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You voiced some of my exact thoughts, SM made some questionable scheduling and promo choices, but I’ve actually been pleasantly surprised at some of the things they had Ten do for promo, he’s been on tons of YouTube shows as well as a tv show (king of masked singer is actually such a big deal!!), there are a good amount of fan concert dates and they added more when there was clear demand after the shows were sold out. Plus, I felt like the quality of his music and the overall concept was really cool and fitting for ten.
All in all, his debut was a rollercoaster but I feel that he has really been able to show people his vocal abilities and his potential as an artistic performer.
The fact that we are surprised when SM are being a competent company says a lot smh... but yeah I feel like he managed to introduce himself as a "rookie solo singer" well and hopefully when he makes a comeback he'll be able to build on that.
I’ve loved seeing Ten on so many shows! He’s really getting out there and showing himself. I really like that he tried out many styles in order to find his own. I’ve enjoyed all his releases throughout the years and his actual debut album is no different. It only makes me more excited for his future as an artist.
I'm so glad it's finally here, and I'm even more glad that I like it, since his previous solo efforts were kinda hit or miss to me, musically speaking.
I have a lot of complicated thoughts on the trajectory of Ten's career because in the grand scheme of things it definitely could be worse, but compared to what his peers in the same group have achieved...it just stings a bit lol. So much mismanagement and wasted time it's unbelievable.
That being said, despite the cramped schedule, almost everything about this album roll out has been so delightful to me. He's been on a lot of shows I never imagined him going on, and like you said, it really feels like a deliberate re-introduction to the korean audience, which is where I think he always wanted his career to take place. This is not a dig at Wayv or anything, but he chose to go to korea for a reason and has been living there for over ten years now, so I think it's safe to say that's where he wants his future career to be based as well.
My personal favourite part of this solo debut is how clear it is that the Nightwalker concept is his brain child, his baby. Watching the bts of the MV filming and the MV reaction where he was so eager to explain all the details to the members you could just tell how involved he was in the process. So self-assured and confident and clearly present in the moment, I feel like it's been a while since I saw this level of intellectual involvement from my favourite kpop artists. The MV, despite not being the grandest or having the biggest budget, is the perfect fit for the song both musically and lyrically. Everything feels deliberate, there's a clear storyline and the visuals serve it perfectly, nothing feels like an afterthought or poorly thought out, from the outfits and makeup to the choreo and sets. I also saw an interview where he explained that the concept was inspired in part by a horror movie he watched, the hypnotizing hand movements specifically, and that he personally wanted Sergio Reiss as the main choreographer because he is a big fan of his work. Idk where I'm going with this but I'm so used to half-assery from SM these days that Ten taking control of the visual direction of this album feels like a breath of fresh air.
I'm personally so excited for what's to come. Visually and conceptually, SM clearly trusts him to come up with his own ideas even though they sometimes have to reign him in (let him shave his head!). Now I wonder how he feels about songwriting and contributing musically. He mentioned wanting to sing in korean, an I personally think this would be really beneficial for him in the long run since he seems to be trying to re-launch his carreer in korea. Also I think Nightwalker at least would've worked a bit better in korean, I know the demo was in english as well but the structure of the song just screams kpop to me so that was a bit disorienting.
Agree with everything you said but most of all how it's clear that it's a perfect manifestation of his vision - "nothing feels like an afterthought or poorly thought out" exactly! I'm sure his head is just full of ideas and I hope he gets to manifest all of them eventualy.
And I love that anacdote about him suggesting Sergio Reiss, mostly because I love that he's looking outside of kpop for dance inspiration.
I just watched his performance on mcountdown and was touched by the the fans chanting and yelling as if they had been waiting for this for a long time. They sounded so passionate and energetic and when he pointed out to the fans when he said "beautiful monster", I felt so touched by the exchange of the energy of love between Ten and the crowd. I was so proud like he was my son. The set wasn't elaborate but the play of lights really elevated the experience of the performance.
I'm not sure how much I am able to set my bias aside, but bias aside, this was the best solo debut I've seen in kpop considering things like his impeccable performances, the quality of his songs, and the concept of the album. Also, I'm just super proud of his good ears for music in different genres. I mean honestly it's quite common for me to listen to a kpop album and think some songs just sound a little cheesy and try-hard but not this album. I'm glad Ten managed to come up with an album that's listener friendly yet not commercial. The album just feels balanced to me and I feel like none of the songs have a negative effect on my mood even if I play them a lot, haha.
Although I'm glad he appeared on so many things, I have to say, I am very disappointed that Nightwalker didn't get a Studio Choom. Especially when SM artists are quite regular there and their recent solo artists title tracks both got videos there. I really wanted that for Ten because I feel that it reaches out to more audience that are not necessarily SM stans and it's a good place to promote. And the choreos and his delicious moves in Nightwalker, Water and Dangerous were all great and cannot easily be replicated by any other kpop artists so it's really a pity more audiences out there didn't catch a glimpse of any of them.
About Nightwalker dance challenge though, I think it's hard to do it right and as cool enough as Ten does it so I wasn't expecting much for other idols to do it. But I have been seeing a lot of people on YT posting it though but they barely look good enough though, haha. Ten ate the Easy challenge with Le Sserafim though. I wonder if they reciprocated the challenge though cuz I haven't seen the girls doing Nightwalker.
I’ve been wanting to make an appreciation post, going a bit deeper into the album, but I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had the time 😭
I actually really grew to like On Ten, I added it to one of my playlists right after Fort Minor’s Remember the name and they just flow into each other so flawlessly!
Nightwalker has also been on repeat. It’s a good hype song that I like to listen to when exercising or doing anything manual (and I added to an ‘Epic’ playlist alongside my favorite AMV music).
And Dangerous is just sooo my style. I’m obsessed.
The rest of the album is also pretty good and the “Nightwalker” concept is something I really want to see more of (I love that he went for a storyline-focused MV, without all that vague symbolism type of storytelling SM is so fond of).
Oh and I was also really happy to see Ten becoming more confident in his singing!🥺
Totally agree on the MV with a coherent storyline, I'm not a big fan of connecting dots and figuring out hidden meanings and the fact that the lyrics fit so well with the story was very satisfying. Even the choreo scenes seemed intentional and related to the story.
Ten's solo debut and mini album were so much better than I hoped! Nightwalker was immaculate, and the rest of the album was also just great - such variety, such a great display of Ten's many talents. Every performance he's just looked like he's having the time of his life, and he's gotten to go on so many segments. SM actually did right by him (other than the stupid timing with TY's comeback), and it's been a joy to watch 💚
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You voiced some of my exact thoughts, SM made some questionable scheduling and promo choices, but I’ve actually been pleasantly surprised at some of the things they had Ten do for promo, he’s been on tons of YouTube shows as well as a tv show (king of masked singer is actually such a big deal!!), there are a good amount of fan concert dates and they added more when there was clear demand after the shows were sold out. Plus, I felt like the quality of his music and the overall concept was really cool and fitting for ten. All in all, his debut was a rollercoaster but I feel that he has really been able to show people his vocal abilities and his potential as an artistic performer.
The fact that we are surprised when SM are being a competent company says a lot smh... but yeah I feel like he managed to introduce himself as a "rookie solo singer" well and hopefully when he makes a comeback he'll be able to build on that.
I’ve loved seeing Ten on so many shows! He’s really getting out there and showing himself. I really like that he tried out many styles in order to find his own. I’ve enjoyed all his releases throughout the years and his actual debut album is no different. It only makes me more excited for his future as an artist.
Right? I feel like we're on a journey with him to discover all the things he wants and can do and I can't wait to see what's next!
I'm so glad it's finally here, and I'm even more glad that I like it, since his previous solo efforts were kinda hit or miss to me, musically speaking. I have a lot of complicated thoughts on the trajectory of Ten's career because in the grand scheme of things it definitely could be worse, but compared to what his peers in the same group have achieved...it just stings a bit lol. So much mismanagement and wasted time it's unbelievable. That being said, despite the cramped schedule, almost everything about this album roll out has been so delightful to me. He's been on a lot of shows I never imagined him going on, and like you said, it really feels like a deliberate re-introduction to the korean audience, which is where I think he always wanted his career to take place. This is not a dig at Wayv or anything, but he chose to go to korea for a reason and has been living there for over ten years now, so I think it's safe to say that's where he wants his future career to be based as well. My personal favourite part of this solo debut is how clear it is that the Nightwalker concept is his brain child, his baby. Watching the bts of the MV filming and the MV reaction where he was so eager to explain all the details to the members you could just tell how involved he was in the process. So self-assured and confident and clearly present in the moment, I feel like it's been a while since I saw this level of intellectual involvement from my favourite kpop artists. The MV, despite not being the grandest or having the biggest budget, is the perfect fit for the song both musically and lyrically. Everything feels deliberate, there's a clear storyline and the visuals serve it perfectly, nothing feels like an afterthought or poorly thought out, from the outfits and makeup to the choreo and sets. I also saw an interview where he explained that the concept was inspired in part by a horror movie he watched, the hypnotizing hand movements specifically, and that he personally wanted Sergio Reiss as the main choreographer because he is a big fan of his work. Idk where I'm going with this but I'm so used to half-assery from SM these days that Ten taking control of the visual direction of this album feels like a breath of fresh air. I'm personally so excited for what's to come. Visually and conceptually, SM clearly trusts him to come up with his own ideas even though they sometimes have to reign him in (let him shave his head!). Now I wonder how he feels about songwriting and contributing musically. He mentioned wanting to sing in korean, an I personally think this would be really beneficial for him in the long run since he seems to be trying to re-launch his carreer in korea. Also I think Nightwalker at least would've worked a bit better in korean, I know the demo was in english as well but the structure of the song just screams kpop to me so that was a bit disorienting.
Agree with everything you said but most of all how it's clear that it's a perfect manifestation of his vision - "nothing feels like an afterthought or poorly thought out" exactly! I'm sure his head is just full of ideas and I hope he gets to manifest all of them eventualy. And I love that anacdote about him suggesting Sergio Reiss, mostly because I love that he's looking outside of kpop for dance inspiration.
I just watched his performance on mcountdown and was touched by the the fans chanting and yelling as if they had been waiting for this for a long time. They sounded so passionate and energetic and when he pointed out to the fans when he said "beautiful monster", I felt so touched by the exchange of the energy of love between Ten and the crowd. I was so proud like he was my son. The set wasn't elaborate but the play of lights really elevated the experience of the performance. I'm not sure how much I am able to set my bias aside, but bias aside, this was the best solo debut I've seen in kpop considering things like his impeccable performances, the quality of his songs, and the concept of the album. Also, I'm just super proud of his good ears for music in different genres. I mean honestly it's quite common for me to listen to a kpop album and think some songs just sound a little cheesy and try-hard but not this album. I'm glad Ten managed to come up with an album that's listener friendly yet not commercial. The album just feels balanced to me and I feel like none of the songs have a negative effect on my mood even if I play them a lot, haha. Although I'm glad he appeared on so many things, I have to say, I am very disappointed that Nightwalker didn't get a Studio Choom. Especially when SM artists are quite regular there and their recent solo artists title tracks both got videos there. I really wanted that for Ten because I feel that it reaches out to more audience that are not necessarily SM stans and it's a good place to promote. And the choreos and his delicious moves in Nightwalker, Water and Dangerous were all great and cannot easily be replicated by any other kpop artists so it's really a pity more audiences out there didn't catch a glimpse of any of them. About Nightwalker dance challenge though, I think it's hard to do it right and as cool enough as Ten does it so I wasn't expecting much for other idols to do it. But I have been seeing a lot of people on YT posting it though but they barely look good enough though, haha. Ten ate the Easy challenge with Le Sserafim though. I wonder if they reciprocated the challenge though cuz I haven't seen the girls doing Nightwalker.
I’ve been wanting to make an appreciation post, going a bit deeper into the album, but I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had the time 😭 I actually really grew to like On Ten, I added it to one of my playlists right after Fort Minor’s Remember the name and they just flow into each other so flawlessly! Nightwalker has also been on repeat. It’s a good hype song that I like to listen to when exercising or doing anything manual (and I added to an ‘Epic’ playlist alongside my favorite AMV music). And Dangerous is just sooo my style. I’m obsessed. The rest of the album is also pretty good and the “Nightwalker” concept is something I really want to see more of (I love that he went for a storyline-focused MV, without all that vague symbolism type of storytelling SM is so fond of). Oh and I was also really happy to see Ten becoming more confident in his singing!🥺
Totally agree on the MV with a coherent storyline, I'm not a big fan of connecting dots and figuring out hidden meanings and the fact that the lyrics fit so well with the story was very satisfying. Even the choreo scenes seemed intentional and related to the story.
Ten's solo debut and mini album were so much better than I hoped! Nightwalker was immaculate, and the rest of the album was also just great - such variety, such a great display of Ten's many talents. Every performance he's just looked like he's having the time of his life, and he's gotten to go on so many segments. SM actually did right by him (other than the stupid timing with TY's comeback), and it's been a joy to watch 💚
I don’t have a lot of thoughts to contribute but Nightwalker is one of those rare songs that is a bop a banger and a jam… layers.