[Album Review] Purpose (2nd Studio Album) – Taeyeon (SNSD)

Approximately one month ago, Taeyeon made her solo comeback with Spark and her second studio album, Purpose. And as part of my album review blitz, I will be recovering her album today. Known for her chart-topping hits, Spark joins the growing list of songs that she has released to do exactly that. Unfortunately, she didn’t promote the album as fans had hoped. And due to this, I feel like some listeners have missed out on some really good songs on this album. So let’s change that and revisit this album.

taeyeon-purpose-2 — *Purpose* Album Cover

1. Here I Am – The second album opens with a ballad that features Taeyeon’s powerful vocals. Overall, it is a powerful and bold start to the album. From the very first second, you get an epic and grand vibe from the song, which provides a small insight into what the song would become. But that epic and grand vibe end up being one-up by the chorus, which blasts us with deep percussion and her vocals (which were superb). I found it interesting that the song ended in a soft nature, bringing us down from the high she put us through during the choruses. It worked really well and the piano was very haunting, in a way. (10/10)

2. Spark (불티) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Spark. (8/10)

3. Find Me – Find Me started with a very promising verse. But when it came to the chorus, I was left underwhelmed. And this feeling stuck with me throughout the song. I just found that the song didn’t space out the sections and the ‘should have been’ separated verses and chorus felt more like a long string together. Minus that flaw, Find Me was still a decent track. I thought the instrumental was good. It didn’t have that boldness like in Here I Am. But it was catchy and was a pleasant tune. Her vocals were also quite good, showcasing a well-balanced sound that didn’t overwhelm the rest of the song. (7/10)

4. Love You Like Crazy – Love You Like Crazy is a levelled-up counterpart of Find Me. It has a pounding beat and incorporates of the guitars that we heard in the title track. I really liked her vocals in this track. She adds interesting textures and presents that bold feeling we have gotten in some of the previous tracks during its chorus. I would have liked it if it somehow went further as I did get the impression that there was some holding back, which doesn’t match with the ‘Crazy’ part in her title. (8/10)

5. LOL (하하하) – LOL takes my breath away every time I listen to it. I liked the R&B roots of the song, which oozes such a smooth and sensual vibe. I really like how this style sets up for the sarcastic and sleek laughter she provides in the form of a spaced-out ‘Ha Ha Ha’. The acapella that opens up the first chorus was extremely memorable. So are those horns that feature during the chorus. Her English hooks are also quite addictive. Everything that Taeyeon did manages to hit the bullseyes perfectly with this track. (10/10)

6. Better Babe – We still remain with the R&B genre with this song. This was heard during the verses, which I think were solid parts of the song. The chorus takes a turn by blasting us with Taeyeon’s vocals. While I am okay with Taeyeon pulling out her vocals, the way she did it in this song could have quickly felt repetitive and I am not okay with that aspect. However, thanks to the bridge and the opening part to the final chorus, I think she did enough to prevent that scenario from becoming a reality. (8/10)

7. Wine – Wine felt like it could easily have been the OST to a drama. It evokes the right feelings that make it well suited to help captivate the audience. I thought the melodies in this track were beautiful, making the song stand out for me. I also like how she doesn’t pull out her powerful vocals for this track (with the exception for the few high notes we get at the end), which works well with the sentimental side of the song and its potential lightness. The piano touch also helped make it pleasant. (9/10)

8. Do You Love Me? – Do You Love Me? has this warm feeling to it, which makes it highly appropriate for the upcoming Winter season in which Korea and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere will be entering in a few days. Her raspy and whisper-like vocals are really nice in this song and I found the jazzy instrumental to be very pleasant. The two coming together is a good match that I think makes this song shine. (8/10)

9. City Love – City Love is an urban track, which feels very flowy and breezy. I liked the casual vibes to this song, along with her light and sweet-sounding vocals. It showcases a side we know of Taeyeon, just we haven’t seen much in this album yet. The piano is particularly nice and managing to infuse a delicate sound in this already light track. Personally, it isn’t my style. But it is still decent. (8/10)

10. Gravity – Another standout track on the album. Her vocals are the main element that is attributed to that label. I thought they were exceptional, especially when she pulls the powerfulness out during the chorus. It also works well with the instrumental, as this element acted more-so like a blank canvas. There was a lot of room to move about and her vocals worked the space extremely well. I also like the spaced-out pulsing beat in the background, which helped provide the song with additional foundation. (10/10)

11. Blue – Blue and Four Seasons were previously released earlier this year. I have already reviewed the latter song, as seen below. I remember listening to it a few times when it was first released. But I have honestly forgotten about its existence since then. It is a nice revisit, as I am still impressed with this track. The vocals remain delicate throughout the entire track. The pop side of the song really makes you anticipate that the song will build up and she would pull out her power vocals to end the song. But we never get there, which I think makes this track very interesting. I also find the echoes in the chorus to be a nice touch, helping extend the song an extra mile. (9/10)