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This post is by guest writer Jara Rowe.

SHINee‘s Taemin released his first full-length studio album in Press It in February 2016. The album had an remarkable start and ranked #2 on US Billboard’s World Music Chart during the first week of its release. Press It features a roster of global star producers and is a masterful mix of genres that include dance, Europop, ballad, R&B, and soul. Taemin reminds us that he’s a well-rounded, full-package musician with exceptional talents. He’s not only a great performer, a skilled composer, but also an equally awesome singer with consistently impressive vocals throughout this album.

Track 1 – Drip Drop

Opening the album with a futuristic sound, Drip Drop kicks off Press It with suggestive lyrics. The groovy drums and colorful synths come from a music genre known as Future Bass. Taemin’s vocals are very R&B-esque, which partners well with the change in ambience once the chorus hits. Drip Drop goes from frantic and distraught to calming and alluring. The ups and downs of this track really come to life in the live performances.

Track 2 – Press Your Number

Press Your Number is the title track written by Bruno Mars and composed by The Stereotypes. To appeal to the Korean audience, Taemin penned new lyrics. With guitar riffs that add a dose of funk, Press Your Number is a full-on urban pop dance track. This song gives off a sense of mystery with a slow rhythmic start, but soon becomes more upbeat with the assistance of the vocals. Taemin exhibits solid singing abilities that keep up with the flashiness of the backtrack.

Track 3 – Soldier

Soldier is an emotional ballad, and song written by Taemin himself. The dramatic vocals and flighty piano strokes come together to take the listener on a passionate ride. The sweet melodies in Soldier allow Taemin to really showcase his voice and vocal range.

Track 4 – 벌써 (Already)

Already is a smooth and skillful, mid-tempo R&B track with sweet piano strokes, soft guitar, and synths with sticcato drums. This track is composed by Teddy Riley and exudes the flavorful contemporary R&B/soul music he’s known for. Bandmate Jonghyun helped write the lyrics while Taemin flaunts his stable and passionate vocals once again.

Track 5 – Guess Who

Composed and arranged by LDN Noise, Guess Who has a dark and spooky atmosphere. The contradiction between Taemin’s smooth vocals and the hard-hitting, frantic backtrack is strangely alluring. There is a continuously intense feeling throughout the song with lots of interesting sound effects like sirens and gunshots. Guess Who showcases yet another music style that Taemin can master as well as a lower range of his vocals.

Track 6 – One by One

The opening of this track starts with intense guitar riffs. However, One by One quickly tranquilizes into another emotional R&B tune. The guitar and bass harmonize fantastically with Taemin’s voice. One by One is the most impressive track on Press It for me. From the production value and to the exceptional vocals, there are many layers that all work exceedingly well together to make one musical masterpiece.

Track 7 – Mystery Lover

The opening of Mystery Lover puts you in the mindset of a horror movie with children. It exudes a dark, dreamlike atmosphere with sounds coming from a music box. Singing about a woman that he hasn’t met yet, Taemin does a great job at telling the story through his voice.

Track 8 – Sexuality

Changing directions, Sexuality is an Europop number with a retro vibe and full of synth washes. As the title suggests, it’s indeed a very sexual song, with female moaning sounds here and there. There’s a constant bass beat, but the chorus picks up with the addition of bouncy synths. This track doesn’t offer enough to standout amongst the other one. However, I would love to see it performed live as I feel that Taemin could really make it come alive!

Track 9 – 오늘까지만 (Until Today)

Until Today is a sensual R&B tune with lyrics written by G.Soul. The instrumentation, including an acoustic guitar, wind chimes, and drums are flawlessly weaved together. Taemin’s singing technique and rhythms also add groove to the song. In particular, he was able to exhibit a stable and impressive falsetto.

Track 10 – 최면 (Hypnosis)

The album ends on a mellow note with a ballad titled Hypnosis. This is your typical ballad progression with gradual piano build-ups, drums kicking in during the chorus, and slowly intensifying vocals. Taemin’s singing is still eminent as usual, but Hypnosis lacks major originality compared to the rest of Press It.











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