Move (Taemin song)
Taemin's gender-blurring single that sparked "Move disease".
"Move" is a song by South Korean singer Taemin, released as the lead single from his 2017 album of the same name. The bass-driven pop R&B track gained attention for its blurring of gender boundaries and its viral choreography, which inspired widespread covers. It has been credited with popularizing genderless performance styles among male K-pop idols.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Taemin
- Album
- Move
- Released
- October 16, 2017
- Studio
- Doobdoob (Seoul); SM Blue Ocean (Seoul)
- Genre
- Pop; R&B
- Language
- Korean
- Lyricist
- Seo Ji-eum
- Composer
- Curtis A. Richardson
- Adien Lewis
- Angélique Cinélu
Facts from the source article.
Background and release
SM Entertainment announced Taemin's second Korean-language studio album Move on September 28, 2017, with the single of the same name. It followed a year and a half after his previous release, Press It. Taemin first performed the song at his concert Off-Sick on October 15, 2017, before releasing it with the album the next day. He chose "Move" over the album track "Love" as the lead single, feeling the latter would not allow him to show his identity. Taemin stated he could have taken a safer route but wanted to expand K-pop's musical spectrum and stand out. He promoted the song with a performance at Seoul Fashion Week, which W named the standout moment of the season; an online video of it went viral, leading to covers and the term "Move disease". Further promotions included appearances on M Countdown, Music Bank, and Inkigayo.
Reception
"Move" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Tamar Herman of Billboard called it a groovy, bass-driven song with a seamless blending of sounds, noting Taemin's passionate pop-R&B style. Billboard later ranked it among the 100 greatest K-pop songs of the 2010s, praising its unnerving seductiveness. Taylor Glasby of Dazed observed that Taemin's usual sensual vocals and dramatic flair were scaled back, but found the icy beats and physical prowess captivating. The song drew comparisons to Michael Jackson, George Michael, Depeche Mode, and The Weeknd. It debuted and peaked at number 12 on the Gaon Digital Chart, staying for four weeks, and reached number 4 on Billboard World Digital Song Sales and number 26 on the K-pop Hot 100. By November 2017, it had sold 194,526 digital copies in South Korea.
Music video
The music video for "Move" was directed by High Quality Fish and premiered on YouTube on October 16, 2017. Three versions were released, each showing the choreography from different angles: a solo performance, an ensemble performance, and a duo performance with Taemin's long-time collaborator Koharu Sugawara. Shot in the rain, the video depicts Taemin and his dancers on empty streets under dim lighting, incorporating CCTV footage, blurry VHS frames, and camera angles that film like a secret onlooker. Masked scenes, partly inspired by Sia, repudiate the appearance-driven nature of the K-pop industry. Dazed stated that the song and video complete each other as a twin performance. The choreography, created by Sugawara, is purposely smooth and mixes masculine and feminine movements, performed with an exclusively female team of dancers. It shies away from dramatic movements, incorporating soft, balletic lines. Taemin explained he wanted to break labels of what male and female performers are supposed to show, treating dance as a form of art. The effect is enhanced by genderless costuming. Rolling Stone described the video as iconic for its alternative representation of sexuality.
More in Songs & Singles
Elsewhere in NewJeans
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced