After lighting a “Spark” last year with the release of her Purpose album, Taeyeon returned today (Jan. 15) with a repackaged edition of the album that puts the South Korean star’s vulnerability front and center. It also features a new love letter to herself in the form of “Dear Me."
A powerful pop ballad with dulcet strings driving much of the melody, the song builds with intensity as Taeyeon expressively tells herself that she hopes she can one day say, “I love myself.” A comforting track full of hope and self-awareness, she yearns for the time when she loves and trusts herself, assuring herself that she can do so regardless of past dark times in her life.
"Look at me who endured the long darkness/ I don't hide anymore even if the night comes again/ I'm standing by my side," she declares. "Above the sky that will be bright/ I'll become the light that spreads and fly."
Fittingly, the music video for “Dear Me” focuses entirely on Taeyeon, who spends the length of the clip on her own in a variety of settings and fashion styles, as if emphasizing all the different sides to the star as she sonically has a conversation with herself.
Along with the single, the new reissued version of Purpose features the dramatic stand-out “My Tragedy” and the sweet, soaring “Drawing Our Moments.”
Purpose, Taeyeon's second solo LP, originally peaked at No. 9 on the World Albums chart last November.
Watch the music video for Taeyeon’s “Dear Me” below.