Although Taeyeon has been consistently releasing music since her solo debut in 2015, this album—in particular—has been anticipated for a long time. Not only is it her second full-length album, it also contains many tracks that she performed live through concerts already. Fans were desperate to hear official versions of these songs, and since it has been over a year since her last Korean mini-album, a new release was in need. “Purpose” was released to the public on October 28, 2019, and includes two past tracks from earlier in the year—”Four Seasons” and “Blue“. She used “Purpose” to show a different side of herself. “Something New” achieved that over a year ago, but it wasn’t well-received with the public. However, in true Taeyeon fashion, she didn’t back down but instead came back stronger with a darker and more mature image she wanted to display.
BlueNose: “Here I Am” is a dark and brooding ballad. It slowly builds up to a boisterous chorus and shows excessive livelihood. This build-up is shown in the instrumental as it tries harder and harder to make itself known (thus embodying the song’s name). Beginning with only a piano and the singer’s soft vocals, the song lulls you into the rhythm. But slowly adding cellos and guitars and drums, the track shows its true self. “Here I Am” is a constant ebb and flow of emotion. I get the feeling that the singer is drowning in her own emotions, and it creates a powerful vocal performance from her. Although Taeyeon performed this song (along with several other tracks from this album in her previous concerts over the last year), I wasn’t disappointed by the studio version of “Here I Am“.
Rating: 9.5/10
yooamygirls: “Here I Am” starts with a haunting melody and the singer’s soft vocals. It begins like the soundtrack of a dramatic sci-fi or fantasy movie, and the song builds and builds in scale as it progresses. It’s haunting, mysterious, epic, and fantastical, with Taeyeon’s vocals exploding near the end. It’s the perfect track to begin the album, as this is unlike anything we’ve heard from her before.
Rating: 9.75/10
BlueNose: “Spark“—the title track—was described as alternative soul-pop, and I think it fits that description to a T. The title song is quite different from “Here I Am“, but I get the feeling that they create a story being one after another. The track opens with a plucky guitar and Taeyeon’s “Bloo Who Who” that instantly catches my attention. “Spark” is a confident effort from our singer, with lyrics talking about how dangerous and fiery her heart is. The background hums are quite characteristic of R&B/Soul, and I thought it added great flavor to the track. The instrumental and Taeyeon’s vocal ability blend in order to make an aggressive song that only stops on its own terms. Like a spark, the song never breaks and only grows until it is burnt out.
Rating: 9.5/10
yooamygirls: A part of me was expecting a slow ballad for the title track, but the teasers promised that it was going to be anything but that. “Spark” is an uptempo dance song, heavily dependent on the singer’s rich vocals. I love the usage of the drums throughout the track, and the song really gets exciting post-chorus during the clapping section. It’s the strong beat that pushes the music forward, but it’s her voice that sells the track for me. Even though the song may be a bit repetitive (especially the line “bulti-yah“), Taeyeon manages to add in ad-libs, falsettos, and runs to give flavor to “Spark“.
Rating: 9/10
BlueNose: “Find Me” takes inspiration from rock and blues. With its simple piano and drums to lead the melody, the singer uses the song to express a sense of passion. This track actually reminds me of a clip I saw from “Happy Together“. In this snippet, it talks about lyricism through the decades in Korea, and one of the first decade spoken about was the 90’s. According to the person giving the explanation, a lot of Korean ballads back then used to talk about reaching for the sky or heaven. Similar to the song clips shown in “Happy Together“, “Find Me” makes a lot of references to running towards the sun and sky and taking on wings to get there. I found the arrangement of the track to be a bit bland, but I think it was still a solid effort.
Rating: 7/10
yooamygirls: “Find Me” is one of my least favorite tracks from “Purpose“, but I have grown to enjoy it quite a bit. It reminds me of a song from the “My Voice” album, as it has a sense of nostalgia and genre fusion that was prominent in that body of work. The thing that sticks out to me the most is the lyrics. The singer repeats the lines, “I’ll be okay” and “Don’t stop flying, high in the sky, until you find me,” which gives the song a sense of hope and determination. It’s an intense and emotional piece, and the track is made more exciting with the usage of both R&B and rock.
Rating: 8.5/10
BlueNose: “Love You Like Crazy” is a rock and soul-influenced song. It’s another track she’s performed in several of her concerts, and it’s one of the ones I’ve heard the most because it’s so enticing—virtually haunting if I say so myself. The vocal performance is sassy and bold. It opens with striking whistles, and Taeyeon starts singing the song almost immediately with a strong stance with her articulation. She sings almost forcefully with lyrics about a consuming love that sounds borderline dangerous, as she is not letting her lover go or escape. This is easily one of my favorites off of the album, and it’s even better portrayed in concert with a live band.
Rating: 9.75/10
yooamygirls: One of the most highly anticipated tracks of the album! After Taeyeon performed this song in her recent concerts, her fans have been dying for an official version of it. This track is every bit as epic and grand as her live performance promised it would be. There is a darker undertone to it, and the way that she sings it reminds me of “I Got Love“. It’s a sultry and mature song, but it’s also very fun and exciting. The lyrics talk about an almost obsessive and controlling love, and the singer manages to make the love sound even more desperate and wild with her haunting vocals.
Rating: 10/10
BlueNose: “LOL” is alternative R&B, and probably one of the most experimental songs on the album and another one of my favorites. Taeyeon gives a cold and stoic approach to the track this time, compared to the last few songs that sounded intense and vehement. The “hahaha” hook, gives the impression that she is laughing at an ex-lover’s downfall, but the lyrics tell me her lover is either lying to her or isn’t giving her the kind of attention she wants from them. “LOL” sounds very evil (like the “Cruella De Vil” song sung by Bill Lee), but has more of a serious undertone to it. The brassy chorus is alluring because it’s so different from the rest of the track. Moreover, the way the bridge changes the tempo up again with a pronounced guitar and soft piano makes “LOL” much more interesting.
Rating: 9.5/10
yooamygirls: I sort of expected this song to sound like “Baram x3” from her “Something New” album, but it was nothing like that. The track has a heavy bass and jazzy beat to it, and Taeyeon utilizes her lower register perfectly. In the pre-chorus, there’s a temporary moment of silence with the singer’s voice solely moving the song along. It’s then that the sickest bass beat comes in, and I’m completely sold on the track. “LOL” is probably one of the most unique and creative songs in terms of theme and sound in the album, and for that, I believe it deserves an applause.
Rating 9.5/10
BlueNose: “Better Babe” is a blues-rock track. It starts out kind of earthy and realistic as you hear the band tuning their instruments and setting up for the performance, and there’s a crowd echoing in the background; “Better Babe” has such an interesting aura about it. The song is about the aftermath of a bad breakup and the sadness one feels. Taeyeon sells this piece like she really went through it. She starts off strong, but as it nears the end, I can hear her voice cracking almost as if she’s holding back tears. I adore how the song utilizes timing if that makes sense. There are certain sections where everything stops, and it’s only the singer singing. Unlike the other tracks on the album—so far—where the instrumental gets louder to catch your attention, “Better Babe” goes full stop and puts all the attention on Taeyeon.
Rating: 9/10
yooamygirls: This song gives me chills from start to finish. I love so many aspects of this track that I don’t even know where to begin. This song manages to be emotional and smooth while also being incredibly powerful at times. The chorus line “better babe” is sung in such a desperate and vulnerable way. Although “Better Babe” isn’t a slow ballad, there’s something about the track that really tugs at my heartstrings.
Rating: 10/10
BlueNose: “Wine” is an R&B ballad with a fine and delicate touch. After six back-to-back zealous tracks, the album is finally slowing down into a more relaxed feeling. A love that never dies, in fact, it only gets better—like fine wine—is exactly what this song is getting at. Taeyeon tells of a love story between two individuals who only adore each other stronger as time moves along. The “vintage love” hook is catchy and quite the earworm, but I think this song’s composition is somewhat dull. A different disposition would’ve really taken it to new heights since I think it did have a lot of potential.
Rating: 7/10
yooamygirls: As the album enters into the second half, there’s definitely a slight change in sound as we progress towards a more emotional and quieter end. The song is an R&B ballad, and the singer’s soulful voice shines here. “Wine” takes the mature type of sound that Taeyeon has done before and amplifies it; this song’s style is new to her discography. The only other similar track I can think of is “Blue“. There isn’t an explosive moment in the song, but the chorus where she sings the word “wine” is a fresh and unique singing style for her, and I was very impressed.
Rating: 9.75/10
BlueNose: “Do You Love Me” is a jazzy ballad with a dream-like floatiness. The track and the singer’s vocal color dance around each other. It’s a very sweet song, and it kind of gives me first love vibes. The lyrics are simple but gets the point across. This is very much a MonoTree (South Korean music production and production company) ballad. They create beautiful instrumentals for ballads, but I would love it if they experimented more with their composition. It almost kills me because I see the potential in MonoTree‘s slow songs (I normally enjoy them due to the instrumentation and lyricism they have at times), but a lot of them are bogged down by dull arrangements. Although I say this, I still like the track.
Rating: 7/10
yooamygirls: “Do You Love Me” is the epitome of a relaxing and jazzy love song. It’s probably the most romantic and sensual track in this whole album and reminds me of a possible OST for a black and white romance film. Taeyeon sings in a very breathy manner in the chorus, but it works perfectly for the atmosphere the song creates. This is the type of track you want to sit down, pour yourself a glass of wine, and sway back and forth with your eyes closed.
Rating: 9/10
BlueNose: “City Love” is an R&B and pretty classically piece. With its bouncy piano and guitar, the song is pretty straightforward in its theme. “City Love” finds its groove and doesn’t budge from it, but that’s not always a bad thing. I find it so catchy and sweet, like an evening walk in a city that shines brightly with someone you love dearly. This is probably one of my favorite songs off of the album. It’s an earworm with the guitar, the light piano, and drums mixing with Taeyeon‘s softer vocal tone. “City Love” is such an easy listen that I could keep looping it for hours, and I wouldn’t get tired of it.
Rating: 7.5/10
yooamygirls: Another track that reminds me of the “My Voice” album. This sounds sort of nostalgic, and I think she pulls it off very well with her falsettos and her pronunciation of words like “kisses” and “I love it.” I think this song shines even more because it comes right after “Do You Love Me?“, and they play off each other very well. While I’m not the biggest fan of the track when played by itself, I love hearing it as I listen to the rest of the album.
Rating: 8.5/10
BlueNose: The next song, “Gravity“, is a soulful ballad. Along with “Here I Am“, I think it’s one of the better ballads on the album. With a gravitational motif, the singer sings about a relationship where her other half is her rock and her foundation. Whoever this person was, they were always there by the singer’s side. Taeyeon‘s strong performance led the track to a new peak. The instrumental and vocals work well together, and neither one overpowered the other. I’ve heard “Gravity” before through her concerts, and the studio version doesn’t disappoint.
Rating: 9.5/10
yooamygirls: Here comes another one of Taeyeon’s legendary power ballads. As someone whose all-time favorite song is “U R“, I knew “Gravity” was already going to be one of my favorites—proved both by her pre-release performances and the teaser. The official version of it fulfilled every bit of my expectations. It’s ethereal and beautiful, relying on the singer’s heavenly vocals and an elegant instrumental. Taeyeon’s high note at the end is the cherry on top. Even if you’re not someone who particularly loves ballads, I would heavily recommend you give this a listen.
Rating: 10/10
BlueNose: “Four Seasons” was initially released with “Blue” earlier in the year, but it still sounds fresh. “Four Seasons” is an alternative pop song with the composition being heavily focused on the acoustic guitar, but that’s not all there is to it. Taeyeon’s rustic vocals and strong piano gives the track a dynamic feel. Even though the song describes a breakup where the couple loved each other throughout all four seasons, the singer is quite chill about breakup—almost not caring. I thought it was interesting of Taeyeon to call this track “Four Seasons“, as for the last few years she’s had a song to represent all four seasons in the year both visually and musically (“Why” – “Summer, Make Me Love You” – “Spring, This Christmas” – “Winter, 11:11” – “Fall“). This is probably one of her best title tracks to me because it just works so well.
Rating: 10/10
yooamygirls: “Four Seasons” and “Blue” were released as digital singles in March, but I’m glad it made it into “Purpose“. I’m not 100% satisfied with the placement of the song in the album. I thought “Gravity” was the perfect ending to the album and “Four Seasons” sort of broke that flow for me. I felt like it was just tacked on at the end as an afterthought. For such a flawless track, it didn’t deserve that kind of haste treatment. For the song itself, it’s a new genre for her, but she pulls it off so well. It’s not fast-paced enough to be a dance track, but it’s still a relatively upbeat R&B pop track which utilizes her lower register very well.
Rating: 10/10
BlueNose: “Blue” is easily one of my favorite Taeyeon ballads of all time, although now it has to share that spot with songs like “Here I Am” and “Gravity“. “Blue” was released earlier this year along with “Four Seasons“, so it’s obviously not new to me. With a simple piano melody and her bewitching vocal layering, “Blue” sells a story of reminiscing about a past love after a breakup. The song reminds me a lot of the ocean for some reason. I feel like I’m being calmly spirited away and called into something I can’t escape from until the song is over. The track is simple with only a piano, Taeyeon‘s vocals to carry the song, and an uncomplicated instrumental. However, the way everything works together seamlessly makes it almost a perfect addition to her discography. Also, the live version sounds even better.
Rating: 9.5/10
yooamygirls: “Blue” begins with a beautiful piano, and the song reminds me of a very cold winter day. However, the singer’s voice is very warm, and it shines the most in the chorus when she sings the word “blue.” It’s a perfect companion to “Four Seasons“. The fact that the track is mostly just a piano, and Taeyeon’s voice makes it that much more perfect.
Rating: 9.75/10
Closing Remarks – BlueNose
Two years after dropping her first full album, Taeyeon releases “Purpose” with a completely different image and concept. “Purpose” is one of her best albums, if not her best. It’s so cohesive while she still manages to play around with genres and mixes and matches them to fit her needs. The album effortlessly mingles rock, soul, jazz, alternative pop, and R&B. I’m especially happy about this body of work because it tells me that Taeyeon is begging to show a bit more of a sound that she enjoys. Her favorite music styles are sprinkled all over this album. Moreover, it’s cool that after years of being a solo artist, she’s allowed her full reigns to experiment and play around with what she loves. I personally think Purpose has a few of her best ballads and between instrumentation, lyricism, and structure, I think they all caught at least 1 of these points—some of them hitting all three in my opinion.
Artistic Creativity: 9.5/10
Vocal Quality: 10/10
Music: 8.75/10
Album: 9.4/10
Closing Remarks – yooamygirls
Over the years, Taeyeon has come to be the artist who consistently releases some of my favorite music each year. Each of her albums is nearly flawless, if not actually perfect. “Purpose“, in particular, is her most cohesive album ever released, and the thing that surprised me the most was how equally I loved the songs. There weren’t any tracks that disappointed me or I ended up skipping. I also got the sense that in this album, she truly got to release songs that she personally loved and adored. Every single track felt like she poured her heart and soul into it. This body of work is such a well-rounded and well-produced album, and I can confidently say that this is one of my favorite albums released this year.
