Vocals: 25 / 25
Honestly, with S.M. pulling a (almost) brand new rotation for this second rendition of the group, I’m not surprised the vocals were executed so superbly, but we’ll take a closer look at each version.
The Korean version is the most balanced version. Jonghyun is standard: strong when he needs to be strong (during his solo parts) but also softer at times. Taeyeon is certainly a queen of ballads, and her voice is crisp, beautiful, and clear, but during the chorus, can simmer into the background while Jonghyun’s more powerful voice takes the lead. The multitude of harmony lines take a hit because of this. Nonetheless, she sounds excellent and gets the emotion and sounds across, and so does Jonghyun. The Jonghyun / Taeyeon pair brings the best listen when you’re looking for contrasting distinct voices. They leave little to be desired, while only having some small problems.
The Chinese version graces us with Zhang Liyin, who has been pretty much inactive for all we know for years. She is able to bring power to the table that we don’t quite get from Taeyeon and Krystal, and so for pure sound, Zhang Liyin is easily the best voice. Coupling her with Jongdae provides the Chinese version with the most power and explosiveness during the chorus and bridge. But, Jongdae is not Chinese, and so suffers from some slight enunciation errors. I do believe Jongdae was the right person for the Chinese version, since he shines with an equally powerful female lead, but I’d have been interested in seeing how Zhou Mi would’ve tackled this, given he doesn’t have as strong a voice but a native speaker. The Jongdae / Liyin pair has the most power together. Their strong vocals are unmatched by the other versions,
The Japanese version is a little awkward, since it combines elements of both the Korean and Chinese versions. The overpowering male voice from the Korean version is present with Changmin, and the non-fluent pronunciation from the Chinese version is present with Krystal. Changmin does drown out Krystal, but there are times where it’s less evident. Krystal pulls her weight, reaching the high notes gracefully (with some reach). However, I do think that the Japanese version does the bridgework and harmonizations rather well, possibly the best. The Changmin / Krystal pair is the most “tame”. It’s not the same balance of the Korean version, and nowhere near as powerful as the Chinese, but has its own charms.
Now, I’m going to talk a little about the “problems”. One of the most commonly asked questions when the new roster was revealed was “Where is Jino?” Jino made an excellent showing for himself during “S.M. The Ballad Vol. 1”, earning many fans (like myself). But after that, his absence from EXO raised questions about his status, and even moreso given how he’s not part of that “S.M. Rookies” stuff either. While I wouldn’t have wanted him in place of Jonghyun in the Korean version of “Breath”, it’d be nice to see this kid again.
Next up is Krystal. Now, plenty of people will argue that despite Luna being the main vocalist of f(x), Krystal’s inclusion was because of language ability / a more appropriate voice / presence / whatever. I say forget all of that. If you’re going to play the marketing game and bring Zhang Liyin out for the Chinese version, why wasn’t J-Min utilized for the same reason? J-Min’s career is literally Japan-focused, and she is a fluent speaker, not to mention that she severely outclasses Krystal for vocals in depth, power, and versatility. Krystal already secured a track in her “When I Was… When U Were…” duet with Jongdae. A Changmin / J-Min “Breath” would have been superb, all the while satisfying the marketable tag or whatever shenanigans S.M. wanted..
The last comment I’d like to touch on is a more personal one, but there definitely could have been an English version of “Breath”. Ignoring stuff like having a fourth MV, many people would’ve been delighted to see (hear) an English variant. The voices best for an English adaptation would have to be fluent, and so I’d use Henry and BoA. In contrast to the other versions, the English would have a more dominant female lead thanks to BoA’s layered voice while Henry rings up the higher register
Music Video: 5 / 25
I’m going to refrain from commenting much on the music video, since by definition, was just a trailer of clips for Changmin’s mini-drama or whatever. But, I’m pretty disappointed that for 6 people across 3 versions, only 1 room was used. If you look closely, even the close-up / solo shots are from the same room, too. That’s like a new low for S.M. Oh well. Having solo shots of members during their lines but simultaneously not having them lipsync seems like a questionable decision. Speaking of, I’d also like to mention that all versions had pretty mediocre acting / lipsyncing, although the Korean version had the best. Changmin being in the promo clips and the “regular” video is also rather strange, and Taeyeon is also the only girl wearing black, but at this point I’m just nitpicking. If I appreciated ballads for their music videos, I certainly wouldn’t be going to an S.M. video.
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Overall: 60 / 100
Ballads are not notorious for their music videos, although they certainly could develop one if they chose to. But since the general premise of the “Breath” MV was the promote Changmin’s drama, even less should be considered when you look at the final score. There’s some excellent vocal work in “Breath”, across all versions, if for some minor pronunciation quips and non-optimal member selections. Regardless, “Breath” is a ballad which can be refreshing, powerful, and light, depending on the version.
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