Taeyeon's To. X became a long-lasting hit on Korean charts, proving her continued dominance even sixteen years into her career. To tide fans over between albums, she's dropped digital single Heaven. Its frothy disco pop sound is worlds away from To. X's downbeat confessional.
I'll admit this right away: I'm tired of this chill, vanilla, mid-tempo post-post-disco pop sound. It's one of the reasons I've struggled to get behind Sabrina Carpenter's Espresso with as much vigor as the rest of the world. To me, it simply sounds like a compelling genre with all its interesting parts shaved off -- easy-listening in a (semi) upbeat package. And despite an ingrained love for Taeyeon, I feel mostly the same about Heaven. The song has groove, but it's featherlight and inessential. The sound wafts over the listener rather than reaching down and grabbing us by the collar.
This being Taeyeon, Heaven is still a well-produced, engaging listen. Her vocal tone remains instantly recognizable and that character prevents the track from becoming musical wallpaper. Given a different arrangement, the melodies have potential to bring more grit and excitement. But at every turn, Heaven settles for "nice." And with so many other pleasant pop bops to choose from, there's not much here that has me eager to hit replay.
Hooks | 8 |
Production | 8 |
Longevity | 8 |
Bias | 7 |
RATING | 7.75 |
Grade: C+
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