Changmin is a “Devil” in Latest Comeback
TVXQ’s Max Changmin has made his long-awaited comeback as a soloist with his second mini-album Devil and the title track of the same name. His new solo work was teased with his performance of “Fever” at the SMTOWN: SMCU Express at Kwangya online concert this past New Year’s and got fans excited for the album drop. Devil is a strong mini-album from Changmin with six songs total, including the title. Let’s dive into this great album.
TRACKLIST
Devil*
Maniac
Fever*
Alien
Dirty Dancing*
Airplane Mode
*Author Favorites
The Title Track: “Devil”
“Devil” is the title track of this mini-album—a song described to have a slow, R&B tempo backed by drums and a heavily vocalled chorus. The song is actually a remake of Swedish artist and producer Alex Runo’s song of the same name. Changmin took part in the writing process for his rendition of the song by writing the Korean lyrics for it. Changmin also said the COVID-19 pandemic inspired him when writing lyrics, stating that the pandemic has brought stress and uncertainty, and wanted to express a “devil” lives inside us. Knowing the versatility of Changmin’s musical abilities, “Devil” showcases his strengths in the R&B genre with dark melodies.
The music video also suits the darkness in the melodies and themes of the song, first showing Changmin dressed in all black in the middle of a forest, followed by scenes dressed in all white in thick fog. Even the choreography throughout the video showcases the emotions that Changmin wanted to express in this song.
I knew I wasn’t going to be disappointed with this title track. Changmin has, once again, proved that he is still going strong after almost two decades in this industry.
The B-Sides
The B-sides of this album are absolutely excellent.
Following “Devil,” we have “Maniac,” a much more upbeat track that is much different from “Devil.” “Maniac” gives off a rock-meets-musical theatre vibe with a funky piano beat that backs the track. It’s a fun song that absolutely should be blasted in the car on your next road trip.
“Fever” is the third track, and this one is probably my absolute favorite. Changmin first performed this song at the SMTOWN: SMCU Express at Kwangya online concert, and after watching that performance, I immediately was hooked on the song. Written and produced by SM Entertainment’s chief songwriter Yoo Youngjin, the song starts out with a super funky piano line and follows shortly with a bass drop and hard beat from the percussion. The vocals in this song are what really won me over, though. The range that Changmin has is unmatched, and I feel this song shows that the best.
The second half of the album is a different vibe, with less aggressive beat drops and lighter instrumentation. “Alien” is the other track Changmin helped write. This song shows more versatility in the album, taking on a lighter feel with the beat and vocals throughout the song. It’s a much more relaxing track compared to the first half of the album, while the end of the song takes a slight turn to add some harder beats to complete it.
“Dirty Dancing” gives us a Latin feel with the instrumentation. Changmin is not too shy to give us a sexy concept, and he does exactly that with this track. This is my other favorite on the album due to its musicality. While it’s one of the shorter songs on the album, it’s still a top contender to be a fan-favorite.
The album concludes with the laid-back and slower “Airplane Mode.” This is the calmest song on the album and brings the album to a very nice finish. There’s a dreamy feeling while listening to the song. The lyrics are about disconnecting from the world to enjoy being with the person/people you love. It’s a great song to conclude the album with.
All in all, I think this album is a solid one coming from Changmin. Whether he’s performing as TVXQ or as a soloist, we can always count on him to absolutely dominate his stages.