Taeyeon’s To. X became a long-lasting hit on Korean charts, proving her continued dominance even sixteen years into her career. To tide fans over between albums, she’s dropped digital single Heaven. Its frothy disco pop sound is worlds away from To. X‘s downbeat confessional.
I’ll admit this right away: I’m tired of this chill, vanilla, mid-tempo post-post-disco pop sound. It’s one of the reasons I’ve struggled to get behind Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso with as much vigor as the rest of the world. To me, it simply sounds like a compelling genre with all its interesting parts shaved off — easy-listening in a (semi) upbeat package. And despite an ingrained love for Taeyeon, I feel mostly the same about Heaven. The song has groove, but it’s featherlight and inessential. The sound wafts over the listener rather than reaching down and grabbing us by the collar.
This being Taeyeon, Heaven is still a well-produced, engaging listen. Her vocal tone remains instantly recognizable and that character prevents the track from becoming musical wallpaper. Given a different arrangement, the melodies have potential to bring more grit and excitement. But at every turn, Heaven settles for “nice.” And with so many other pleasant pop bops to choose from, there’s not much here that has me eager to hit replay.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Liked the production, it’s light, but engaging. Taeyeon’s vocals are perfect as always. But damn, I wish there was a bridge and third chorus (damn you, streaming culture! (● ˃̶͈̀ロ˂̶͈́)੭ꠥ⁾⁾)
8.25 for me (8, 9, 8, 8)
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it does sound nice but wayyy too similar to plenty of pop songs we have rn… it’s time to wrap up this easy listening trend immediately
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Easy pop heavily inspired by Daft Punk’s Get Lucky. But enjoyable so it’s a 8 for me!
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better song than To.X but didn’t even come close to moving me like any of her previous TT or pre-release. Tad disappointed in my ult solo artist, hopefully I won’t end up in the camp of only ever favoring earlier (in a manner of speaking) works
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cuz like espresso is just fine (its perfect music for relaxing on the beach) but i wouldnt call it soty like everyone else
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“I’ll admit this right away:” sir we already know, we could find several posts if we wanted to of you say you don’t like this approach 😭
usually I’m with you there but espresso’s lyrical conceit matches the vibe . The vocal layering and catchiness makes it stand out among similar efforts.
When I listen to heaven, I think it feels more upbeat than songs of the same style and that synth after the second chorus is reminiscent of AOA’s 10 seconds (a superior song). Obviously Taeyeon is great too I just don’t find anything she’s singing sticky in and of itself. I love it when I listen to it but feel indifferent when it’s over. A weird sensation…7.75 feels right
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Me realizing I wrote “say” instead of “saying”. As a writer, are you bothered by bad grammar in the comments?
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Nope, because I’m sure I have my fair share of it too!
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lol I like to admit things over and over 🤪
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not to fall into pitting pop divas against each other because I actually do find Sabrina Carpenter engaging in live performances, but why anyone would go to her album when Chappell Roan’s is happening in the zeitgeist at almost the same time puzzles me 🤣
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Immaculately produced. Not very original. A bit Espresso, a bit Get Lucky, a bit Dua, a few others.
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This is one of those songs where watching the video made me like it a lot more than when I just listened to it as background music. The aesthetic is fun and reminds me of like… Midsommar meets that one Halloween I Spy book.
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What’s samier? Currently popular K-Pop trends or Nick’s critiques? Tough…
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One dictates the other! 😂
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