Music Saved 2020: The 29 Best Songs Of The Year The 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2020: Critics' Picks Year-end lists "Criminal" on year-end lists According to Marga Buenaventura of CNN Philippines Life, the song "reinforces the idea that among male idols today, Taemin is indeed an ace among aces". Writing for IZE, Kim Yun-ha praised the explosive energy of the song, highlighting the intensity of the final chorus. She ranked "Criminal" first in her list of the best K-pop songs of the year. BuzzFeed reporter Emlyn Travis stated, "No one in K-pop is doing it like Taemin". Crystal Bell of Paper praised Taemin's versatility and artistry, calling him "a master of movement and sensuality". Taylor Glasby of Dazed described it as an "opulent piece of sonic cinema". "Criminal" received positive reviews from critics, with many labelling it one of the best K-pop songs of the year. They interpreted it as Taemin embracing the darkness of his alter ego, akin to Dr. Billboard viewed the song as a continuation of themes previously explored in " Move" (2017) and "Want" (2019). The lyrics depict being trapped in a toxic relationship in which Taemin is a victim and yet also complicit. The song "pulsates with an intoxicating, borderline hypnotic groove", before building to "an explosive moment of catharsis" in the final chorus. It features narration from news broadcasts in the bridge, an idea that was introduced by Taemin.
Taemin described the song as having "a dark, internal feeling". "Criminal" is a synthwave song with "newtro" (new retro) sounds and a Stockholm syndrome theme. Two remixes of the song by DJ Minit and Sumin were released on September 29 as part of SM's iScreaM project. It was released in the same timeframe as the SuperM album Super One, causing Taemin to split his time between the two projects. On August 28, 2020, SM Entertainment announced that Taemin would be releasing the first part of his third studio album, Never Gonna Dance Again: Act 1, on September 7, alongside the lead single "Criminal".
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