[TAEMIN] ELLE KOREA D Edition September 2024
Note: Physical magazine interview questions are a little different from the ones posted on the digital page.
The physical magazine interview will be the first half and the digital magazine interview will be at the second half.
- 240820/240822
- might not be 100% accurate
- do not remove without credit
Q. We met you on your birthday on the 18th of July and 2 weeks have passed this fast.
T. It was even more meaningful to be meeting TASAKI on my birthday. I could feel the beauty that a pearl holds throughout the shoot.
Q. How would you have spent your birthday if there wasn't a shoot? Even though you went straight to dance practice on the shooting day
T. I will probably do a commemoration birthday live with my fans like I always do yearly. Though I didn't have the time to do so on that day as I ended my practice a little over midnight, I will usually spend time with my family or my friends after I am done with the live.
Q. Upon the completion of KCON LA, you have your new mini album <ETERNAL> released on the 19th of August, your solo world tour, and up till your survival program MC challenge! Are you spending your time busily on purpose?
T. No, I'm a person who wants to go about my daily life being relaxed and slowly getting ready (laughs). I debuted at a young age, and it's also because I have come this far not being able to decide for myself, without resting. However, right now, I just have many things I need to do (laughs).
Q. How was KCON LA?
T. America holds the biggest music market, doesn't it? I garner a sense of anticipation and greed every time I go. I usually don't go and search for each and every reaction to my stages but for the stage this time, as it was also trending on SNS, I felt a sense of pride. I think that I will need to personally go and meet the fans who have supported me for so long. It's actually really not something easy for one to buy a plane ticket and fly over to another country to see the artist you like.
Q. You had your <NEVER-NEVER> fan meeting in mid-July too. You did 4 shows altogether including the additionally added show.
T. This is just my own thoughts but I feel like I am especially close with my fans. I was really young when I made my debut so it was hard for me to say anything but at some point, the seal seemed to have just come off.
Q. I felt the bond at ‘SHINee WORLD VI’ concert. There are not that many KPOP concerts where fans would voluntarily get up to enjoy the performances.
T. Really? Wow, I see.
Q. Other than getting more comfortable, is there anything especially different as time passes? There was a stock of Pansy, which is also the title of your fan song, appearing in your 5th mini album's trailer and that really touched your fans.
T. As much as Pansy is the birth flower of the very same date as SHINee's debut date, its flower language means 'the moment of debut' which holds the meaning of revealing oneself to the outside world for the very first time. I wanted to convey the meaning along with the birth flower that no matter where I belong, I will be working with the identity called Taemin and it would be nice if there would be no prejudice present at my start.
Q. This very moment of you releasing your first album after leaving the company that you have been with for such a long time gave such a good meaning to it. What gave you the strength to decide to have a new start?
T. If it wasn’t for the fact that I debuted when I was young, I probably wouldn’t have taken this risk. It’s just like a child wanting to take a step out into the world and wanting to be independent from their parents. At the beginning of my debut, I could just do what my company made but as my years of debut increased, the point of time to have a self-branding approach. In the future, I want to increase my degree of involvement and weight as I become the center point. Even though I am still receiving help from lots of people.
Q. Isn’t Taemin an artist who got to do his self-branding well ever since his early stages?
T. I wonder if I picked a tiring path (laughs).
Q. Are you constantly working on your songs?
T. Of course. It's my dream to be composing and writing the lyrics to all of the songs in the album. Even though I can do it while working with lots of composers, rather than doing it skillfully, I want to make music that can bring my inner self to life. Even though it can’t be helped that it will be standardized into the genre called KPOP, I want to go beyond that and I want people to it as a song that is really like the type of music Taemin does when they hear it.
Q. When we heard ‘2 Kids’ which was released in 2020, we were able to see the realistic ‘Youth’ in Taemin for the very first time. You personally participated in the lyrics writing too.
T. It's a story about a young couple that met each other when they were clumsy when it came to love. Even though it's a song found by the company, because the melody is so good, I wrote the lyrics to it and pre-released it as my 2nd regular album's prologue.
Q. The title of the album <Never Gonna Dance Again> that the song was included in also felt like a declaration.
T. At that point in time, it was the period of time when I had something like burnout as I was preparing for my album and was also doing SuperM activities. I asked myself if I should really stop here, that period of time was when I said things like that with a half-joking heart. I didn’t want to let go of the dream that I had held on preciously since I was young so I barely held it on.
Q. On a web variety program, it expressed 'Guilty' as a 'cliché-like song of Taemin's'. Is that different from the 'Taemin-like song' that you are aiming at right now?
T. Expression and movement are sensible. Despite this, I guess the word 'cliché' was used to express it because it has a boy-like element in it. I think of the performance that derived from my representative song 'Move' being the one that takes up the biggest part of my musical identity.
Q. We are curious about the reason why you were able to go forward with a sensual song called 'Move' 7 years ago. Even in SHINee, the Taemin in it wasn't a member that had such tension.
T. I think it was the time when I wanted to be stubborn. At that time, another song was supposed to be the title song but I felt 'Move' was the right answer so I pushed it through with confidence. Luckily, I was able to get a good result from it. I think that the reason why I am able to overcome my fear and be able to judge for myself and take up challenges is because of the confidence I got from that experience.
Q. You are someone who likes to ponder over challenges and doing things for the first time
T. It's really hard to find something new. However, this occupation is one that needs to do that. Just by looking at the requests of my fans for me to do the challenges that are trending, it seems that they always want to see new sides of me. The point that I can be differentiated from other artists is already the reason why they like me.
Q. Despite being in your 17th year since debut, do you know that you have lots of new fans coming in?
T. If that’s true, it will be something I am very thankful for! I want to make it impossible for them to get out (laughs). Thinking that there aren’t a lot of teams that can promote for so long regardless if it’s as SHINee or as a solo artist, I want to be the real memories of others. The song released this time may be a memory to people 10 years later too.
Q. It seems like 'SHINee is Back's impact is not enough (Laughs) By the way, we were shocked when SHINee did trap genre with 'Hard' and 'Juice' last year. We thought, they really had cool and new things that they still have not shown us.
t. Although we can't rap like real rappers, I think we were able to express it handsomely by catching the trap genre's vibe and the core point. SHINee's weapon is being a team that can pull off various colors. We would try out new genres and concepts continuously, and we also have the training to fit them. However, there aren't any more new things now (laughs)
Q. Is there a concept that is hard for even Taemin to pull off?
T. Of course. For example, 'View'. From what others said, it created the difference between us and other teams but as myself who was burning with passion at that time, I wonder if it was right for us to relax like that.
Q. Your mini 5th album title <ETERNAL> means 'Eternal'. On the other hand, you are starting your world tour titled <Ephemeral Gaze> at the end of August. They both have a totally opposite meaning and that’s interesting.
T. You will remember the name, won't you. I chose the word 'Eternal' for the album name with the desire to leave a record like a proper noun despite the change in generation. I have lived a life where there's no guaranteed anonymity ever since a long time ago and I have thought a lot in regards to this. I know it's a thankful life but I wonder what will be a difference if I am not exposed to the public's view, when I think of the unnecessary misunderstandings that inevitably accompany me, I think about 'Gaze' itself. However, that gaze itself will be very different depending on each person and the one who recognizes the eyes that people have on will be me. If I don't recognize it, it will eventually be nothing. That's why, I decided on the tour title to show it on stage.
Q. Your resolution for your first solo world tour that starts at the end of August is...
T. They say that SHINee is 2nd generation idol, right. However, as much as we are actively promoting right now, I want to be a symbolic existence and not be forgotten. Substitute someone, the industry likes to use the word 'Substitute'. I know that people can express it that way and it's not something said wrongly but because it made it sound like (we are) products, I don't like it. BTS and Seventeen are already in their 10th year too. They would say that it's meaningful for us to promote for a long time. Being greedy, I want to continue to open up that possibility. Just like how I hope for god to keep doing concerts at the Jamsil Stadium and for Girls’ Generation to be healthy.
Q. You are going to meet your juniors as a solo MC with that sense of responsibility soon. What made you accept the position of MC for the boy group contest <Road to Kingdom 2> that will be aired in September.
T: I am grateful that there are lots of juniors who chose me as their role model. I thought that if I were to be the MC of this program, it would be a representative memory when I look back next time. I would be able to proudly say ‘At that time, there were many who respected me, and thanks to that I was able to be the MC.’ I have also gotten advice from Taeyeon noona who had MC experience on <Queendom: Puzzle>…
Q. Oh! We are curious what kind of advice did you get from her (laughs).
T. Noona said, "Oh, it's tough but once you do it, it will be nice". It will be hard hmm you can just do it and add an 'It will be nice' at the back, the recording is really... long. I couldn't think straight (laughs)!
Q. From 2007 till now, what’s the thing you have achieved as Taemin that you can talk about proudly?
T. The path itself that I walked together with my members. I have really done so much that I wouldn’t have the confidence to do it over again if I were to ask to do it all over again right from the start. When we were standing at the crossroads of disbanding in 2018, we did so well for running this far and not giving up. Also, the fact that there are lots of people who are together to support us, having the bond to look after us, is something grateful to be able to spend our life this way.
Q. When looking at those times, what’s the one scene that you can remember fondly of?
T. There was once when all of us sang the song ‘Y.O.U’ that was released in 2009 on a radio show, I can remember that moment up till now. I actually imagined how we would be, how each and every one of our members would be in the future while I dwelled upon the lyrics. Lots of the future that I imagined at that time has become a past before I knew it.
link: https://www.elle.co.kr/article/1869277?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=article
might not be 100% accurate
do not remove without credit
Q. We met you on your birthday on the 18th of July and time has passed this fast.
T. It was even more meaningful to be meeting TASAKI on my birthday. I was able to feel the beauty that a pearl holds throughout the shoot.
Q. How would you have spent your birthday if there wasn't a shoot? Even though you went straight to dance practice on the shooting day
T. I will probably do a commemoration birthday live with my fans like I always do yearly. Though I didn't have the time to do so on that day as I ended my practice a little over midnight, I will usually spend time with my family or my friends after I am done with the live
Q. New mini album <ETERNAL> released on the 19th of August, your solo world tour, and up till your survival program MC challenge! Are you spending your time busily on purpose?
T. No, I'm a person who wants to go about my daily life being relaxed and slowly getting ready (laughs). I debuted at a young age, and it's also because I have come this far not being able to make any decision myself, without resting. However, right now, I just have lots of things that I need to do (laughs).
Q. How was KCON LA you went to at the end of July? You were the main person at the 'Dream Stage' where you did a stage with the fans.
T. America holds the biggest music market, doesn't it? I garner a sense of anticipation and greed every time I go. I usually don't go and search for each and every reaction to my stages but for the stage this time, as it was also trending on SNS, I felt a sense of pride. I think that I will need to personally go and meet the fans that have supported me for so long. It's actually really not something easy for one to buy a plane ticket and fly over to another country to see the artist you like.
Q. You had your <NEVER-NEVER> fan meeting mid July too. You did 4 shows altogether including the additionally added show.
T. This is just my personal thoughts but I feel like I am especially close with my fans. I was really young when I made my debut so it was hard for me to say anything but at some point, the seal seemed to have just came off.
Q. Other than getting more comfortable, is there anything especially different as time passes? There was a stock of Pansy, which is also the title of your fan song, appearing in your 5th mini album's trailer and that really touched your fans.
T. As much as Pansy is the birth flower of the very same date as SHINee's debut date, its flower language means 'the moment of debut' which holds the meaning of revealing oneself to the outside world for the very first time. I wanted to convey the meaning along with the birth flower that no matter where I belong, I will be working with the identity called Taemin and it would be nice if there would be no prejudice present at my start.
Q. Despite being in your 17th year since debut, do you know that you have lots of new fans coming in?
T. If that’s true, it will be something I am very thankful for! I want to make it impossible for them to get out (laughs). Thinking that there aren’t a lot of teams that can promote for so long regardless if it’s as SHINee or as a solo artist, I want to be the real memories of others. The song released this time may be a memory to people 10 years later too.
Q. Your mini 5th album title <ETERNAL> means 'Eternal'. On the other hand, you are starting your world tour titled <Ephemeral Gaze> at the end of August. They both have a totally opposite meaning and that's interesting.
T. You will remember the name, won't you. I chose the word 'Eternal' for the album name with the desire to leave a record like a proper noun despite the change in generation. I have lived a life where there's no guaranteed anonymity ever since a long time ago and I have thought a lot in regards to this. I know it's a thankful life but I wonder what will be a difference if I am not exposed to the public's view, when I think of the unnecessary misunderstandings that inevitably accompany me, I think about 'Gaze' itself. However, that gaze itself will be very different depending on each person and the one who recognizes the eyes that people have on will be me. If I don't recognize it, it will eventually be nothing. That's why, I decided on the tour title to show it on stage.
Q. Your resolution for your first solo world tour that starts at the end of August is...
T. They say that SHINee is 2nd generation idol, right. However, as much as we are actively promoting right now, I want to be a symbolic existence and not be forgotten. Substitute someone, the industry likes to use the word 'Substitute'. I know that people can express it that way and it's not something said wrongly but because it made it sound like (we are) products, I don't like it. I want to continue to open up myself and my possibilities through an even wider market and stages abroad.
https://instagram.com/reel/C-4yniJpHlN/
https://instagram.com/reel/C-4yeKWpS1X/
https://instagram.com/p/C-3vF92hZM7/
https://instagram.com/p/C-4yx10pWor/
Youtube 14 Questions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFlR-jkAUTw