INVU (album)

On January 11, 2022, SM Entertainment announced that Taeyeon would pre-release a digital single titled "Can't Control Myself" on January 17 prior to the release of her third studio album in February 2022.[1] On January 26, the name of the third studio album was announced as INVU and would be released on February 14 and consists of thirteen tracks, with pre-orders starting on the same day.[2] Three days later, the promotional schedule was released.[3] On February 3, the mood sampler video was released with "INVU" announced as the lead single.[4] On February 4, it was announced that an exhibition titled "INVU: The Exhibit" would be held in Seoul from February 7–14 to commemorate the release of the album where attendees "can appreciate the concept of the album".[5] On the same day, SM announced that the highlight video teaser scheduled for release from February 4–10 has been cancelled due to production issues.[6] On February 8, the track listing was released.[7] On February 13, the music video teaser for "INVU" was released.[8]

INVU consists of thirteen tracks and incorporates various genres of ballad, dance, and pop.[9] The lead single "INVU" was described as a house and pop dance song that has "soft and dreamy synth sound", "impressive flute melody in the chorus", "vocals that deeply express the various emotions contained in the song", and "splendid high notes [that] emphasize the lyrics [of the song]".[10] The second track "Some Nights" was described as a R&B ballad song with "dreamy vocals harmonized by gentle guitar and piano performances", including samples of the Edvard Grieg's arrangement "Solveig's Song (Solvejgs sang)" from Peer Gynt, Op. 23.[11][12] The third track "Can't Control Myself" was described as a rock, garage rock, and pop punk ballad love song that "stimulates emotions with intense sound" with lyrics about "the dangerous love that has lost control" and "[the person] still longs for the other person's heart despite the intuition that they will be hurt".[13][14] The fourth track "Set Myself On Fire" was described as a pop song characterized by "vintage guitar performance that stimulates emotions" with lyrics about "the denial of reality after seeing couples saying farewell to each other" from Taeyeon's POV.[15]

The fifth track "Toddler" was described as a pop dance song with "exciting bass performance that flow in harmony with the disco rhythm".[16] The sixth track "Siren" was described as a medium-tempo pop ballad song with "attractive sense of speed for the chorus an dreamy synth sound" with lyrics about "luring the person in love to the ruin" and based on the "motif of Siren in Greek and Roman mythology".[15] The seventh track "Cold As Hell" was described as an up-tempo pop song with "a bright and cheerful rhythm" and "catchy chorus that is repeated like a spell" with lyrics about "the heartbreaking and regretful loss of a person, who gave up everything for love". The eighth track "Timeless" was described as a "nostalgia" synth-pop dance song with "retro vibe and rhythm".[17]

The ninth track "Heart" was described a pop ballad song that "starts with a minimalist focus on the guitar before progressing to an intense distortion bass and piano".[16] The tenth track "No Love Again" was described as a "up-tempo" pop song with an "upbeat guitar performance and drum sound that provides a danceable atmosphere" with lyrics about "containing the feelings of not wanting to fall in love anymore due to ending up getting hurt anytime despite the anticipation of starting a relationship".[11] The eleventh track "You Better Not" was described as a song that changes between "the eerie feeling of organ, violin, and vocal harmony" and the "strong 808 bass break" with lyrics containing a "message [about] a person who remains a desolate space as [they] cannot accept the parting".[17] The twelfth track "Weekend" was described as a disco and city pop song characterized by guitar and retro synth sounds with lyrics about "wanting to freely go on a trip during the weekend".[18] The last track "Ending Credits" was described as a medium-tempo pop song that "heightens emotions with deep sense of impact" characterized by "powerful drum sound", "multiple layers of synthesizer", and "[Taeyeon's] emotional vocals".[16]

INVU debuted at number two on South Korea's Gaon Album Chart in the chart issue dated February 13–19, 2022;[19] on the monthly chart, the album debuted number four in the chart issue for February 2022 with 129,783 copies sold.[20] On the Billboard Japan Hot Albums, the album debuted at number 47 in the chart issue dated February 16, 2022,[21] ascending to number 21 in the chart issue dated March 16, 2022.[22] The album also debuted at number 38 on Japan's Oricon Albums Chart in the chart issue dated March 7, 2022,[23] ascending to number 18 in the chart issue dated March 21, 2022.[24] In United Kingdom, the album debuted at position 70 on the OCC's UK Digital Albums in the chart issue dated February 18–24, 2022.[25] In United States, the album debuted at position 20 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums in the chart issue dated February 26, 2022.[26]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
IZM	[27]
NME	[28]

Time chose INVU as one of "The Best K-pop Albums of 2022 So Far", with contributor Kat Moon acclaiming that "Taeyeon takes the listener on an intimate journey through the complex emotions of being in love with INVU".[29]

Rain Tears from Korean online magazine Idology found INVU as "an exemplary case of a full album that draws a long narrative, and it will become a milestone in Taeyeon's discography". While critics Squib spoke of it as "the merits of her first album My Voice, which transmits her voice through prisms of various genres, and her second album Purpose, which meticulously depicts the devastating monodrama throughout the album". Meanwhile, critics Mano praised her impressive vocal and described the album as "tenacity, even hysterical, or highly sensitive (all in a good sense)"[30]

Jung Soo-min of IZM called INVU "a rich and elegant moonlight" in which "contains emotional changes and personal maturity under an organic and dense design from the beginning to the end".[27] While Tanu I. Raj of NME complimented Taeyeon's approach to the topic "love" and her experience of love, "with a consuming self-awareness about her goals, ambitions and shortcomings" in which "to every emotion related, she imparts a mysticism that immediately arrests". He concluded that the album is "the story on this particular one might have been heartbreaking and soul-crushing, but there certainly will be another chapter – hopefully, a brighter, more loving one. Till then, we'll all nurse our bitter hearts and envy the ones who have it all".[28]

In the 2022 year-end listicles, INVU was named as the one of the best K-pop Album of the Year by IZM,[31] and Nylon.[32] Time named INVU as one of the five best Korean Albums of the Year.[33] NME named it as the seventh best Asian Albums of the Year.[34]

Prior to the album's release, on February 14, 2022, Taeyeon held a live event called "Taeyeon INVU Countdown Live" on YouTube to introduce the album and communicate with her fans.[35]

Credits adapted from album's liner notes.[42]

Studio

• SM Big Shot Studio – recording (track 1), mixing (track 8, 10)
• MonoTree Studio – recording (track 2, 12)
• SM LVYIN Studio – recording (track 3, 4, 9, 13), digital editing (track 3, 9–10, 12), engineered for mix (track 3, 13), mixing (track 9, 13)
• Doobdoob Studio – recording, digital editing (track 5)
• SM Starlight Studio – recording (track 6, 10–11), digital editing (track 1, 2, 6, 8, 11, 13), engineered for mix (track 1)
• SM SSAM Studio – recording (track 7), digital editing (track 4, 7, 12), engineered for mix (track 4–6, 10, 12)
• SM Yellow Tail Studio – recording (track 8, 11–12), digital editing (track 12), engineered for mix (track 2)
• SM Blue Cup Studio – mixing (track 1, 4, 6, 12)
• SM Blue Ocean Studio – mixing (track 2, 3, 7)
• SM Concert Hall Studio – mixing (track 5, 11)
• SM 821 Sound Mastering - mastering (track 1-13)

Personnel