Writer: Vedansh Varshney (Delhi, India)

Editor: Prachi Vaid (Delhi, India)

A renowned name in the K-pop industry, especially applauded for his graceful and captivating choreography and his artistic self-expression through his songs, Taemin has never failed to amaze us with his versatility and authenticity. Nine years into his solo career, he’s been giving us exquisite hits one after another with every comeback, which keeps on strengthening his position as an acclaimed soloist. Amongst these hits was one particular song that struck a chord with me and profoundly impacted me with its ingenious concept and flawless execution.

THE MAKING OF “CRIMINAL”

“Criminal” was released as the title track of Taemin’s third studio album “Never Gonna Dance Again: Act 1” in 2020. Co-produced by 13 (Score & Megatone) and Shae Jacobs, the song belongs to a popular EDM (Electronic Dance Music) subgenre known as “Synthwave.” A retro-inspired genre meant to evoke 80s nostalgia, Synthwave typically uses synth sounds paired with drum beats and bass lines.

Criminal opens with the synth introduction, perfectly paired with the repeating phrase “La La La…”, which I feel is a great way for listeners to get acclimated to the synth sound. As we move on to the verse, the instrumentals get a bit toned down, creating a minimalistic vibe while shifting the attention to Taemin’s melodic singing. However, they regain their strength in the chorus, giving way to a more energetic, upbeat, and fast-paced feeling, which evokes the sensation of a racing heart. The instrumentals also perform a commendable job of creating a dark and mysterious atmosphere, which perfectly complements the concept of Criminal— Stockholm Syndrome.

Stockholm Syndrome is defined as a psychological response where the victim (or a hostage) develops an emotional bond or positive feelings (like trust, affection, empathy, etc.) towards their captor or abuser. In his interview with Forbes, Taemin mentions that “Criminal” is a continuation of his song “2 Kids,” which revolves around the themes of young love and heartbreak, and eventually descends into darker themes expressed in “Criminal.” It’s brilliant how he’s able to connect his songs while building upon a story with artistic and meaningful self-expression.

It’s also interesting to note that the music genre of “Synthwave” is associated with the nostalgia of the movies and games of the 80s era. For the concept of “Criminal,” this can be compared to the idea of a person “reminiscing about memories or emotions” from their previous relationship (even if it was toxic or abusive). Hence, the use of synthwave instrumentals further puts a strong emphasis on the observed theme of an unhealthy obsession caused by “love and pain,” according to my personal interpretation.

PERFORMANCE AND EXPRESSION

Taemin is an illustrious performer. His choreographies have helped him create a distinguished identity for himself over the years and establish a signature style of dancing. The main attractive point of his choreographies is his slow yet swift movements, which reflect his grace and great attention to detail. He is often deemed one of the artists whose choreographies are quite difficult to cover because of the subtle intricacies involved.

“Criminal,” without a doubt, makes it to my list of favourite K-pop choreographies considering the creativity involved and its truthfulness to its concept. Some of the choreography sections felt really impressive to me; for example, performing the first 50 seconds of the choreo with their hands tied, his intense energy during the last chorus, and the beautiful formations involving the dancers. Apart from being a masterpiece music-wise, “Criminal” was also the song for which Taemin won the MAMA Award for “Favourite Dance Performance – Male Solo” in 2020.

THE HIDDEN DUALITY

“So elegant, a criminal who hurts me.
It’s okay, you soothe me just to torture me again.
Ooh, I’m on a leash called you.
It’s painful as much as I can’t breathe but also magnificent.
So elegant, a criminal who destroys me.”

The song provides an idea of a person who finds himself entrapped in an endless vicious cycle. Despite being aware of the fact that a certain thing (or person) is harmful, he finds a sense of pleasure and comfort in the same and keeps returning to it. The lyrics highlight a sense of an adrenaline rush obtained from constantly obsessing over something (or someone). As I mentioned earlier, the nature of the instrumentals in the chorus almost replicates the sensation of a racing heart, often felt in situations of heightened excitement and anticipation. In my personal opinion, this can represent the rush Taemin gets by constantly engaging in this cycle of toxic obsession expressed through the lyrics.

The song also involves an interesting wordplay that blows my mind. Right before the last chorus we have this line:

더 망쳐줘 (deo mangchyeojwo) – Destroy (me) More

Interestingly, this sounds very similar to:

도망쳐줘 (domangchyeojweo) – Run away (from me)

I’m absolutely impressed by this particular line, and its ability to capture the duality of his emotions felt in the situation. On one hand, Taemin wants the person (whom he calls the criminal) to run away from him, aware of the negative implications, but on the other hand, he’s unable to escape this toxic cycle and wants to be consumed by it more and more until it completely destroys him. And immediately after this, we enter into the last chorus with a sudden burst of energy and intense vocals, which sound full of agony and frustration, as if he were expressing helplessness and not being in control of himself anymore.

TAEMIN’S ARTISTIC VISION

The music video for “Criminal” is brilliant and holds so much symbolism. Right from the beginning, we get flashes of scenes with Taemin being handcuffed and arrested by the police, which is then followed by him having his hands tied with a piece of cloth. Both the “handcuffs” and “cloth” serve as a great metaphor for the concept of Stockholm Syndrome as they represent the duality involved: a handcuffed criminal and a tied-up victim. This really makes us think that maybe the supposed “criminal” Taemin refers to throughout the entire song could very well be his own “shadow self” (i.e., the side of our personality we tend to suppress or don’t want people to know about).

In his interview with Teen Vogue, Taemin explains that his album “Never Gonna Dance Again: Act 1” was all about being rebellious and finding a new ego (or personal identity). That could be the reason we observe many themes of “death and rebirth” throughout the MV: crows, skeletons, crucifixion, etc.

I would personally recommend people listen to “Criminal” and the entire album since it’s a reflection of Taemin’s immense efforts and hard work that went into the creative process to portray his individuality and uniqueness as an artist. “Never Gonna Dance Again: Act 1” marks an important point in Taemin’s music career. I really love it when artists themselves are deeply involved with their own work, using it as a medium for creative self-expression and releasing music that resonates with them and aligns with their visions. Freedom of self-expression forms the foundation of any artistic process, and Taemin has yet again proved himself as a successful artist.

Which is your favorite song by Taemin, and what makes it special to you? Let us know in the comments!