How K-Pop Sensation Taemin is Revolutionising the Korean Music Scene
K-Pop star Lee-Taemin, more commonly known by his mononym 'Taemin', is known for his dynamic presence in the industry. Born in 1993 in the bustling South Korean capital Seoul, Taemin's rise to fame came at a fairly young age. He debuted at age 14 as part of the K-Pop group Shinee in May 2008 under the epochal Korean company SM Entertainment. The group produced a range of smash hits including 'Replay' (2008), 'Ring Ding Dong' (2009) and 'Lucifer' (2010), and earned themselves the title of the 'princes of K-Pop'.
Taemin is the youngest member of Shinee but his skills as a performer shined alongside his members' from the very beginning. Since his debut he has been the main dancer and of the main vocalists in Shinee, and his light yet powerful voice became one of familiarity very quickly. However, he gained a lot of his initial popularity from his "pretty boy" idol looks which made him the perfect visual centerpiece for the group. Although Taemin's dance skills were appreciated during the first few years of Shinee's musical reign, it wasn't until he debuted as a solo artist that he finally revealed the extent of his dancing abilities.
The Solo Debut
Taemin kickstarted his solo career in 2014 with the release of his first extended play 'Ace'. This peaked at number one on South Korea's Gaon Album Chart with its lead single 'Danger' reaching an impressive number 5 on the Gaon Weekly Digital Chart. By 2016 and the release of his first studio album 'Press It' which debuted at number one on the charts again, Taemin had begun to make a name for himself in the competitive K-Pop scene. His music was bold and remarkably sensual with tracks like 'Sexuality' and 'Drip Drop' causing a stir amongst fans. It worked well with his more mature image and presented his audience with a hedonistic display of his coming of age.
The release of his second studio album 'Move' in 2017 did slightly worse than its predecessors, peaking at number two on the Gaon Album Chart. Despite this, Taemin's popularity as an artist boomed when he released the music video for the album's title track 'Move'. Three separate videos were created for the track, showcasing Taemin's performance skills and a duet rendition with his choreographer Koharu Sugawara alongside the main MV.
The choreography for 'Move' is an exemplary display of the idol's dancing prowess. Taemin's moves are fluid and purposeful, doing the perfect job of telling the story to all — even those who do not understand the language. The lyrics aren't vulgar and the music is not filled with half-naked ladies, yet its message rings loud and clear. A comment from a fan under the duet video brings this into perspective: 'This is the proof that you don't have to undress people to make it sexy'.
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Taemin took a more mellow and artistic approach to his next self-titled album 'Taemin', released in 2018. This was his first Japanese studio album that showcased not only his musical skills but his language skills as well. The track list is peppered with haunting ballads like 'Under My Skin' and 'Sayonara Hitori/Solitary Goodbye' as well as lively, foot-tapping songs like 'Into the Rhythm' and 'Better Man'.
In 2019, the idol released his second Korean EP 'Want' which managed to peak at number 5 on Heatseekers Albums — a profound achievement for the 27 year old. Pumped full of sultry vocals and inviting messages, 'Want' proves that subtlety can work just as well as crude expressionism.
His latest album 'Never Gonna Dance Again' which comes in two acts was released in 2020, following in the sexy and refined footsteps of 'Want'. The album is full of fiery tracks such as 'Criminal': ooh I'm on a leash called you / it's painful as much as I can't breathe but also magnificent (English translation), and 'Famous': on the white sheet / let's make the finest rose blossom tonight'. Alongside these tracks are gems like '2 Kids' and 'Think of You' which sing of heartbreak and misunderstanding, shaping the album into a well-rounded piece of art.
SuperM
In 2019, SM Entertainment created SuperM — a 'supergroup' made up of 6 members from three of SM Entertainment's best groups. The members are Ten from NCT, Baekhyun from EXO, Lucas from NCT, Taeyong from NCT, Kai from EXO, Mark from NCT and Taemin from Shinee. As a project with Capitol Records, SuperM's aim is to target the American market — something that groups like BTS and Blackpink have begun venturing into already. The group features some of K-Pop's strongest dancers, vocalists and rappers, providing it with so much brilliant talent to successfully get a foothold in the US music scene.
Taemin is one of the main dancers in the group alongside Ten and EXO's main dancer Kai, whom he has been friends with since they were trainees. The group's debut song 'Jopping' has garnered an impressive 92 million views since its release, and the group have performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Ellen Show.
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Taemin's Golden Reputation
Ever since his debut in Shinee, Taemin has had a reputation of being one of the finest in the industry. His dance skills, vocals, attractive androgynous looks and performance techniques make him stand out amongst other professionals and has led him to be fondly known as the 'idol's idol'.
He is the recipient of the 2020 Best Solo Artist Award, the 2020 Best K-Pop Solo Artist Award and the 2017 Best Male Solo Award as recognised by the Arena Awards, Asian Culture Awards and Soompi Awards.
Alongside his official awards is the support of his fans and his peers. In 2020, Taemin was ranked as the third best dancer in the industry by other idols. His viewers also speak highly of him, even creating videos in order to determine just how skilled of a performer he really is.
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A Revolutionary Artist
There are a number of elements that make Taemin one of Korea's most revolutionary modern artists but the main one is that he has successfully created his own distinct brand and sound that is recognised across the industry. His romantic and desire-laden music has wooed listeners since his first album and has crowned him as 'The King of Sensuality'. Taemin is known for his 'sultry dance-pop hits, hypnotizing choreography and an artistic persona', something he has worked hard to achieve but seems to display so effortlessly.
He has also made history by being the first artist to debut in three generations of K-Pop. Taemin debuted first with Shinee then briefly as a unit known as YOUNIQUE, followed by his solo debut and the debut of SuperM. As a young artist, debuting in three generations is quite an achievement and indicates that Taemin's talents transcend eras and are loved by multiple audiences.
Over the length of his career, he has also become a valuable member of SM Entertainment. SM Entertainment is now one of the three biggest entertainment companies in South Korea and full of talent in all ages and styles. Taemin is now one of the leading talents in the company which is an achievement that many artists dream of.
Taemin's resilience, kindness and drive despite the grueling nature of the K-Pop scene can also be seen as admirable. Fans have said that although he appears confident and dominating on stage, he is shy, kind and polite once he comes off stage. Always known as one to thank his fans for their support and to promote love and kindness in all situations (including his own acceptance of his androgynous aesthetic), he promotes good values that make great artists stand out. It is not all about the money or even the music; being a good person and an inspiration to others is just as important.
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