Tiffany is the next member of Girls' Generation to go solo. In an effort to perhaps go down a different route than Taeyeon, this track would seem to be all about dancing. As I raved about Taeyeon's solo debut, I feared that she may have set the bar too high, leaving the other members with unfortunate expectations that might not be met. Still, Tiffany is next best vocalist in SNSD so her solo makes sense from both a logic and music standpoint. And if "I Just Wanna Dance" is indeed about the dancing, then it'd be foolhardy to try and compare the debuts.
This song is smooth. Really smooth. Tiffany has rightful claims to one of the sexiest voices in Kpop and this shows why. She sounds alluring in "I Just Wanna Dance." Perhaps that's the magic in this type of slower dance track, providing multipurpose options in the choreography and singing. More importantly, Tiffany's tendency to reach for notes is not seen or heard (much) here. Often you'll hear her strain for those high notes ("Twinkle," "You Think") and she's yet to be consistent in hitting those well. She has always sounded more stable (and much more attractive) in the lower range and this song is a perfect exemplar of why.
Furthermore, Tiffany's charming voice is joined by a killer instrumental. This combination helps set the stage for the aesthetics of the choreography, ultimately setting up the good pace of the song. Some people are probably irked by a dance track being this slow, but we've seen it done before. BoA's "Kiss My Lips" was exactly this kind of slower tempo dance track that had the triple threat of being catchy, having great choreography, and sensual vocals. Unfortunately for Tiffany though, while her song does prove to be competent in both the vocal and dance departments, there isn't anything particularly memorable about "I Just Wanna Dance." One could argue that the repetitive nature of the chorus factors into that, but on the other hand, a dance song should be noticed for the dance, so let's see how that holds up.
No one ever really thought much of Tiffany as a dancer. Within Girls' Generation she's probably on the weaker half in terms of dancing, and she's certainly not in the dance line (all hail Hyoyeon / Yuri / Yoona). However, this would definitely be her breakout performance, or you could suppose this is (in a way) her audition to try and join said dancing line. The choreography doesn't look difficult, but is deceptively more taxing than you'd think. Some group dances very obviously look tiring (Infinite, GFriend) but others trick you into thinking they're easy, and this is likely the latter.
The key point is of course the part where she sings "I just wanna dance the night away," incorporating a few leg-kicking moves while lying on the ground. To me, this is the least interesting section because it's rather simple compared to rest of the choreography, and frankly I find it a little lame. Most people don't usually lie on the floor when they want to dance. At least that's not what I have in mind. Like the singing of "I Just Wanna Dance," the choreography shares the brilliant pacing from start to finish. Everything just flows together very well. I'd hesitate to label this dance as "sexy," but the moves are confident and alluring on their own. Tiffany deserves all the credit for pulling a dance like this off spectacularly.
Given how "I Just Wanna Dance" is a dance song meant to show off Tiffany in this choreography, there isn't much to critique in the way of the MV. Half of the video is spent showing you what the dance looks like, and the other half is spent showing you what Tiffany looks like (and that being she is gorgeous). Tiffany's eyes are as captivating as ever, and I don't think there was a single look or outfit that I didn't like. I do question the obnoxious color filters used in some of the clips, but that is countered by the general quality of the choreography and backup dancers. Tiffany deserves praise, but her backup dancers' charisma and mannerisms are worth mentioning, too. S.M. groups rarely utilize backup dancers so this was a treat.
Tiffany accomplished a few things with her solo debut. For starters, she still sounds as good as ever, rocking that charming voice from start to finish without straining too much. She dipped her toes into new waters by going down the dance route and put on a surprising performance for all. Everything comes together and establishes her solo debut as a success. Now that Taeyeon has singing covered and Tiffany has dancing done, who and what is next for a Girls' Generation solo debut? A Hyoyeon mixtape? But actually, let's not go there yet.
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