Kim Taeyeon is someone who needs no introduction to even the most casual kpop fan—and definitely not from me—but this is Married To The Music, so here’s a quick one anyway. Taeyeon debuted as the main vocalist of 2nd gen titan Girls Generation (aka Sonoshidae / SNSD) in 2007, and really hasn’t left the spotlight since. In 2015—ten years ago now—she debuted as a soloist, and has since gone on to become one of the most successful in the industry.

Here are my credentials: I’ve been a fan of Girls’ Generation for a while now, as a lover of vintage inspiration in music and the 2nd gen of kpop in general. I’m also a fan of SHINee, especially Jonghyun, and so Taeyeon’s been on my list to cover for a while now, and I kind of can’t believe I haven’t done it yet. I’m coming at this from the opposite of my usual perspective, which is that I know far more about her as a person than I do about her music. The songs I have heard—more on those later—I really like and so I’m excited to hear more! Let’s get into it!

EP #1: I

What kind of single is I, besides one that’s impossible to search for on any streaming platform. (No, I’m not bitter. It’s fine. It’s so fine, guys.) It’s like taking a huge stretch in a patch of sunlight or spinning free on a mountain a la Sound Of Music. Every time I hear that opening hook I just….ascend. Who’d have thought you’d hear quasi-yodeling in a kpop song or that it would work so well? The MV is great too, showing Taeyeon as a waitress finally throwing down her apron to quit, stealing her boss’ car, and running into nature, with some frankly stunning wide shots of her in the New Zealand countryside. The bridge’s high note and the backing chorus coming in are just so great too.

My only issue with this song is that goddamn rap verse, bane of my existence. Why is it there? Just why? It adds nothing, it’s so out of nowhere, and it’s not even Taeyeon doing it! But once it’s over, you’re in for one of the best solo debuts in kpop. You may think I’m being a bit hyperbolic, but just give it a listen yourself.

Though the EP is only five tracks, nearly every one shows a different side of Taeyeon. There’s the gentle sensuality of Gemini, and the classic ballad sound of Farewell. The jazzy vintage sound of Stress would be my hidden gem if it was in practically any other album, but because it’s in this one, it was beat by U R. I often describe myself as a ballad admirer more than lover, but I can love them under the right circumstances. And Taeyeon’s voice is one of those. Not only does it have gorgeous strings, but U R has a slowly building burn of incredible vocals that’s bound to leave you speechless.

Single #1: Rain

While “I” is pop leaning towards indie rock, Rain is half classic ballad, half coffee shop R & B, and somehow manages not to sacrifice either sound but build something new in the process. The quick injections of pop, jazz, and others should make it feel too jammed, but they don’t. Instead, it feels grounded, and effortlessly smooth even while the lyrics are sad. Rain’s sound is one I don’t normally gravitate towards, and I don’t know if it’s Taeyeon’s vocals or the specific collection of genres at play here, but I really like it.

EP #2: Why

I didn’t realize until the chorus that I’d actually heard Why before, albeit probably a few years back. It’s led by a percussive acoustic guitar, both similar and different to I; if her debut was spring, this is summer for sure. It’s sunny and bright, with a breathiness that echoes throughout, and the chorus is sprawling with a whistle-esque hook that’s a lot more catchy than it should be. The bridge’s build may be even better than the pre-chorus’, and the way it bleeds into the final chorus is great. I’m a bit confused by the music video to be honest, but I mostly liked it; it reminded me a lot of (G)I-DLE’s Dumdi Dumdi—-or rather, that song will now remind me of this.

From the EP, I enjoyed the jaunty piano of Starlight and the brassy interpolations of Good Thing, but my hidden gem was the delightfully flirty and delightfully direct Hands On Me, with its synths and handclapping led beat.

Single #2: 11.11

11:11 leans into sadness with its spare acoustic sound, ticking background clock, and the palpable mix of hurt and longing throughout. It’s not as unique than Rain, relying on Taeyeon’s voice to patch up its less engaging moments. And, naturally, it does. Her voice is a bit melancholy, a bit hopeful, a bit soothing, but all genuine as she sings about wanting to get over someone; “I believe I’ll be over you” is repeated like a mantra, and you almost don’t know who she’s trying to convince. The MV too is simple but affecting, with a muted color palette and a haziness that feels like nostalgia. And that long-take round shot that spins around Taeyeon just before the 1-minute mark is just great.

Album #1: My Voice / Make Me Love You

Fine has been one of my favorite kpop songs for years. The acoustic guitar that opens the song is unusual for the genre, perhaps even more so than 11:11. And Taeyeon’s voice too feels stripped raw, flayed open, especially as the song goes on and whatever dam was holding her feelings in breaks. The moment in the music video where she just can’t sing anymore and she struggles for words while the backing track still plays and the director calls “CUT, CUT” kills me every time. It’s like you can feel her heart break through the screen.

And speaking of the MV, it looks like a scrapbook of memories, melding illustrations, live action, and some camerawork that looks like stop-motion or crinkling paper. It’s poetic, in a way, that the song is called “Fine” and yet when you actually listen, the refrain is “it’s not fine.” In my opinion, it’s an exquisitely done portrait of loss, whether that’s grief or the end of a relationship.

Make Me Love You is synthy and restrained, almost ahead of its time in how similar it is to the minimalistic kpop hits of today. While at first I admit I wasn’t at interested at first, the song expands each and every chorus, in what’s one of the most satisfying builds I’ve seen in a while. And yet you don’t see it coming when you listen, or at the very least I didn’t. I admit that the “make me kiss you, make me touch you” lines are a little uncomfortable for an English speaker to hear, though I know that the way I interpret them aren’t how they were intended. Overall, it’s a very good song, but I can’t help comparing it to Fine, which is just a stronger work in general.

Taeyeon’s first full album is just as strong as you’d expect it to be. Even SM recognized the talent they had. There was so much I enjoyed from it, from the tantalizing vocals and jazzy edge of I Got Love to the powerful rock ballad sound of Time Lapse to the smash of a chorus in Fire. It’s one of those pieces that’s impossible to pick a hidden gem, but if I had to, it’d be in between the string-led, sweepingly nostalgic When I Was Young, and the ever-building Eraser, with its handclap-led beat and Adele-esque vocals. And that’s without even mentioning Curtain Call, I Blame On You, or Sweet Love, all of which would be highlights in any other work. It’s one of the best k-pop albums I’ve heard in a long time.

Next time, we’re onto Part 2. Tschüss!