Girls’ Generation leader returns with 1st full-length record in nearly 5 years
Taeyeon of veteran girl group Girls’ Generation will release her fourth studio album, “Unspecial,” on Nov. 30, her first full-length record in nearly five years, SM Entertainment said Monday.
The album contains 12 tracks, including a title song of the same name and pre-orders opened the same day.
The agency said the album captures “the depth of emotion Taeyeon carries at this point in her career,” delivered through more delicate vocal expression. Taeyeon teased the release with a short video posted on her social media at midnight on Monday, in which props such as thread, needles and fallen leaves come together to spell out the album’s title.
“Unspecial” is the singer’s first studio album since “INVU,” released in February 2022, which topped iTunes album charts in 21 regions shortly after its release. In between, she put out two EPs, “To. X” in 2023 and “Letter to Myself” in 2024.
The new album also arrives about a year after “Panorama: The Best of Taeyeon,” her first compilation album, released last December to mark the 10th anniversary of her solo debut. It featured 24 tracks, including the new song “Panorama.”
In January, Taeyeon renewed her contract with SM Entertainment, extending a partnership now in its 19th year.
Taeyeon debuted in 2007 as the leader and main vocalist of K-pop girl group Girls’ Generation, which scored hits such as “Into the New World” (2007), “Gee” (2009), “Genie” (2009), “The Boys” (2011) and “Mr. Mr.” (2014). The group will mark its 20th anniversary next year.
She became the first member of the group to go solo with the EP “I” in October 2015. Since then, she has built a reputation as one of K-pop’s leading vocalists with songs including “11:11” (2016), “Fine” (2017) and “Four Seasons” (2019).
Last year, she held her Asia tour, “The Tense,” which kicked off in March at KSPO Dome in Songpa District, Seoul.
