Taeyong is the George Clinton of K-pop

Lee Taeyong, SHALALA, YouTube

As you’ll surmise after watching the video below, I could’ve said Taeyong was the…Pablo Picasso of K-pop. Or the Marcel Duchamp, or the Rene Magritte or the Jackson Pollack or Salvador Dali — or even the R. Crumb or Hunter S. Thompson of K-pop.

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Some of you see where this is going. The rest of you get to Googling. I don’t have time to provide links to all that outrageous art — I’ve got a novel that has to be finished by October 1st.

I will give you a sample of George Clinton chosen because there’s a line in the chorus that kinda matches a line in the chorus of that song up there. Must also note that while you don’t see it in this video, like Taeyong, George Clinton has had hair all the colors of the rainbow for decades. (More extensive history here: https://youtu.be/WG5k7YM4ehw)

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Anyway, three days ago Taeyong released what I think is the most revolutionary K-pop title song…ever. But then I’m only into K-pop because of one of the most revolutionary K-pop title songs ever: the bombastic, iconoclastic “Sticker.” The NCT 127 joint (he’s a member of that unit and leader of NCT, the larger “supergroup” it represents) that horrified some but galvanized a lot of crazy people like me — and Taeyong.

There is a famous video of him bouncing with glee while listening to a demo of “Sticker” as his bandmates fidget and flinch. No doubt contemplating the possibly career-ending consequences of dropping a song like that upon their unsuspecting stans.

But we’re talking about a man at least partially responsible, I believe, for a song which features the sound of a bed squeaking in the background — use your imagination. And two others with decidedly risqué lyrics about which he has been mischievously vague when asked to explain them.

His first solo mini album, SHALALA, has turned out to be perhaps even more controversial than “Sticker.” Perhaps in part because it was released not long after Perfume, by new NCT subunit Dojaejung which the world adored perhaps precisely because it gave us exactly what we thought it would: silky, seductive soul.

I have been laughing my ass off from the moment Taeyong’s A-side was unleashed. Reviewers and YouTube reactors fell into two distinct categories: those who immediately bounced with it, as the lyrics suggested, and those who clutched their pearls, gasped, and vociferously denounced it.

It’s a manical masterpiece. Period.

If you actually know who George Clinton is — or even who Missy Elliott is, for that matter — you know how to work it. If you’re scared of it — and the fact that it broke the Internet soon after it was released — well…tough shit.

Taeyong is a warrior. Who probably knew this might happen but did it his way, anyway. And that’s the message of that “scary” title song: Do you. Do it to death. Don’t let anyone or anything stop you.

For those of you who like the sound of that, here’s a bunch of places where you can find more Taeyong to play with:

Buy SHALALA on iTunes

You Tube

Instagram — goes live here sometimes

Tiktok

Soundcloud

For those of you still clutching those pearls…well, TY ain’t for everybody.

But we hope you’ll catch up someday.

Meanwhile…let’s bounce:

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