Soloists
Taeyeon
Kim Taeyeon was the first member to make her solo debut, and she did so with massive success. As of now, Taeyeon's discography is comprised of 1 full album, 2 mini-albums, a digital single, an SM Station single and several OSTs.
1. Rain
Rain is often used in music and art to reflect sadness. That is true for this ballad, in which Taeyeon feels the 'rain' even indoors as she sadly longs for a past relationship. It has a jazz and r&b composition and maintains a light-hearted, sweet melody, despite the heart-rending lyrics. The music video is as mellow as the song: Taeyeon sits in a room full of mementos as the "sadness" floods in.
Taking a complete 180 from 'Rain', 'Why' is a tropical house track about freeing yourself from burdens and worries. It has r&b, EDM, and acoustic guitar rifts all wrapped in the audio. In the sunny, bright music video, Taeyeon is depicted enjoying California in all its glory; all the while showing off her voice register.
Basically everytime Taeyeon releases something, it features a different sound or a different combination of genres. 'I Got Love' is nothing like the tropical EDM of 'Why', the stagnant acoustic of '11.11' or even the mellow r&b of 'Rain'. This track, which was a pre-release of her full album, is urban-r&b with a suspenseful production. Taeyeon and SM Entertainment didn't play it safe with this sound. Though, they did step out of bounds; the song is interesting but has some undesirable elements.
The second member of SNSD to go solo, Tiffany established her individual music career with 1 mini-album and an SM Station single. True to her Californian roots, Tiffany's music is influenced by American pop music.
This track is like a refurbished 90s electronica song: it's retro and modern at the same time. The sound can be compared to that of American singer Carly Rae Jepsen, while Tiffany's vocals are somewhat like Ariana Grande's. The tempo is rather lukewarm; not fast enough to be considered a dance track.
Tiffany is sick of being alone, so she checks out of 'Heartbreak Hotel'. The storyline is one heard all too often: a girl falls hopelessly in love with a bad boy who breaks her heart. In the rap by Simon Dominic, we get the guy's point of view: he thinks their relationship is a burden. His part not only adds dimension to the song lyrically but also soundwise: the rough, rugged rap that adds contrasts with Tiffany's smooth vocals.
Other Songs:
2. What Do I Do
3. Talk
Hyoyeon
Hyoyeon made her solo debut through SM Station. She currently has only one song, but she has been a featured artist on one of Taeyeon's b side tracks and has participated in a couple collaborations.
Hyoyeon wants to hypnotize you with her dancing, and rightly so since she's considered one of the best female dancers in K-pop. 'Mystery' has an exotic tune, almost like the music that is played to charm snakes. Personally, I'm not a fan of the repetitive, word chopping chorus, but I can appreciate Hyoyeon's solo effort!
Seohyun
The group's maknae, Seohyun, has a solo discography that consists of 1 mini album and a few OSTs. Several of the tracks on Seohyun's debut album were penned by the songstress herself.
As the youngest Girl's Generation member, Seohyun was always viewed as an innocent young girl. With 'Don't Say No', she painted a more mature image of herself but kept the femininity. Also, there is a rather dark theme in the music video. Seohyun seemingly poisons her ex, perhaps because he said "no" to getting back together and found a new girlfriend? Despite the random plot and visuals of the mv, 'Don't Say No" is a rather cohesive dance-pop track with r&b elements and a resonating piano backdrop.
Other Songs:
3. Magic
Subunits
TaeTiSeo (TTS)
In 2012 SM Entertainment gave fans a very glittery surprise: an SNSD subgroup! The music video portrays Seohyun, Tiffany, and Taeyeon as red-carpet starlets and the song is just as flashy. It is a very bubblegum pop interpretation of funk from the 1970s and 80s.
TTS continue their sparkly, glamorous concept with 'Holler'. This song has a funky rhythm as well and shows the power of the girls' voices even more so than their previous release. The lyrics are about making a connection with a boy through eye-contact and wanting to break the ice.
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