Earlier this year, Taemin debuted a suite of new songs during his Coachella set, teasing fans’ expectations for a new era. We had to wait a few months for that era to materialize, but he’s back today with a full album. Two title tracks are promised from Soft Violence, with Float leading the pack.

When it comes to Taemin’s solo work, I often feel that his material struggles to match his presence and skill as a performer. He certainly has his fair share of highlights, but there are plenty of songs (some of them title tracks!) that lack the ambition I know he’s capable of. Sadly, Float fits within this category. For a performer as dynamic as Taemin, the song’s laidback nature feels like a waste.

Float is built upon a dreamy bed of synths and a subdued garage beat. In other words, it fits right within K-pop’s trends of the moment. But here’s the thing: someone like Taemin doesn’t follow trends — he sets them. Perhaps this is too much expectation to put upon one artist, but I only do that with artists I genuinely love. And with this in mind, Float is a whole lot of nothing. It’s not unpleasant, but it’s quite underwhelming in both sound and execution.

Grade: C