Song Review: Max Changmin (TVXQ) – All Of My Life

The guys from TVXQ grace us with their musical presence every now and then, releasing singles and albums tailored toward their comfortable place in K-pop legacy rather than attempting to break through with a new generation. This has resulted in a few great tracks, but more often than not this approach feels like it’s simply treading water when the guys could be pushing themselves into more exciting territory. Max Changmin has already shown his prowess as a powerful, theatrical rock singer, and uses that presence to much more conservative effect on All Of My Life. No other idol I can think of has settled into a more fuddy duddy “dad” image than Changmin. I don’t know what Korea’s version of “middle America” is like, but if it exists I imagine a song like All of My Life targeting it directly. This is a pleasant, upbeat rock track — the kind of thing you could imagine Benson Boone sinking his teeth into. This isn’t a bad direction for Changmin to go, but it’s a very boring one. His vocals — which can sometimes come across as shrill these days — fit the material well, especially during the song’s ascending chorus. Overall, this songwriting is relatively strong and every element works t...