Over a decade since being discovered in Los Angeles in 2004, Tiffany presented the world with her first solo album on Wednesday. I Just Wanna Dance is the Girls’ Generation member’s synth pop declaration of independence after nine years as a member of one of South Korea’s top girl groups.
I Just Wanna Dance gives Tiffany, born Stephanie Young Hwang, an audible canvas to paint a new image for herself. As the second of the eight Girls’ Generation members to release an album, following in the footsteps of Taeyeon who released I last year, Tiffany draws on her American roots for inspiration and the result is a modern take on some of the best retro music trends of the past three decades.
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Born in 1989, Tiffany goes back to the decade of her birth in the hazy title track “I Just Wanna Dance.” Electronica serves as the backdrop to her sensual crooning while Tiffany takes the song from sleepy to soaring through a variety of belts and high notes that take her straight into the realm of whistle register. The low-key banger provides a backdrop to the aerobics-inspired choreography featured in the song’s music video, knee pads and all.
Filmed in LA and featuring Tiffany ruminating on her desire to dance all night, the music video for “I Just Wanna Dance” was viewed more than 2 million times within 24 hours of its publication on YouTube.
While the EP has only six songs and has a sense of nostalgia throughout, I Just Wanna Dance draws on a variety of genres and showcases Tiffany’s range as an artist. The ‘90s R&B styling of “Yellowlight” and the whimsy on “Once In A Lifetime” are countered by the low key trap elements of “TALK,” which was written by Girls Aloud’s Nicola Roberts, while “Fool” wouldn’t be out of place on many of Girls’ Generation’s latest albums. Most prominent on the album is “What Do I Do,” the ‘00s-inspired dance track written by Tiffany herself, under the name Stephanie Young. The Korean lyrics were written by Girls’ Generation’s Sooyoung while the English version, available as a bonus track through iTunes and Spotify, is all Tiff.
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Upon its release, I Just Wanna Dance went to the top of the U.S iTunes K-pop album chart and, despite a sound that is considered atypical for mainstream Korean pop, the title track fared well on South Korean music charts. Tiffany’s company, SM Entertainment, announced that “I Just Wanna Dance” ranked number one on six of Korea’s biggest music sites.
Tiffany’s debut album is available in the U.S on iTunes and Spotify. Fans lucky enough to be in in California this July will be able to see Tiffany perform as part of Girls’ Generation’s subgroup TTS alongside Taeyeon and Seohyun at KCON Los Angeles.