There is a sense of acceptance that comes with Taeyeon’s sixth EP. 17 years into her career and nine years into her journey as a soloist, the mini album feels like it draws on all the difficult times she has admitted to experiencing in the past—from her struggles with mental health to the burnout she talked about feeling last year. In Letter to Myself, Taeyeon comes out the other side, stronger.
Accompanied by a London-shot music video, the six-track EP reveals different facets of Taeyeon’s musical artistry—and once again solidifies her status as one of K-pop’s most beloved performers. But for now, we’ll let the music speak for itself. Below, all the thoughts I had while listening to Taeyeon’s Letter to Myself.
- ‘Letter to Myself’ feels like a return to a more introspective Taeyeon—one that we haven’t heard as much from since Purpose. As she sings of a journey of self-healing now, addressing a past self who had been struggling, it becomes all the more apparent the growth she has had since then.
- Unlike the power ballads that Taeyeon is so known for, ‘Letter to Myself’ is emotional in a different way. It’s vulnerable but strong, sincere but explosive. As someone who has been open about her struggle with depression and mental health over the years, Taeyeon brings a raw honesty to the song that lends it immeasurable depth—and indeed, much of ‘Letter to Myself’ hinges on Taeyeon’s unparalleled ability to convey a myriad of emotions so deeply through her voice. The track begins light and mellow, but builds in momentum as if gaining the strength to run freely forward. When, at last, she sings, “All the nights I made myself cry / I’ll fill those memories differently / My head, my head, my head / On a night when I hear only myself / I’ll never lose myself again / The voices in my head are clear”, it feels like a battle hard-won.
- Almost instantly, ‘Hot Mess’ stands out for the heaviness it evokes. There is a bite to Taeyeon’s words, each syllable dragged out and brimming with attitude. But the true genius of the song lies in the sense of distortion that is created when this weight is then contrasted—first with her unexpected breathy high notes, then the subtle siren-like instrumentation in the background. The effect is a dizzying soundscape that, indeed, mirrors the confusing, messy world she sings of.
- After the first two tracks, ‘Blue Eyes’ is a little bit of a break—a calmer, more understated R&B number that talks of diving into love without hesitation. Here, the production is stripped back, and Taeyeon’s lilting voice takes centre stage. The result? A sweet, sparkling track that proves softness can also be impactful.
- There is a specific blend of both loneliness and freedom that comes with being a stranger in a new city, and ‘Strangers’ captures that perfectly. What makes this song exceptional is the way Taeyeon plays with the rhythm and flow of her lyrics, weaving her words around the beats—sometimes meeting them, and sometimes meandering around them—in the same way one might move through a crowd of faceless strangers.
- At a certain point towards the end of ‘Blur’, my jaw dropped, and it stayed that way until the track came to a close. This song is a true showcase of Taeyeon’s vocal prowess, from gorgeously smooth runs, to excellent harmonies, to that masterpiece of an ending.
- I’m a huge fan of how Taeyeon uses these bittersweet farewell tracks to close her albums—first with ‘Curtain Call’ in My Voice, then ‘Ending Credits’ in INVU. She has shared how ‘Disaster’ was initially a contender for the title track, but its place now as the song to close out the album indeed feels like a far more fitting one. In ‘Disaster’, the instrumentals go harder, the production is slightly more experimental, and her background vocals absolutely shine. This is, possibly, as close as it gets to a perfect album ending.
Letter to Myself is now available on all streaming platforms.
