
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I feel like at this point, Taemin knows what he want to do as an artist. So I think he’s not gonna go along with Nick’s taste of music.
Because Guilty is so Taemin, the dark drama, the theatrical, the laid back sexiness, the subtle hint, everything is so Taemin. I enjoyed it a lot, and the harmony at climax part are so satisfy, can’t wait for the live version (which I heard a part of it from Dingo killing voice video)
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Taemin has grown past easy catchy hook songs like Press Your Number.
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This really gives of vibes of “Lie” from Blood, Sweat, and Tears for me (the Jimin solo). That has a stronger hook though.
This may grow in me, despite the underwhelming chorus. I think this may end up being a song I prefer to watch a performance of than listen to.
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I thought the same thing! They both are dark, powerful, and dramatic in addition to them being in 3/4 time.
I personally prefer Jimin’s track due to the same reasons as you but Taemin isn’t slacking off with his song either. “Guilty” is starting to grow on me the more I listen to the song lol.
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Taemin’s vocals come through here. Damn
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Me: new Taemin release? aaah I will either love it or love to hate it~
Came in here before listening to check Nick’s review because we have pretty opposing tastes, saw Nick didn’t like it much and thought I’d probably like it. xD
Then I went to listen for real, and I was crying. Taemin’s putting things out there that have personal importance to me and many others.
To me the track is like an upgrade to Black Rose. It won’t beat my Taemin faves but I will be listening to it many times for sure.
Yes, it’s a weird track, especially if you have expectations and know what he’s capable of. Taemin being as well established as he is in the industry does have the luxury of doing whatever he wants, and if you’ve heard this brat talk on shows, he is not out there to comfort you with his music. Track sounds uncomfortable and leaves you frustrated? Good that’s probably what he wanted.
Yes, I am influenced by performance, choreography and video when I listen to a title track, and I think it’s futile to try and isolate a title track from performance, because it’s designed to be performed, and kpop in itself is performance art. Also we’re listening to a dancer here like I don’t know why y’all came to Taemin, but personally it’s because I’m a dance stan in the first place.
(Also, vocal regression whomst?? This is the best he’s sounded to me in a long time, and I’m hearing a lot more live vocals than I expect in this year’s stages @_@ Or maybe I had read so many of the vocal regression comments that my expectations were that low lol)
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hehe I also usually don’t agree with Nick but I think I come here to get sad and frustrated x) every time I’m like “oh nooo how can you not like it as much as I do, give it a few more listens, I swear it’s worth it!!”
I agree that the performance comes into it when listening to a song, I preferred all the b-sides at first but now I also like Guilty, which grew on me after seeing live performances… that being said I think TAEMIN’s vocal performance is really impressive in that song!!
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