I am not a Sone (official fanclub name for Girls Generation) but I have always enjoyed Taeyeon’s solo releases, especially popular OSTs such as “Missing You Like Crazy” and “And One”. That was why I got excited when I heard about Taeyeon’s solo album, and even more so when I heard that her title track […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/1444282394392.jpg20482048Anna Cheanghttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngAnna Cheang2015-10-08 07:24:292015-10-08 07:24:29Taeyeon’s ‘I’ Music Video & Song Review
2015 has definitely been Jessi’s year. Not only did she win runner up on “Unpretty Rapstar” but her popularity surged because of it and her now famous “this is a competition” diss,, which everyone in and outside of Korea made a meme out of. Jessi made appearances on other shows and collaborated (not competed!) with other artists, […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Untitled-design-1.png7681024Alexis Hodoyan-Gastelumhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngAlexis Hodoyan-Gastelum2015-10-07 16:03:052015-10-07 16:03:058 Jessi Songs To Get You Ready For Her Los Angeles Show
I am not a Sone (official fanclub name for Girls Generation) but I have always enjoyed Taeyeon’s solo releases, especially popular OSTs such as “Missing You Like Crazy” and “And One”. That was why I got excited when I heard about Taeyeon’s solo album, and even more so when I heard that her title track […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/1444282394392.jpg20482048Anna Cheanghttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngAnna Cheang2015-10-08 07:24:292015-10-08 07:24:29Taeyeon’s ‘I’ Music Video & Song Review
2015 has definitely been Jessi’s year. Not only did she win runner up on “Unpretty Rapstar” but her popularity surged because of it and her now famous “this is a competition” diss,, which everyone in and outside of Korea made a meme out of. Jessi made appearances on other shows and collaborated (not competed!) with other artists, […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Untitled-design-1.png7681024Alexis Hodoyan-Gastelumhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngAlexis Hodoyan-Gastelum2015-10-07 16:03:052015-10-07 16:03:058 Jessi Songs To Get You Ready For Her Los Angeles Show
I am not a Sone (official fanclub name for Girls Generation) but I have always enjoyed Taeyeon’s solo releases, especially popular OSTs such as “Missing You Like Crazy” and “And One”. That was why I got excited when I heard about Taeyeon’s solo album, and even more so when I heard that her title track “I” achieved an all-kill on local and international music charts. With well-known rapper Verbal Jint featuring on this track, I knew that it would be something special. Without further ado, here’s my review of “I”.
Song
The track opens right away with the addictive chorus but is immediately followed by Verbal Jint’s short rap. The first time I heard it I found the transition a bit abrupt, especially since the chorus is repeated again after his rap. Taeyeon’s style of singing the chorus, or mainly the word “I,” reminds me of country music and Taylor Swift (in her first few releases). While it is nice to listen to, initially, I got quite tired of it by the time the song was over. The song picks up considerably during the other verses and the bridge though, both in terms of melody and the emotions in Taeyeon’s voice. I especially love how Taeyeon’s voice grows stronger and more free in the bridge as the song comes to a climax, as it clearly empathizes the meaningful and inspirational lyrics of the song.
Flower petals wilt I had difficult times, but followed a small light Distant day, let it go far, faraway I fly splendidly Sky that pours light Renewed eyes (Renewed eyes) Fly far away (Fly high, fly high) Beauty that belongs only to me
The instrumentals were pretty amazing from start to finish as it started out softly but gradually built up and really enhanced the track; it honestly blew my breath away towards the end of the song. I would probably have enjoyed the song more if Verbal Jint’s presence was more prominent because he definitely added a level of intensity and depth to this otherwise catchy but musically shallow track. That’s not to say that it was bad, because Taeyeon exceeded my expectations entirely with this release.
The music video for this song is simply gorgeous, mostly because of the natural scenery featured frequently in it. The music video was shot in New Zealand, a country famous for its physical beauty, and the videography certainly did justice to it.
I love the fact that this music video has an engaging storyline and an empowering message. Featuring Taeyeon as the protagonist, she plays a waitress who hates her dreary life in a cafe and is constantly dreaming about frollicking freely in nature. She eventually quits her job at the cafe (in a totally bad-ass way) and gets to live out her dream.
Don’t be afraid to follow your heart and fulfill your dreams is the beautiful and inspirational message that Taeyeon is conveying through this video. As can be seen by the comments left on her video on Youtube, this message is encouraging and relatable to many viewers who feel stuck in their tiring daily lives. It is rare to see K-pop music videos these days that have such meaning and it is certainly refreshing.
Taeyeon wore a few outfits throughout this video and definitely looks gorgeous in her waitress uniform even though I think she had too much jewellry on. However, her styling when she was in the fields leaves much to be desired.
During scenes when Taeyeon is surrounded by nature, she sports a country-style white dress and a cute braided hairstyle, but the make-up splattered on her face does not suit her attire at all. The choice of the feather earring for these scenes was also a bit unfortunate because it kept flying up her face due to the strong winds.
I love this look on Taeyeon though, she pulls off the girl-next-door vibe very well. It looks comfortable but still extremely glamorous on her with her flawless beauty.
Overall Thoughts
This was a good solo debut for Taeyeon and she certainly deserves the success she is getting from it right now. The song and video were not perfect but they undoubtedly brought out the right tone and message befitting the lyrics. She has set a high bar for her future releases and I cannot wait for her next comeback.
Taeyeon 'I'
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Have you heard ‘I’? What do you think about it? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/1444282394392.jpg20482048Anna Cheanghttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngAnna Cheang2015-10-08 07:24:292015-10-08 07:24:29Taeyeon’s ‘I’ Music Video & Song Review
2015 has definitely been Jessi’s year. Not only did she win runner up on “Unpretty Rapstar” but her popularity surged because of it and her now famous “this is a competition” diss,, which everyone in and outside of Korea made a meme out of. Jessi made appearances on other shows and collaborated (not competed!) with other artists, and now she’s gearing up for her very first show in Los Angeles. With more than 10 years in the business, Jessi has built up a sizable repertoire of songs, so let’s check some of them out to get us ready for the upcoming show.
1. “Can You Hear Me”
After a five year hiatus, Jessi came back as part of the trio Lucky J as their power female vocal and released “Can You Hear Me.” Even though she’s now famous for her husky spit, Jessi has the same tone when singing, which is equally amazing. The girl not only can drop fierce bars but her vocals are just as powerful.
2. “Get Up”
As mentioned before, Jessi made her debut back in 2005 as Jessica H.O. with “Get Up,” a pop song embellished with the R&B sounds that were on trend back then. Not to put her on blast with this throwback, “Get Up” shows how much she has evolved as an artist and a woman.
3. “Unpretty Dreams”
Fast forward to the present, as it was the hit show “Unpretty Rapstar” that made Jessi a star. Sure, she stirred up some trouble in the show, but she always keep it real and showed us that she had the chops. And even if she lost the competition only to Cheetah, her semi final song “Unpretty Dreams” was her manifesto that this time around, she was here to stay.
As advertised on every episode, “Unpretty Rapstar” is Korea’s only female rap competition show where the contestants strive to win features on songs on the show’s compilation album. Sadly, Jessi never got her own track but shared her win with the other queen of the show, Cheetah. This, of course, is not a bad thing given that Cheetah is a superb rapper and lyricist (she did win the show, after all!), and together they released one of the most fun songs on the album, “My Type.” And, oh yeah, Kangnam of M.I.B sang the chorus.
5. “Who’s Your Momma?”
After “Unpretty Rapstar,” Jessi became a coveted rap feature, and one of the lucky artists who got to collaborate with this queen was Korea’s king of soul, J.Y. Park. Jessi’s rap on “Who’s Your Momma?” may be brief, but it’s full of sass and she gets to showcase her amazing body.
6. “Just Like U”
Another feature that she did was on Primary’s “Just Like U” off of his superb album “2,” which contains a myriad of wondrous songs. Along with rapper Yankie, Jessi not only rapped but sang a bit on the chorus and together they created an interesting contrast with a sweet-sounding love song while saying things like “I just like you, but I don’t love you” and “I really like this kid, I do, but fxxk, he calls me late at night like I’m some kind of booty call.”
7. “I Want to be Me”
As mentioned before, Jessi is also a talented singer and has the vocal range to make power ballad singers in the industry take several seats. Not only is her voice husky, making her tone unique in the genre, but the listener can sense genuine pain behind her voice. And the song that perfectly encapsulates this and showcases her as a versatile artist is “I Want to be Me.” Jessi needs no features on her songs to help her out; she can rap and sing and slay the whole performance.
To wrap this up, we couldn’t forget her latest release “SSEUNNI.” On this track, Jessi stayed true to her brand — bad and fierce chick — and made it hella fun at the same time. This girl can put on a show and “SSEUNNI” is just the jam to turn up to.
Jessi’s show will be at the Belasco Theater on October 16 at 8 p.m. Moreover, the opening act will be none other than hip hop duo Mighty Mouth. Tickets went on sale on September 11, but you can still cop them through TicketGate. The cost ranges from $35 for general admission to $156 for the meet and greet package. And if you’re not over 21, worry not for the show is all ages!
Check out this video greeting from Jessi about the show!
What’s your favorite Jessi song? Let us know in the comments and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Untitled-design-1.png7681024Alexis Hodoyan-Gastelumhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngAlexis Hodoyan-Gastelum2015-10-07 16:03:052015-10-07 16:03:058 Jessi Songs To Get You Ready For Her Los Angeles Show
