Taemin Proves He Is the King of K-pop With His New ‘Criminal’ Music Video
Taemin is back and better than ever. While in the midst of a comeback with K-pop group SuperM, Taemin is also releasing music as part of a solo comeback. On Sept. 7, the singer released a music video for his new single “Criminal” along with his album Never Gonna Dance Again : Act 1.
Taemin’s album release is split up into multiple parts
On Aug. 4, the Korean singer released his promotional single “2 KIDS” along with an accompanying music video. The single served as a prologue to Taemin’s album Never Gonna Dance Again. Following the prologue with “2 KIDS,” the album is split into two separate parts.
Never Gonna Dance Again : Act 1 was released on Sept. 7. The first part of the album features nine songs: “Criminal,” “Black Rose (feat. Kid milli),” “Strangers,” “Waiting For,” “Famous (Korean Version),” “Clockwork,” “Just Me and You,” “Nemo,” and “2 KIDS.”
‘Criminal’ is one of the best songs Taemin has ever released
Taemin is one of the biggest stars in K-pop. He debuted in the group Shinee in 2008 when he was only 14 years old. Since his debut, Taemin has regularly put out solo work, promoted with Shinee, and joined SM Entertainment’s group SuperM.
Over the years, Taemin has developed his artistry and evolved. In doing so, fans simultaneously know what to expect from the singer while still being surprised by what Taemin is able to pull off with each comeback. Every album is a turning point that brings something new.
Taemin released a music video for “Criminal” along with the first part of his new album, and it is easily one of the best things he has ever done. The music video has a dark and captivating aesthetic, and his harmonization in the last chorus accentuates the song’s allusion to Stockholm syndrome.
“So elegant, a Criminal who hurts me / It’s okay You soothe me just to torture me again / Ooh I’m on a leash called you / It’s painful as much as I can’t breathe but also magnificent,” he sings in the chorus.
Fans love the ‘Criminal’ music video
On Twitter, “taemin” began trending after the music video’s release. Fans love everything about the “Criminal” music video, from the aesthetic to Taemin’s dance moves.
“press your number crawled, move walked, and want jogged so criminal could run the ace of kpop just Did That,” a Reddit user wrote.
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One Reddit user wrote, “2 Kids was a nice moment but this is the moody and dramatic Taemin that is absolutely one of a kind in the industry. I really couldn’t have asked for more, man. It’s pure, distilled, Taemin and I love it. I can already tell this song has a lot of staying power, I’ll be listening to this for years.”
“It… really is not what I expected? I read what Taemin said about the song’s theme, but the vulnerability before the last chorus, how small his voice sounded, the hypnotic refrain! It caught me by surprise. Even the video felt claustrophobic, suffocating. Then the cathartic surrender in the last part of the song, my heart was aching. That’s why Taemin is a true artist,” another Reddit user posted.
