TAEMIN was another comeback that kicked off the week. He returned for the first time since his Guilty era and leaving SM Entertainment, signing on with BPM Entertainment (home to VIVIZ, HA SUNG WOON, BADVILLAIN and a few others) for his solo work. He will continue with SM Entertainment for SHINee promotions. TAEMIN’s latest title track, Sexy In The Air, is featured on his 5th mini-album, Eternal.

Sexy In The Air is probably the most TAEMIN-coded title to date. We all know when TAEMIN’s appeal is most robust, and I feel like a song titled Sexy In The Air calls out that. Intriguingly, the track can be split into two. The first half features a groovier electronic style that feels trendy and upbeat. The second half leans more toward a hip-hop style. Tied together by the title and lyrics, these halves make for an interesting dynamic. But it works, in my opinion, bringing two sides of TAEMIN into one song. Even the transitional part between the two halves felt very clean. TAEMIN himself does an excellent job with his vocals. I like how we are treated to vocals in both halves of the song. I lowkey would have expected the hip-hop side of the song to have more of a spoken motif. But his vocals on either side of Sexy In The Air were smooth and sultry. The choruses and hooks in the song were catchy, though I would have liked something more developed from TAEMIN. The choruses and hook felt a little too simple and safe, especially for a song that innovates like this one. But I guess putting two distinct styles into Sexy In The Air, where the song can easily be split in half, is a gamble, so having other elements of the song feel safe does help reign it in.

Sexy is indeed in the air throughout TAEMIN’s music video for this comeback. Part of this comes from the choreography we see throughout the video—I will speak to the choreography in the next section of the review. Another part of the sexy appeal is TAEMIN’s charismatic looks and outfits, such as the one in the featured image of this post. I will admit that the clean and crisp feel of SM Entertainment’s music videos is missing in this one (no-brainer as SM Entertainment is not behind this video). But TAEMIN’s presence compensates for that. The man knows how to captivate and does it well in this video.

We all know where TAEMIN excels during his comebacks, and Sexy In The Air doesn’t deviate. His whole choreography routine was just so captivating to watch. From the footwork to the synchronisation to the punchy moves that fit the groovier style from the first half and the bouncy moves that fit in with the hip-hop style in the second half. All of this was amazing to watch. The best part definitely has to dance solo he has at the end of the routine.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10