Taeyeon Ushers in Spring with “Four Seasons”
On March 22, Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon released “사계 (Four Seasons),” a fresh pop song for a lover to whom she dedicated all four seasons. The power vocalist has topped several charts since its release, and continues to chart highly as the song’s liberating, emotional release coincides with the beginning of spring.
Like Taeyeon’s previous springtime releases, the music video is filled with natural imagery, especially considering that the song references the changing seasons. We see her natural beauty shine alongside natural elements like sunlight, ice, and flower petals. While the lyrics tackle more serious questions like “Did I even really love you?,” the upbeat tempo pushes the melody along so as to keep it from becoming too melodramatic. With spring comes spring cleaning, and “Four Seasons” evokes the fresh sentiments that come after a storm—like the fresh start that comes after what seems like a dead-end relationship.
The single also features the enchanting ballad “Blue.” Everyone is already aware how talented of a singer Taeyeon is, but her ability to bring tears to your eyes with her voice is evident with this B-side. Although blue is stereotypically a sad color, she switches it up; she calls the person she references her blue, and says that the person resembles the word “love.” In this case, it’s a bittersweet metaphor. She can’t reach this person, but the person still brings warm memories to her heart. Some speculate that it’s a reference to SHINee’s Jonghyun, who was one of her best friends. He previously stated in interviews that his favorite color was blue. With that in mind, “Blue” brings a heavier, but more tender, meaning to listeners’ ears.
It’s hard to argue whether or not Taeyeon has ever released a bad song. With age, her music has become more refined and radiates the beauty she brings to her personal experiences. She’s officially brought the elegant beauty of spring.