Album Review: Taebin – ‘Taebin of 1TYM’

Album release date: June 2004
Genre: Kpop, R&B
Rating: 4/5                   
Review by: jct


On his debut solo album, Taebin of 1TYM, Taebin demonstrates the full range of his R&B/pop vocals along with some hip hop sounds. His unique and smooth vocals fit really well with R&B music, and fill the album with earnest and heartfelt songs.

Spreading His Wings

During his career as the lead vocalist of Korean group, 1TYM, Taebin demonstrates mainly hip hop/rap vocals, but this album allows him to spread his wings and experiment on R&B/pop music. The title track, "The Reason Why I Close My Eyes" is a mid-tempo song about a broken heart. With his mellow vocals, he sings, “When I close my eyes, my head is full of your images/Miss you always/Can’t you see I’m lost without you.”

Most of the songs in this album are able to tug at your heartstrings, not only due to the great melodies and good lyrics, but also Taebin’s vocals, which stand out the most. The album also has the right number of guest appearances and for the right songs, without overshadowing Taebin’s vocals. Some guest appearances include Se7en, Wheesung, Perry, Teddy, and Kim Ji Eun.  Also, deserving of special mention is the song,“Tabu”, as he sings about wanting a woman who already has a man. The lyrics are very suggestive of some bump and grind, which is rarely found in Kpop music. Although not a huge fan of bedroom music, Taebin deserves some props for experimenting it. The album then ends off nicely with a more R&B/hip hop tone with songs featuring 1TYM. 

The album’s one possible flaw is the lack of diversity. Since the album is filled mainly with broken heart/heart aching-type songs, some of the songs may sound repetitive. However, Taebin still manages to make all the tracks on the album compelling with his unique smooth voice that any flaws can go unnoticed. Overall, Taebin of 1TYM is an outstanding debut album.


Track list:
1. I'll Let You Go
2. 내가 눈을 감는 이유 (The Reason I Close My Eyes)
3. 그때는 사랑을 했었나 (Did We Love Back Then)
4. 괜찮아 (It's Alright)
5. Interlude
6. Don't Stop (Feat. Perry)
7. 충돌 (Feat. 세븐 Se7en) (Collision)
8. Real Luv Story (Feat. Se7en, Wheesung)
9. 사랑할 수 있게…. feat. 김지은 (Kim Ji Eun) (So We Can Love)
10. B'Cuz I Love You
11. 가지마 제발 (Please Don't Go)
12. TaBu (Feat. Teddy)
13. 서로가 서로를 (Feat. 1TYM) (Each Other)
14. One Love (Acoustic Version) (Feat. 1TYM)
15. Without You (Bonus Track) (Feat. 1TYM)