Review: Taemin - Idea

Before I talk about 'Idea', I need to talk about 'Criminal'. I think it is finally safe to say that 'Criminal' would have made it into the top 5 of September. While I still love the other songs that barely missed, the final chorus gave Taemin the edge. And September 2020 is one of the best months for K-Pop over the last past few years. Thus, it may be surprising to many how long I waited to review 'Idea'. There is a reason for this, Idea is one weird, trendy, not Taemin track. Before I talk about the track, I want to note that the MV and performance were surprisingly good.

The opening line feels weird, but the creepy vibe would work quite well with a drop I initially thought. When the drop hits, it feels like every other "loud" Korean male-led track this year, and something below Taemin's capabilities. This is preceded by a female line (I read somewhere that it was performed by legend BoA). A proper pre-chorus between the BoA line and the verses may have helped. "Under Under Under" does not count as a pre-chorus. Thankfully, strings are played during the chorus, and this clever move keeps the track afloat.

When the chorus comes back, it is assisted by a terrible hook, well below the talent of the performer. I would rather hear the chorus without "M-A-H M-A-H M-A-M-A Idea", as this hook just does not work.

While BoA's line and the strings help, I am not sure it was enough to save the lumbering, and trendy drop chorus, and the hookless line which accompanies it.

Rating: 7.5/10

Image Source: What The Kpop