Yes. I saw someone mentioning about Taemin that so much talent is engraved on him and it show itself. That someone was watching Taemin's performance for the first time. :)
I loooove watching people discover Taemin, there's no one else like him!! Taemin is my all time favourite solo artist, he's on a different level imo ❤ also he's the cutest human being you'll ever see, the duality of him to then perform like he does is insane 😆 Taemin is a legend in the industry, as part of Shinee and as a solo artist. Especially as a dancer (although seriously he's an ace). I really hope you check out some dance practices/live performances!! His ability and style is 🔥you'll be blown away 😚(advice, IDEA, criminal) For more I recommend IDEA, Strings, 2 Kids, Famous. For some vocal appreciation he has a Killing Voice, Lee Mujin. Also there's a pixid video with him and rookie idols which is super cute and funny. Sorry for the info dump, super excited to see more videos from you !!!❤
You are finally reacting to the best soloist of all time according to music critics. The most cited Idol idol in the industry by other idols as a source of inspiration and role model. best dancer and performer in the entire industry. taemin has deep and well-crafted concepts. Taemin relies a lot on religious symbolism (good and evil), etc. Each of her MVs lends itself to detailed analysis because Taemin is inspired by books he has read, such as philosophy among others. Absolutely no one can compare to him. I subscribe for more reactions from Taemin. I recommend STUDIO CHOOM FOR DANCE PERFOMANCE ADVICE AND GUILTY
Taemin is like the harry potter of kpop. The entire music industry knows about him as soon as they mention his name. He is the blueprint of all male soloists. Jimin from BTS has him as a role model... his impact is due to his artistic quality incomparable to any other. They don't call Taemin the KING OF KPOP for no reason. So I recommend IDEA, PRESS YOUR NUMBER, SAYONARA HITORI and if you want to see dance performance I suggest you watch STUDIO CHOOM he has two: advice and Guilty
All of Taemin's MVs are stunningly beautiful and everything within them have meaning. Debuting in 2008 at the age of 14, you will discover that his discography is vast between his SHINee activities and solo work (he became a soloist in 2014). Both SHINee and all the brothers love exploring or creating new genres of music. They always bring us something new with every comeback, and they never miss. As one of the first experimental groups of Kpop, you come to expect their genius with mixing genres together and producing magic. This latest comeback from Taemin didn't disappoint. Between "Guilty", "The Rizzness", and his December, 2023 "Meta-Morph" concert (which you can see on YT) he knocked it out of the park like the legend he is. Along with Taemin's insane talent as a singer/dancer/performer, his creative involvement (sometimes as co-director/co-producer as with his 2020 "Never Gonna Dance Again", 2-pt. album) with all his projects and attention to the most minute details are what makes him an artist rather than an idol as it is with all of his fellow SHINee brothers. This is primarily why Taemin is given the best of the best in producers, directors and backup dancers. EVERYTHING, even the choreo, in Taemin's MVs conveys a much deeper meaning than what is conveyed in a surface reading of the lyrics. These are key things to remember when analyzing one of Taemin's works: 1) The simplest explanation is NOT the true interpretation (opposite from the philosophical argument of Occam's razor). 2) Taemin is deep into philosophy and regularly explores various world philosophies. 3) Many of Taemin's lyrics are directed inward to his psyche and history, spanning across a storyline using different philosophies as his concepts for each song. 4) He incorporates those philosophies along with religious symbolism, metaphors, and allusions to illustrate their conflict with his Christian faith (Taemin is Catholic). 5) Even his choreos reflect his commitment to his faith and give hints to look for a Christian worldview in his MVs, such as when he does his iconic "T-Pose", a symbol of the Crucifixion, or when he will incorporate a quick sing of the Cross within his choreo. The MV/song you reacted to for "Want" is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. The entire MV is saturated with Christian symbols and metaphors from beginning to the very end and the lyrics are the same. The song is a retelling of Genesis 3 of the Bible. I won't go into it here because it would be too long, especially since I want to explain the meaning of "Guilty" in a second post.
Every comment said everything already!, I'm just going to add that his lives performances solo and with SHINee are legendary, his voice is SO good live plus his awesome dance. This man is a complete artist and performer. I assure you that you won't regret diving more into his work.
TAEMIN IS THE POWERHOUSE FOR MALE SOLOISTS IN KPOP. THE KING & ACE OF KPOP. He is built differently. He does not make commercial music and is quite experimental with his sound and very meticulous with his concepts and the creation of his MVS, that is why he is unique among the rest. i suggest IDEA
Welcome to SHINee world, in the words of our Maknea overlord Taemin, there's no exit. Taemin's entire discography is flawless. a truly no skip discography. that includes Korean songs and Japanese songs, title tracks and b-sides.
welcome in my TAEMIN's univers !!! he is the BEST singer an dancer in the kpop indusrty. he did have some diffuculty as singer at first bu his members helped him to be a great vocalist
Yoo I'm so happy you react to Taemin's musics and enjoying it, he's my all time favorite soloist because he just got everything and all his songs are just banger after banger after banger
Taemin has been in the industry for more than 15 years as part of the legendary 5-member Kpop group SHINee and he has been a solo artist since 2014. "Rizzness" is a B-side track and "Guilty" is his title track on his 4th mini Korean solo album. I think "Guilty" is a continuation of the themes surrounding Taemin's previous releases. Particularly connected to his Never Gonna Dance Again trilogy of albums -- "2 Kids", "Criminal" and "Idea" -- and Advice album themes. As Taemin has explained, "Guilty" is about a lover who DOESN'T feel guilty about all the bad things they have done in the relationship and they feel no shame or remorse for the pain and suffering they may have caused the other person. Which, if you connect it to the messages from his previous MVs, this easily could be interpreted as a metaphor for everything Taemin has gone through in his career and life. As an idol, he has been manipulated and controlled his whole life. Debuting at 14 years old, Taemin has lived his entire life in the public eye under a microscope, he is expected to be flawless and perfect, and people are constantly telling him what to do and how he should act, etc. However, now that he has turned 30, I think he is embracing a new chapter in his life where he is saying he is no longer going to allow people to manipulate him and he is officially taking back control. In other words, he's not going to feel guilty any more for being himself and doing what makes him happy. The story in the "Guilty" MV also makes more sense if you pair it with the 2 teaser videos that were released a few days before the MV dropped. In the teasers you will see Taemin being manipulated even more by outside forces and people who literally at one point hand him a gun and force him to shoot something or someone, which is all part of the metaphor that has to do with taking control of his life, etc. If you delve in deep you will see that "Guilty" could be interpreted as his relationship with fame and the different sides of who he is as a person and artist. Everything you see and hear can be thought of as a metaphor for life told using biblical references as an underlying theme showcasing Taemin's Catholic faith.The majority of Taemin's songs and MVs touch on concepts, stories and themes from the Bible, as a metaphor to explain what he has gone through growing up as an idol and the journey he has taken in order to find confidence in and acceptance with who he is as a person and an artist. With Taemin -- and all the members of SHINee -- you will never get the same thing twice. Everything he releases will be a new style and sound and, yet, it will still be very "Taemin". As SM Entertainment's experimental boy group, SHINee are meant to be the first to do almost everything, and they are expected to come up with something new that no one has ever seen or heard before with every release of theirs. As Kpop's trendsetters, the members of SHINee reinvent the industry with every comeback. Taemin is the main dancer and a main vocalist of SHINee. However, because he is a member of SHINee, this means he can do it all. SHINee are known for the fact that there are no longer any fixed roles in their group, the main vocalists can rap and the rappers can fill in as main vocalists at any moment. However, what they are really recognized for is the fact that they are one of the best vocal groups to ever exist. All of the SHINee members are top tier singers and dancers. You may find this hard to believe, but when Taemin debuted as a member of SHINee way back in 2008, he didn't have a whole lot of lines in their songs. People even used to make fun of Taemin's singing and they would say that he was tone deaf and couldn't sing. However, it's sort of a misconception that Taemin "couldn't sing." it wasn't that he couldn't sing, it was just that he debuted when he was so young -- he was only 14 years old -- that his voice hadn't really developed yet and he didn't really have a good grasp of how to use his voice and produce the sounds he wanted with it. So, in the beginning, when he sang, he was often flat or his voice cracked or he was off key or out of tune, etc. And because he was being compared to the other members of SHINee who are all 2 to 4 years older than him, and the other members had such phenomenal voices to start out with, it really made Taemin sound like he was lacking. (SHINee are considered THE premier vocal group that everyone dreams of being as good as.) That's why in SHINee's first few songs Taemin only has a few lines, and most of the time he was just given big solo dance breaks to fill the stage at his parts in the song. However, if he was really tone deaf, he never would have become an SM Idol trainee -- SM would have put him on the dance track and probably steered him toward becoming a backup dancer -- and he definitely would have never become the amazing singer that he is today. As you probably know, someone who is truly tone deaf is physically unable to hear the difference in the notes and is unable to carry a tune. Taemin is considered one of the greatest dancers of all time. He has literally been voted one of the top two BEST dancers in all of Kpop by his peers and industry experts. (Kai from EXO -- who happens to be Taemin's best friend since trainee days, and a fellow member of the Kpop supergroup SuperM -- is the other top dancer.) That is why he has been nicknamed the Korean Michael Jackson. Literally everyone in the Kpop industry looks up to Taemin and idolizes him. But Taemin really wanted to prove to everyone that he wasn't just a dancer, so he spent a lot of extra time concentrating on vocal lessons and the other SHINee members -- especially Onew and Jonghyun (two of the best vocalists in the industry) -- spent some serious time coaching and mentoring him until he learned what it took to match their vocal range and to use his voice. (For the first year or more after SHINee's debut Taemin spent hours in vocal lessons and he would push himself every day until his nose would bleed because he was so tired and worn out, etc. He practically lived in the training rooms at SM.) The ONLY thing the members of SHINee are not good at is lip syncing, so Taemin, and all the members of SHINee, have specifically trained since their debut, to build stamina and endurance, in order to be able to sing live for 3+ hours straight in concert, all while performing these intense choreographies and still sound flawless. When you watch a live performance, you may be shocked because Taemin and SHINee sound so perfect live even though they are dancing so intensely, but that is why they are so highly respected by everyone. Therefore, when you hear SHINee sing, 95% of the time it will be live. Other Idols and audio sound technicians, etc. who have witnessed the SHINee members performing live are always blown away, because in the parts of the song where most singers would take a break and rely on the backing track vocals to cover their voices so they can catch their breath and recover, this is where the SHINee members actually ramp it up and become their most powerful. In Taemin's live performance you will discover that he sounds even better than in the recorded version, all while dancing full out. What makes SHINee so great is that even if they are singing a cappella while performing this high energy choreography, they sound just as amazing. That's why, even as rookies, senior artists would stop what they were doing to watch SHINee's rehearsals on music programs because SHINee's vocal talent is that impressive. When SHINee debuted, they were the first group to demonstrate how it was possible to sing live while performing complex choreography and still maintain stable vocals. Before SHINee, the thought within the industry was that it wasn't possible to sing live and also perform high intensity choreography at the same time. At that time, most groups would either sing live and have simple choreography, or they would have crazy cool choreography, but lip sync to their recorded vocals. SHINee completely changed the Kpop industry and upped the standard of what it meant to be an idol singer. Taemin -- and SHINee -- live is unmatched. It's literally referred to as the SHINee standard. It's the standard that all other groups strive to reach, and SHINee are the vocalists that all other artists try to emulate. Taemin has released at least one song or album -- most of the time way more than just one -- as part of SHINee, as a member of a project group, as a solo artist or as a member of SuperM every year since SHINee's debut. (Except for 2022 because he was on hiatus while he carried out his public service duties as part of his military requirements.) Therefore, including his full-length albums, mini albums, and singles, etc., as well as his Japanese albums, Taemin has more than a dozen solo albums. Not to mention the 2 albums he has as a member of SuperM. And on top of all that, SHINee currently has 14 full-length Korean and Japanese albums, just as many repackaged albums, numerous mini albums, etc. Plus, he has held many solo concert tours, as well as a world tour as a member of SuperM, and SHINee has held more than 100 concerts within 6 world tours so far. You have a TON to catch up on. :D Now you need to check out Taemin's Killing Voice performance. I have a feeling when you watch his Killing Voice you will find that hearing him sing "Guilty," as well as his other songs, live that you will be even more impressed. There is a reason why Taemin is like none other. You also need to see his "Guilty" dance practice video and/or a live performance.
Jeanet, I was absolutely charmed when you went "off piste" almost immediately: that's the Taemin effect. I am always struck by his sensual, flirtatious performance self versus his soft-spoken, modest real self. Please check out "Sensuality" live and if you can, even if you don't react to it, his Pixid episode where he pretends to be a rookie idol. His reaction when all the others turn out to be hugely influenced and inspired by "Taemin sunbaenim" is not only telling but adorable.
I see "Advice" as a continuation of the themes within Taemin's previous Never Gonna Dance Again album trilogy -- "2 Kids," "Criminal" and "Idea." With "Criminal" and "Idea," Taemin talks about being involved in a toxic relationship -- not necessarily a romantic relationship, but a metaphor for his relationship with fame -- in which he agrees to be manipulated almost to the point of being destroyed in order to become the artist we see today. But, in the end of "Idea," we see him become free from the box everyone wants to put him in and he comes to terms with his role as an idol. He has now formed his own "Idea" about himself and what it means to be an idol, etc. As Taemin explained during his VLive event for "Advice" -- which came out in 2021 -- "Advice" is like the end to the first chapter in his life, and it marks the beginning of the second chapter. The song seems to be his way of saying I am done caring to everyone who judged him and all those haters who spread rumors and misinformation about him. "Advice" is showing that he is now free and confident to be himself, breaking stereotypes and now only listening to himself. Taemin is just one of those performers that leaves you speechless every time he steps on stage. He was born to be a performer and that is one of the reasons why he has become known as the Korean Michael Jackson. That is also why, as one of the top two performers in the industry, he was made a member of SuperM. Taemin is an Idol of Idols and a legend of legends. (He is considered the blueprint for what it means to be a successful as a male solo artist. He was one of the first male idols from an active group to go solo, and he did it at such a young age, starting in 2014 at 21 years old. He has been a solo artist for more than half his career.) In "Advice" he's basically saying, "Stop trying to put me in a box, in which I'll never fit in." He is also speaking to everyone that says he's getting old, that he's just a Michael Jackson wannabe that doesn't sell a lot of albums because he tries too hard to be edgy, etc. He's rebelling against all those people who are constantly advising him to make more mainstream music, or to follow the traditional Kpop idol style, in order to boost his sales and his popularity. However, as Taemin is making clear in "Advice," that is not who he is and he will never be "normal" or "mainstream" and he is OK with that. In the scenes where you see him covered in ink, I think that is supposed to be him showing everyone how he is no longer the "unstained," cute maknae everyone wants to think of him as. The diamond you see painted on his hand when he is playing the piano, and you see drawn on his bicep, etc. is SHINee's symbol and all the pearl aqua blue/green colors you see in the MV is SHINee's official color. (The large tattoo of a Peony flower you can see on his hip is real. Hence why in the lyrics he says, "I destroy the torso that you were chasing after." In other words, he's saying he's tired of people thinking they even have a say in what he does with his body.) This song was specifically designed to not be like anything he has ever done before. He plays the piano, he raps, he shows off his falsetto notes, etc., which is different than what we often hear and see from him. He intentionally used this song to prove that he isn't one type of singer. People often think of Taemin as a sultry vocalist that sings in a breathy comfortable, less dynamic style. So, with this song he wants to prove to everyone that he can be unpredictable and try new things. Yet again, you can't put him in a box or tell him who to be. Everything you see in this MV is 100% Taemin, including the piano playing. Everything that Taemin's haters like to point out about him and say are reasons why he shouldn't be held to such high esteem, I find completely ridiculous. I don't think that anyone who actually knows him would ever say he has played it safe at any time in his career. If you think he is only one dimensional, and that he is trying to be anything other than himself, then you really don't know Taemin. Everything he does is different, out there and definitely not safe. It's always uniquely Taemin, and he couldn't do it any other way. Also, because Taemin is a member of SHINee, none of his songs are ever like anything you have ever heard or seen before from him. It will always have a new beat, style and sound. As SM Entertainment's experimental boy group, SHINee is meant to be the first and they are expected to set the trend, and that includes the members' solo work. With every new song Taemin produces it's expected to be different than the last, so you will never hear the same style or sound from him in any of his songs, even on the same album, and yet, it still will be uniquely Taemin-like. Which is another example of how you can never put him in a box or expect anything from him. :D Another theme in "Advice" is about how Taemin is embracing his androgynous side -- but on his own terms -- which I think is a continuation of the message in his "Move" MV. Early in his career when Taemin was growing up in SHINee -- he debuted in 2008 at 14 years old -- he was known for his delicate feminine features. It took him a long time to accept that he was recognized for his looks and to come to terms with the fact that everyone thought of him as a "pretty boy," etc. So, at this point in his career -- he is now 27 years old in this MV -- he is making a statement about how he has decided to be himself and no longer care what people think. Music is art and art has no gender. So, that is why in "Advice" you see him wearing hair extensions, fishnets and women's Supreme sportswear, etc. But if you notice, his choreography is very fast paced and sharp, which is hyper masculine -- a complete contrast to the "feminine" image people want to give him. You also see him wearing makeup, but it's smeared on his face, as if to say, "people may think of me as a 'Pretty Boy,' but I don't care about looking pretty." In the lyrics he is saying, "It's creepy how people are always looking to cause drama, so stop trying to create scandals in my life that don't really exist. It's all just stories you make up." He's tired of all those people who seem to look for reasons to cause drama, where none really exists.
Where he says "floppy" in the lyrics, I think he's talking about knowing about or hearing firsthand the things people are saying about him, but he is choosing not to pay attention to them because what they're saying is flopping or doesn't hold any weight or have any substance, etc. "Advice" just proves that every time people try to put Taemin in a box, he destroys it and keeps coming back with something more unique and never seen before. Hence, why in the choreography he puts his hands in front of his face and creates a movement that looks like an animated mouth talking. It represents how everyone keeps talking about him and what they are saying is nonsense, which makes them look and sound ridiculous, etc. Which is why in the lyrics he says, "You will never get the keys to my lock" because he doesn't ever plan to give people what they want and allow them access to his secrets and personal life, etc. (Those people who like to gossip about him will never truly know the real him.) I interpret the "One (piece of) Advice" he is talking about in the lyrics as a reference to the advice he keeps being given about being more mainstream, but he's saying, "stop trying to make me conform to the image you have in your head of who I should be and what I should do." In other words, take all that time and effort you have been using to come up with ways to talk about how he doesn't fit in, etc. and put it to better use. "Follow my own advice" and do something original for once. And the crucifixion pose at the end of "Advice" is sort of a signature pose for him. I interpret it to be like he is saying, "And that is the end, this is my final word, take it or leave it, but don't doubt me. I have given it my all and laid everything I had out there for you," etc. You should really see his "Advice" dance practice as well. It's a good way to see the full choreography without any cuts, edits or ackward camera angles.
You’ve mentioned you liked dancing. I would suggest checking out Just Me And You, Thirsty and perhaps IDEA. These are all very different songs from different periods of time, but all three are amazing for different reasons. Thank for reacting to Taemin. He’s a mesmerizing artist, truly one of a kind.
You must see his live stage performance of badukan stage his first one and latest matamorph indeed all his stage performance are all best he is from shinee group they are best but before that you must see introducing version of shinee.
Idea is a must. Sayonara Hitori is amazing. Famous, Thirsty & Press My Number are more to do (with mvs) lots of great songs with only live or lyric videos
"Criminal" is the second part of Taemin's Never Gonna Dance Again album that came out in 2021. It's part of a trilogy, which started with his prologue "2 Kids," and continued with "Criminal," which is part of Act 1 of the album. And it was followed up by "Idea," which is part of Act 2 of the album and it brings the whole concept full circle. And now his follow up release, "Advice," has become the epilogue to the story. Taemin said in an interview: "The two acts put together tell a story. '2 Kids’ is about growing pains and depicts the story prior to the story in the album. You can think of '2 Kids' as a teaser before the movie called 'Never Gonna Dance Again.' Act 1 shows a new side of me. I think it’ll be something you’ve never seen in K-pop before. And Act 2 is the end-all-be-all. It’s the ultimate level of intensity. Never Gonna Dance Again’ was originally the name of the concept. Because it doesn’t make sense for me to stop dancing. But I wanted to give a sense of rebellion with the irony of the title.” Just so you know, the Taemin you see is not necessarily the criminal in the song. I see him as the victim who is being held captive by the criminal. The criminal is his lover (i.e. the other side of him) that he is singing about, which is a metaphor for the pressure he feels under as a Kpop idol. The song is about living in a toxic relationship and being brainwashed by a lover. He has now fallen in love with the person (or thing -- i.e. his career) who is inflicting all the pain and suffering on him, so now he accepts the abuse as a normal part of the relationship. Even though he is being abused by that person -- possibly a metaphor for the pressure he is creating for himself with the need to always be the best in everything he does -- he can't help but love them and allow them to continue to hurt him, etc.
All the abuse is happening to him, he is not hurting anyone else or doing anything criminal himself. Therefore, the story isn't about Taemin being a criminal. Notice, the S.W.A.T. team isn't arresting him. They pretty much walk right past Taemin and ignore him as they search for the criminal. The "boss" vibe is a facade he puts on to make people believe he is in control, but as we see in the choreography, he is being manipulated by all the outside forces around him. For example, we see him lying across the backup dancers backs and they pick him up and manipulate him to do what they want him to do at that moment. A lot of his dance moves are designed to make him look like a marionette puppet that is being pulled around by strings and being told what to do. Which is what you see when he is crouched down and he creates that wiggly, wave movement in the dance, etc. As part of the story, he has been held captive for so long that, as it says in the lyrics of the song, he is now suffering from Stockholm syndrome, so he is no longer fighting the abuse and that is why you see him throw his bindings away. The criminal -- which is a metaphor for the pressure he has felt in his career -- no longer has to tie him up to keep him there. (Because he has fallen in love with the pain and suffering he inflicts on himself as an artist, etc.) The backup dancers represent the forces he is struggling against as he fights with his mind over whether to stay or go, etc. Fun fact: It was Taemin's idea to include the police blotter/news clips in that part of the song. If you notice, the sound bites are from all over the world and they are speaking multiple languages. This album's whole concept is a metaphor for his life and career. With every release from this album, the concept was designed to be darker then the last. In "2 Kids" he was emotionally and physically beating himself up with regrets. In "Criminal" he was living in a toxic relationship. In "Idea" he takes the theme one step further, and says that even though it was my idea and my plan to live this life, nothing comes without a price, and because of that need for perfection, any chance of being average or living a regular life is pretty much dead. Taemin has sacrificed everything to become the magnificent and unique performer and person that we know him as today. But there really is no one that pushes him or holds him to a higher standard then himself. Taemin has said that he really has never taken a true vacation since he was a trainee -- he started with SM Entertainment when he was around 11 years old -- and he doesn't know what to do if he isn't constantly working and training. As he has said, there has never been anything that has come easy to him and he has only gotten to where he is today because he has worked hard to accomplish everything. He is constantly pushing himself to become the best of the best in everything he does. All of Taemin's dances tell a story. As he has said, he specifically designs his choreography to be a part of the story within the song and MV. So, "Criminal" is supposed to be slightly creepy, as well as sexy. He is literally being abused and asking you to please "destroy me more." As a member of SHINee, Taemin has trained his entire career to be able to pull off this type of intense and intricate dancing while singing live and always sounding flawless the whole time. (SHINee debuted in 2008 when Taemin was only 14 years old.) That is what SHINee are known for. So not only is Taemin an amazing dancer, but he is also one of the best singers in the industry, and the 5 members of SHINee make up one of the top groups, that everyone looks up to and dreams of even coming close to being as good as. If you are impressed with Taemin's dancing, not only should you see his dance practice video for "Criminal," but just wait until you see a live performance. You will be even more blown away. And if you want to see Taemin explain the concept behind his dance moves, watch a tutorial video he did where he explains the dance to Jeno and Mark from NCT.
Thank you for watching our Taeminnie. I think you would love the teasers for Guilty. It has a storyline and a message. Hope you can watch more of him :)
Soooooo you’re one of us now. Haha But seriously, great job checking out his other popular MVs as well. This was a great selection. But when it comes to Taemin and his art, these are all just the tip of the iceberg. Enjoy the discovery! 🤗
I knew Taemin was my new favorite artist in the world on my first minutes watching criminal, so yeah it's never too early to be in love with him. Love at first sight.
The look and feel for "Move" is very specific, it's supposed to be androgynous and gender neutral. Early in his career when Taemin was growing up in SHINee he was known for his feminine look. The industry thought it was novel and cute to play up his feminine features. Being recognized for his delicate image, ended up giving him a real complex about the fact that people never saw him as a masculine man. It took him a long time to accept that he was known for his looks and to come to terms with the fact that everyone thought of him as a "pretty boy," etc. So, at this point in his career as a 24 year old (He is 30 now) he was trying to make a statement about how he has now come to terms with just being himself and not caring what people think. Dancing is art and movement has no gender. "Move" is his title track on his 2nd Korean solo album, which was released in 2017. He debuted as a solo artist in 2014. There are 3 versions of his "Move" MV. Version #1 is the regular MV version, which you watched. Version #2 is his solo performance version that just highlights his dancing. Version #3 is the duo version, which focuses on the choreographer and him dancing together. Fun fact: The blue color you see throughout this MV is supposed to represent the cool, chill vibe of this song, but Pearl Aqua also is SHINee's fan color, so you will see aqua/blue/green shades with most everything to do with SHINee as a way to represent their connection as a group and their connection to their fans, etc. And just so you know, those background vocals aren't Taemin's. They actually chose to leave the songwriters' vocals in the song from when they recorded the guide track. I have seen interviews with Adien Lewis, one of the original songwriters and he was shocked to hear his voice still in the song. Usually when a Kpop company gets a song from a songwriter, especially a foreign songwriting team, they will translate it into Korean and record all the vocals using the artists' vocals or other Korean artists, etc. Therefore, it's very rare that a songwriter would have their original vocals in a Kpop song, however, this was one of the few times where SM didn't rerecord or change everything. If you're interested, here is a short clip of an interview with Adien Lewis talking about "Move", ruclips.net/video/hTxbaiWyrmA/видео.html. "Move" features all female dancers because the whole point of the song and dance is supposed to be about crossing gender boundaries and how just because you are male doesn't mean your dance has to be hyper masculine. Taemin uses what is traditionally considered more feminine dance moves to show how you can merge both feminine and masculine styles together to create something that can't be singled out as one gender or the other. This dance allowed a more mainstream audience to start to embrace less traditional gender roles within Kpop. "Move" is one of Taemin's most famous choreographies and it has become the dance he is most recognized for.This dance has inspired what is known as the "Move disease," and it is said that the dance is so catchy that you can't help but try to imitate it. There are literally hundreds of videos online of people attempting cover dances to this song. (It is on the level of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" dance and some of the most famous TiKTok dance challenges.) However, no matter how good of a dancer they are, it is quickly apparent that there is just something about the way Taemin moves that can't be duplicated. Taemin is Taemin and there is no one else like him. The dance is never as sharp or precise as the way Taemin does it. That is why he is hands down considered one of the top two BEST dancers in the industry. Taemin's "Move" choreography is actually considered by professional dancers to be one of the most difficult dances to pull off because of the amount of control you have to have and the intricate movements. They say that if Taemin's dances look easy then that means they are extremely difficult and if they look difficult then they are almost impossible to pull off unless you are Taemin. There's a reason why EVERYONE looks up to him, even world-famous dancers. As Taemin has said numerous times in interviews and on variety shows, the key point in "Move's" choreography is literally supposed to be to stare into the camera like you are trying to seduce the person who is watching. So, you are right, that is exactly what Taemin is doing. The female dancer who is the featured dancer dancing with Taemin in the MV wasn't just any dancer, she is the choreographer who choreographed "Move". Her name is Sugawara Koharu and she is a Japanese choreographer who has choreographed dances for several Kpop groups, as well as American artists. She has worked with Taemin a lot over the years and she is the one that also choreographed Taemin's dance for his songs "Want," "Flame of Love" and "Sayonara Hitori" and helped choreograph Taemin and her performance on the competition program Hit the Stage -- "Devil" performance, etc., and she was one of 3 or 4 choreographers who helped choreograph Taemin's "Criminal." Taemin and Sugawara are really good friends. She was also the choreographer for SHINee's song "Good Evening," among others. She loves working with Taemin because they are a lot alike, and that is one of the reasons why she has been featured in several of Taemin's projects. Plus, Taemin, and all the members of SHINee, are also one of the most famous artists in Japan and they all speak fluent Japanese, so they have no problem communicating through dance or language. :D You should now check out his dance practice video, as well as a live performance so you can really see why this song is so iconic and discover how it literally changed the Kpop industry. Taemin's choreography is very much influenced by him. Although he has input in almost everything he does, he has choreographers that come up with the choreography for most of his dances and he then infuses it with his own ideas and style and makes it uniquely his. The way Taemin dances is just the way he moves. His movements are effortless. If you watch Taemin dance a lot, you will see that no matter who choreographs the dance, it will always be very Taemin-like. Taemin's style of dance can't be defined. As he has said, he has worked his entire career to create a style of dance that is unlike anything in the Kpop industry. And I would argue that that now extends to the entire industry of dance. Taemin started out as a self-taught popper and locker without any dance training, and, even then, as a trainee it was clear his skills as a dancer went far beyond the average dancer. Over the years he has infused those popping and locking skills into his now more contemporary style of dance. But, when it comes to dancing, he can do it all and there is no one better at it than him.
Taemin is definitely very talented. I’d be interested to see you reaction to some other solo artists too. I recommend TEN (MVs: Birthday and Nightwalker), WOODZ (MV: Love Me Harder, Ready To Fight, and Feel Like), and DPR IAN (MV: So Beautiful, Don’t Go Insane, and So I Danced). Also for another KPop group I would recommend Monsta X.
Welcome to the fandom ❤️ I hope you could see more of his music and arts.. You should definitely continue the journey with all his remaining MVs: IDEA, Press Your Number, Danger and some of his B-side tracks like Heaven, Identity, Black Rose, Ace, and literally anything you come through because you won't be disappointed
Now, let me give you my take on "Guilty". When putting of the things we need to look for in a Taemin MV together, we begin to see what is going on in this MV. In short, this is not about a toxic relationship between a couple, but rather the continuation of Taemin's toxic struggle between the relationship of the two egos in his mind (indicated by the hand inside his shirt grabbing himself -- it's coming from inside himself): the demon tempting him with the perks of his celebrity life clashing with his Christian self desiring to adhere to his Christian worldview. Taemin LOVES what he does, but the temptations to go astray and embrace a worldly lifestyle are many. This is the cause of his guilt. The person clinging to the attendant's leg is Taemin himself. He's trying to cling to his faith-based identity. He digs his fingers into his own flesh to feel pain and bring himself back to, or hold onto, reality. This personal story concept, initially introduced in his 2016 MV for "Press Your Number", also runs through his 2018 Japanese song, "Under My Skin, as well as 2020's "Criminal", "IDEA" (in fact the entire "Never Gonna Dance Again" Acts 1 & 2 albums of 2020), and 2021's "Advice" (look carefully at the black/white contrast & then Taemin's suit). For this particular song/MV, Taemin indicated that he researched both "Demian" by Hermann Hesse and ""Erotism: Death and Sensuality" by the French philosopher, Georges Bataille. His concept is that of guilt and how humans process their guilt, especially with respect to dealing with toxic relationships. For Taemin, this toxic relationship is within himself and is displayed through the character he plays of Abraxas (wearing a headdress and representing the gnostic demigod of a heretical sect and later referred to as a demon). However, Taemin also plays the character of himself being tormented by this internal demon who constantly plagues and entices him to go astray. The entire song is a dialogue between Abraxas and Taemin. During the dialogue, Taemin is struggling (the choreo) to fight off being possessed and swallowed completely by Abraxas. We see even more of this struggle in the b-side performance video for "The Rizzness" which you also reacted to. You clearly see the demon, "Abraxas" alone all in black (death, evil, chaos in religious terms) and Taemin dressed in white (associated with innocence, righteousness, and good in contrast to black) with backup dancers. We see Taemin walking through institutions of his memory such as a school (which, as an introvert, he hated), hospital/mental institution (brainwashing-Taemin was extremely se*ualized by the industry as a very young idol specifically because he was so pretty and just 14 at debut), and training center (SM?), always being controlled and in situations that produce temptations to go against his values. If he is not constantly vigilant, "....when you've caught on (Abraxas), I'm already gone (Taemin)." In other words, he will lose himself instantly because the temptations are so appealing and addictive (as illustrated in his MVs for "Want" & "Famous"). The "poison apple" is the bait, (again just like in 2019's "Want" & "Famous")..."want a bite?" "Just a little more, that's all it takes." "Gift you once as a bait, then I (Abraxas) take everything." The demon is the father of hundreds of lies. The pre-chorus and chorus are actually further dialogue between Taemin and Abraxas: [Pre-chorus] Ooh-ooh (On that vague border between good and bad - Taemin) You played the fool for me - Abraxas (My judgment in the final moment - Taemin) [Chorus -- all Abraxas] Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh You got me G-U-I-L-T-Y - Trick and take everything from you Again, just playing a game all for fun Hundreds of lies Ooh yeah Taemin is a genius when it comes to interweaving layers of meanings into his lyrics (which he often rewrites/tweaks from SM samples to make them fit his concepts) and leaving us mesmerized, trying to arrive at the deepest look into his psyche. This is why he is the ultimate artist for me. Yes, I love his dancing, but it's his lyrical and musical prowess that truly captivates me, while also gratifying my desire for deeper, meaningful Christian messaging that is usually lacking in actual Christian music.
Bienvenida al mundo sin retorno del idolo de ídolos del KPOP. LEE TAEMIN .Su discografia es maravillosa TE recoundo SAYONARA HISTORY . TRASTE. TU Y YO. IDEA ..Y Su concierto SIRIO Y METAMORFOSIS ARTES .Verlo en vivo es facinante. .Tiene una presencia escénica Unica. ❤
Thanks a lot!❤ I recommend watching his live performances too. From the MV I recommend: Idea, Famous, Press your number, Sayonara Hitori, Under my skin, Flame of Love, Thirsty, Taemin's charming side in Thaink of you (song lyrics written by Taemin) Live performance: Heaven, Sexuality, Artistic groove, Guess who, Shadow, Eclipse, Rise, Guilty
In the Move video the girl in black who dances with a Taemin is Koharu who choreographed this dance. Watch the Move #3 video to see them do the whole thing together. It’s my favorite.
Fun fact: That's not just any female dancer in Taemin's "Want" MV. The girl you see highlighted in the shadows is Yoo JiMin (Karina) who is the leader and main dancer of aespa. She participated in this song as a rookie trainee even before aespa's debut. ("Want" was released in February 2019 and aespa didn't debut until November 2020.) She also participated in some of his live comeback stage performances and she was in his "Want" dance practice video. "Want" is one of those songs that the lyrics take the song and performance up to the next level. :D As you can see, the lyrics give everything a whole other feel and it helps to explain the images and story you see being told in the MV. Many people think that "Want" has a vampire vibe, and I can see where some might get the vampire feel from this MV. After all, one of Taemin's nicknames is SHINee's eternal vampire because in some performances and MVs, the way he looks and the aesthetic of the performance gives him a vampire image. However, in "Want" Taemin is supposed to be portraying Lucifer. That's why he seems to have a love affair with those snakes. (The ones he is holding are real snakes.) And, like Lucifer, he is supposed to be seducing the audience and the girl using his devilish powers, which is why the choreography looks like he is slithering like a snake. The gate you see him standing in front of is supposed to be a representation of "The Gates of Hell " from French artist Auguste Rodin. Taemin is Catholic, and most of his MVs showcase his faith as it tells the story using numerous Biblical references.
The style and aesthetic in "Want" is just the kind of vibe we have all come to expect from Taemin. He has a very sensual/sexy way of moving and, as a soloist, it's kind of his signature thing.That is why all his songs are titles such as "Danger," "Soldier" "Sexuality," "Tiger," "Press Your Number," "Guess Who," "Mystery Lover," "Hypnosis," "Crazy 4 U," "Flame of Love," " Under My Skin," "Thirsty," "Want," "Criminal," etc. or "Ace," "Already", "Door, "Pretty Boy," "Move" "Artistic Groove," "Famous," "Idea," etc. Each song is meant to show you exactly why he is one of the best in the industry even just by their titles. I find it interesting that all of his songs, with the titles alone, tell you exactly what Taemin is all about. If you look at all the titles of his songs, you will see that the titles convey one of two things about him, either painting a picture of his sexy and sensual onstage personality, or they explain his dedication and passion as an artist. Taemin is very unique and never does the same thing twice, he is constantly switching up his sound and dance style. However, you will see that he always stays true to himself. Many choreographers who have worked with him over the years have said that, with Taemin you can't help but allow him to move in whatever way his body takes him. Taemin is art in every sense of the word. :D Taemin started when he was a child by copying dancers that he saw on TV such as Michael Jackson and Kpop star Bi Rain. And he didn't have any formal training until he joined SM. As trainees, SM originally planned to make SHINee a hip-hop group, so Taemin's dance training started out focusing on hip-hop dance styles like popping and locking. However, over the years, he has devoted himself to learning every style of dance. Now he is considered one of the top two best dancers. (EXO's Kai -- who happens to be Taemin's best friend since trainee days and is a fellow member of SuperM -- is the other top dancer.) Taemin is literally the artist that everyone within the Kpop industry looks up to and respects.
Ha ha No Its not too early He is the finest soloist You picked a great set of intro songs Nailed 2 of my favourite outfits (there are others) Picked up on lots of good stuff You did well Enjoy the rabbit hole This Prince of Kpop never misses or disappoints
@thespianoge said on 11/5/23 Some initial bullet points: I definitely think The Rizzness is a diss track to the industry. My interpretation of Blue is that it’s about/for Shawols. The pearl-aqua ocean of fan lights. Taemin’s variety is huge and I highly recommend going through his discography. He’s a stunning, creative, chameleon like soloist and I love his soft, soothing voice that can grow to an impressive belt. It could be interesting to go though his discography in order to see his growth, but ultimately I’d recommend Never Gonna Dance Again Act I and II (both have some of my very favorite songs and I honestly can’t pick between the two…) I’m not the hugest fan of his debut Ace based mainly on my personal taste. He’s incredibly involved in picking the songs, though isn’t a songwriter himself as a rule. Taemin has specifically said that this is the beginning of his “Act II” in his career and basically life in general from what he’s said. And now…you wanted to read a think piece on the MV. Boy, do I have one for you. Pardon the RIDICULOUSLY long essay. I have been meticulously and obsessively dissecting this video since it came out. cracks knuckles I have three main theories. I’ll talk about this later, but he experienced a traumatic military service and it could be speaking to that. It could also speak to being taken advantage of by the industry as a child, especially. And as a queer person who kind of finds queerness in everything, I felt gay conversion camp vibes from the time I saw the first trailer. There's also the book Erotism by Georges Bataille that the director recommend he read in preparation for this comeback. It’s about the intersections of sexuality, religion, death, the sacred and the profane and taboo. (Which has ironically basically been his brand from the beginning, more or less.) There’s also the quote by Herman Hesse that he's mentioned in interviews even before enlistment from the book Demian. "The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world. The bird flies to God. That God's name is Abraxas." People think that the feather crown is a nod to Abraxys, which is supposed to be a heretic god, both God and Satan, without a binary. I found the lyrics somewhat at odds with the MV, but maybe to condense the most basic thesis is wrestling within oneself with their guilt, warranted or not, until one finds their way to set themselves free. They evolve like the bird fights out of the egg to destroy their prior world to find their inner god, both good and bad, the radiant and the taboo, but it’s on their own terms, like in Demian. For the queer theory: At the beginning he's wearing Homme Girls boxers (he's actually worn them before and they're HEAVILY featured in his album photo book) from the beginning. It could mean some sort of secret queerness kept under wraps. Then he graduates to a denim skirt but with a cross necklace, perhaps still trying to convince himself that he could return to the comfort of conformity, and finally, a skintight floral "feminine" look. Coming into his own personal expression, claiming it after the flaming arrow hits the target. To go further down the rabbit hole, my queer headcanon saw the brief scene featuring two young people in an intimate moment in a room off the hallway, walking in on something forbidden, which he quickly left at 21 seconds. The person on the left is the person in the long sleeves featured at the 36 second mark. Some people read it as young Taemin, with old Taemin looking at himself as a child, which totally makes sense. Except when I first saw it, I read it as an androgynous girl and was kind of confused about her significance. So I could be completely wrong but I read some queerness into that brief scene as well. Or it’s just Taemin looking in on his younger self in early sexual experimentation. In the original trailer, there were a bunch of kids playing in the creek. Some were male and some female, but they were indistinguishable from each other. I even didn't clock it until someone else mentioned it. But once they were in their uniforms, there was a clear delineation where the girls were now wearing skirts, enforcing the gender roles they were previously unconcerned about. I'll also mention a content warning for racy talk. There's also a brief moment in the scene in the bunks with someone holds the head of someone with a baseball cap in front of their fully clothed groin. In the split second moment at 1:45, Taemin’s hand is seen lifting up the chin of someone. They have an Adam’s apple. Finally, the most obvious line that people have latched onto is “loving is a crime.” With the military theory, he ended up having to leave the military proper and go into the public service sector for the rest of the time due to extreme anxiety and depression. There's been documentation of idols (G-Dragon is a good example) being treated extremely badly by other members, even as much as trying to take photos of them in the shower and such. It's entirely possible he had a traumatizing time in there on top of his preexisting mental health conditions. Especially as someone who has been sexualized by being beautiful and feminine since he was literally a child in the industry, this may have made him an even bigger target than just being an idol. So one interpretation of this MV is referencing the invasive nature of an institutional (military) setting. Medical examinations, forcing violence, having a hand help him him hold up the gun to shoot it as seen in the trailer, bunks, etc. With this theory, he would have to walk a fine line because it would be criticizing the South Korean military. Then there’s the theory of being an idol from basically childhood and the ways he has been taken advantage of. He began training at the age of 12 and debuted at the age of 14. There is literally a RUclips video entitled “The Sexualization and feminization of Lee Taemin” chronicling the way adults have been creepy and inappropriate to him since the beginning. The bunks are like like trainee dorms, and he looks back on his old self with sadness and pity. The clinging to the leg of a captor because there’s no other choice. The early loss of innocence, but ultimately coming out empowered by the end. Throughout the MV, he danced in an especially tortured way after depicting memories of invasive manhandling which tracks along any interpretation. There’s clearly a story about someone vulnerable and their journey to self discovery and purging themselves into their empowered "final form.” His hand-under-the-shirt move may have something to do with a secret desire or feeling that keeps trying to get out, perhaps like the temptation of the biblical serpent. Or, as per the title, secret guilt choking him. With the skirt look, there are many keys around his waist. Perhaps this could signify that he already has the keys that he needs to “unlock” himself and they’re all ready for when he’s ready to use them. It could be a reference to his song Advice when he says “you’ll never get the keys to my lock. Like he is the only one who holds the keys to unlock himself, kept safe on his person. In the scene outside in the uniforms near the end, there is the building of extreme anxiety with the inhaler and the gripping and scratching of his legs to try to cope and gather the strength to “burn it all down”/be his true self. The self knowledge that it must be done but he’s scared shitless. One last clinging to authority/the system with they leg, and finally the full acknowledgment that he needs to do it anyway with determination in his eyes. The I think that the lyrics aren’t projecting outwards towards another person, but rather a back and forth with himself, with his conscience vs his base desires. And the lyric “I can walk like that, talk like that, play like that" could apply to all three readings, be it “passing” as queer/cis, appearing to mentally and emotionally healthy, or the training and indoctrination trainees receive to behave perfectly as idols. In livestreams before the comeback, he spoke about how he was going to “walk the tightrope to see how far he can go.” He’s definitely toeing the line with any one of these topics. He and his team are BRILLIANT.
It cracked me up when she said something akin to “ooh, if he can dance, too, then I’m in trouble”. Oh, my friend, you are definitely in trouble. As are we all. He is King. 💎
TAEMIN is currently an artist who can combine it all: dancing, charisma, performing and singing at the highest level at the same time. 1/ Some idols can sing better than TAEMIN but I'm sure they can't reach his dancing level 2/ Some others may have a dancing level close to TAEMIN's level, but they certainly can't sing as well as him Especially, no one can do what TAEMIN does. He is the different level forever. THE KING of kings
I've never been a fan of him. I mean I really liked his solo stuff, but it never hit me hard. And then I saw him live and he's so charming and have such amazing stage presence, that even though I'm an EXO-L and the first band I would recommend is always EXO I would definitely add that everyone should check out his solo stuff and go see him live if anyone have this chance!
Further Taemin recommendations: Idea, Danger, 2 Kids, Thirst. Japanese tracks: Sayonara Hitori (Solitary Goodbye) and Flame of Love. Songs without mvs: Black Rose, Sensuality and Rise.
Taemin is great friends with Jimin. They are both in the same friend group 🥰 On Yoongis show Suchwita Taemin was a guest in the 20. episode and spoiler: Jimin is a surprise guest for Taemin
Cont... Hi, i am back. Good rection(The Rizzness), ty. It's not bad. The rhythm is ok. Like his singing more. Glad to see him exploring rap more. He good. He is still growing. He should be confident. He got so many looking up to him. King! HE IS ART. After Advice i hoped he would explore rap more. I am glad he did. Shinee has rap songs. So they all know how to rap. But this is his own version. It's different and i really like it in Guilty. Borahae. -NY USA 2019 Army💟 Good reaction(Guilty), ty. Good song. On 1st listen I felt strongly like crying. The tears were held in though the whole song though. But at the end i had to wipe my eyes. I just want to hug Taemin. On my 2nd listen i read the lyrics. And after i wondered was my reaction all in my head. There are layers here upon layers. Loved the fits and makeup. Some of the subject matter was an issue for me. I know Taemin had lots of mental health issues in the military. Based on the teasers I thought he would talk about it. And it looks like he does in his own way. I really want to hear his views on this song and album. I watched Suchwita ep. w. Taemin right after this. Glad he is back giving us headaches, lol. Perfect vocals in my opinion. The feathered headband is a Native American thing for me. I feel it has an important significance. The lyrics had nothing to do with the images in the MV. I think this is way over my head and i will watch some reactions to see what others think of Taemin's msg here. Feels based on imagery. Great choreo. The dance practice was so good. Hope u watch the live stages. Loved that long skirt. He looked so good, dang. I also was getting examination. After a few reactions i am thinking he is showing military and psych mental health area. Like a mix of places. I was thinking were ppl saying he was guilty of making them feel attracted to him? Does he feel guilty about something? Lots of thoughts going through my head. I am so glad u watched the teasers. The more i watch the more i think that he is combining the military facility with a mental health facility. And we know he suffered in the military and asked for a transfer. So it seems he is portraying his struggles here. @ireneserrano4570 said on 10/30/23 I'm still confused about the exact meaning, but again, there could be different interpretations as with his other songs. But from the visuals i get the feeling it refers to abuse, it can be at so many levels. It can have psychological and physical or both, you can suffer it under your own family, friends, at school, at work, in love relationships... Then who is the perpetrator? many times you can be trapped by those people, even in a group or the society, you don't even realise but by the time you realise you have been actually abused THEY are gone, who can you blame exactly? I have gone through my own dose of abuse, and after years you realise but you end up blaming yourself too, as if you hadn't known better but then you allowed it...😢 Also the images of classroom and rooms with beds, and a kid surrounded by a group...Taemin is watching him from the door as if he was watching himself as a kid... also at the end those kids in school uniforms, all spread around, one grabbing the legs of an adult that grabs his leg, bleeding... South Korea also has buIIying as endemic.. at schools (kids also teachers committing suicide as they can't either find understanding or help by their surroundings, on the contrary they are treated as the outcast and weirdos) also at the workplace, in the Military, in university... Their social rules, their stratification and obsession with seniority, comparing their ages, wealth, possessions, their marks, everything... the social pressure on kids and in general on everyone to be better, the most xx the most xx...). The crazy mix of their traditional values and the contrast to the monstruos capitalism that devours all traditional values... traditional collectivism versus wild individualism... @pamela-623 said on 10/30/23 this is an amazing comeback, so artsy so taemin, shawols had lots of interesting theories, my favorite being that this is an interpretation of the struggles in military enlistment, young men being taken, examined and given a gun, i find it so fascinating @princesssunshine79 said on 10/31/23 From what I have picked up here and there, I THINK, don't quote me, the song is about training at an extremely young age in a very exploitive industry, his horrible experience while doing his military service, and his own mental health. Again, I am not positive about any of this. But, for Taemin, it makes a lot of sense. Especially the last two bits because his 2 years away was a nightmare that really messed with his mental health and depression. I hope this helps a wee bit. 😁 @sumim2192 said on 11/1/23 Just a note, In July (I think), Taemin updated his Instagram bio with a famous quote from Hermann Hesse's famous novel Demian “The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world. The bird flies to God. That God's name is Abraxas.” I think his outfit with the feather hat represents the god Abraxas. @prisonbreakd said on 10/31/23 The way he does dark concepts is so amazing to me. I think if you think about how guilt feels, the video/song represents it perfectly. The way he moves through the corridors and outside, and the choreography feels like he is out of control, and being suffocated by the situation, he is overwhelmed and struggling to understand up from down, invisible and visible hands push him around. You can't help but feel sad or sorry for him, despite him singing that he's done something horrible. And I think it's because, unlike in "Want", he is not proud or embracing it here; his pain, struggle and guilt are obvious. It's haunting. To me, the overall story of the video was that love (and life) is not always cutesy and sweet; it can come with a dark side, conflicting feelings, being intense and too much. You can do things you regret, and it can spin out of control, you can be aware of doing something wrong and not know how to stop, you can want things that are not good for you or someone that you care about. You can hurt people and be aware of what you are doing but not know how to do it better. You can love the wrong people, make mistakes and feel... well, guilty. It's just a very painful side of human experience that we don't like to look at because guilt and shame go together and make us very uneasy. @pandakholin said on 10/31/23 9:55 Yep. Rian, Simeez, Noze and Rozalin. They’ve been Taemin’s backup dancers since Criminal. Also here is Suzy Hong and Kim Haeun. Only the best of the best for Taemin. @lunemaline1338 said on 10/31/23 Taemin has spoken before how he regrets debuting so young in a very exploitative industry, that mixed with how hard his military enlistment period was for his mental health I see this being about him kinda losing his innocence and being thrown into violence. the shot of him looking at one of the dancers that kinda looks like a younger version of him having fun with everyone else to him being in this medical room and being moved like a puppet, forced to hold a gun and being stripped of his individuality by wearing this school uniform. That’s what I love about Taemin’s music and MV’s it starts to make you think and theorize, he’s super creative. @schuylernefcy3466 said on 10/31/23 Other note, It's like Taemin is singing the part of the abuser and dancing the part of the abused and I can't believe how hauntingly beautiful it is. @bea_hae_tae9392 said on 11/3/23 Taemin has talked about the literature that inspired this concept: Erotism: Death and Sensuality by Georges Bataille and Demian by Hermann Hesse. Love that Taemin decided to do things his own way with his own colors. I don't see anyone else doing this concept, or even the way in which he does it. Just stunning! Great reaction, thanks for giving so much love to his work. @carriemorgan2704 said on 11/1/23 Casper and Bada Lee did the choreography. Just amazing. Loved your reaction. You were as excited as me. The man is ART. I agree. My fav song he's ever done. Big call...but this was a literal experience.
Welcome to SHINee World! Once you Taem-in, you can't Taem-out. Taemin is an artist transcending kpop. You might love Just Me and You, Soldier & Rise (live), Stone Heart (live), and do NOT miss his dance practices. Speaking of dancing, the girl in Want is Aespa's Karina pre-debut, while the solo dancer with him in Move is Sugawara Koharu, the choreographer for Move, Want, and SHINee's Good Evening. SHINee have always had female dancers in their videos, and Taemin's Japanese dance crew are incredible. Just watch the dp for Famous to see...and of course, many of not most of his current Korean dance crew are well known choreographers in their own right. Quite a few have appeared on Street Woman Fighter, etc. And thank you so much for your reaction!
Cont... Good reaction(MOVE), ty. So glad u looked into him. Now I can learn with u. =0] Jimin is pals with Taemin. They have a lot in common i hear. They also did a dance together. So i slowly started to listen to his songs. I love Sayonara Hitori /Goodbye by him. It's beautiful. Hope u check it out. Love this one. It's catchy. His visuals are great. He is very striking to me in this MV. Liked his vocals too.Loved the choreo. It's MJ inspired but focused on the slow movements more. Nothing I have seen before. So it really surprised and pleased me. I saw a lot of inspo Jimin got from him. But I also see how Jimin is different and his own artist. It was cool to see that. Hope u see the dance practice. It's really good. He is smooth with it. I see why Jimin is a fan. I liked the girl backup dancers too. Love that he uses just great dancers overall consistently. My understanding was that others said he had an androdunous look to him. And he accepted that after a time. This is the song where he accepts himself as is. He accepts both sides of himself. I also heard that Taemin started the looking into the camera dead on. He was the 1st to do it and inspired others. Hugs. -NY USA 2019 Army💟 The #1 is because there are 3 versions of Move, the regular MV and 2 performance videos. One is the solo, where he’s dancing with his girls and the other is with his choreographer Koharu Sugawara. dheu said on 1/24/22 You’re right, the dance moves in the choreo are more stereotypically “feminine” moves. Move is the moment when Taemin fully embraced his androgyny and confidently mixed masculine and feminine dance into his choreo, because as he has said before, he doesn’t see things as “male dance” vs “female dance” but rather all dance moves are a form of expression that should not be tied to one gender or another. He is not afraid to challenge the stereotypes of Kpop dance styles, and for this reason the Move choreo is iconic, with idols of both genders even to this day covering the song and the dance. It was so different from anything that came before and still stands out as one of the most unique choreos for Kpop. This is one of his defining moments in his solo career, I think, because he really began to set himself apart with a distinct artistic vision for his songs and dance style from here on out (Not saying it wasn’t like this before but rather he seemed to become more confident about it from here on IMO). I also love that he uses both female and male backup dancers and has them do the same choreo. He really does actively support the idea that no dance or dance style is gender-restricted. Thank you so much for the reaction! blinking game said on 1/30/2020 The best thing about Taemin is that he really started a movement in K-pop. His androgynous looks weren't always in his favour and back then he said how he always wanted to be as manly as the others but now he embraces it. He says how dancing isn't about gender and how he wants to show that there shouldn't be any differences between girl idol and male idol's dancing. Most of the time he uses female back-up dancers and it wasn't that common yet that your female back-ups have the same spotlight as the male idol in the center, they usually were just a bonus but in Taemin's performances they're a part of the whole performance and it wouldn't work as well without them. Even during his concerts there are sections where only the female dancers are on the stage and dance without him as a transition. Recently Taemin also talked about wearing make-up a lot this was what he said: "For me, I think there is no absolute standard on masculinity. Nowadays, there are a lot of men who care about skin care and even use makeup to express themselves. I feel like there was a strict gender classification in the past, but the boundaries have become more blurred and our society is more about accepting and respecting each other’s differences these days. If makeup highlights and empowers my unique appeal, why not use it?" You should check out his song "Pretty Boy" with the lyrics, that was his collab with Kai and he chose him because Taemin wanted his best friend to be part of his solo debut album. Pretty Boy was written by Jonghyun and he said he thought about Taemin while writing it, it touches upon the expectations towards males in south korea and in general and it really fits Taemin well. @saffroncake7 said on 9/4/23 "Move" is one of the most imitated choreographies in k-pop and nobody can do it like Taemin. It looks low-key and even simple on the surface, but it's incredibly difficult to control all the muscles in your shoulders, back and arms as smoothly as he does. @tulagoudevenos6010 said on 11/19/23 18 hours under the rain ! Thank you again for reacting to this INCREDIBLE ARTIST 💎💎💎 @JoobieLoobieSoobie said on 11/19/23 This song changed things in K-pop. Not because of the song, but because of the choreography. Before Move, there was choreo for men, and choreo for women. Taemin rejected that. Taemin and his partner are doing the same dance, which was more 'feminine' than typical men's choreo, and more 'masculine' than choreo for women at the time. He showed everyone that it was OK to break the previously strict gender norms of the day. Gender-bending had been done before (see Heechul from Super Junior), but not to this extent, and not by a soloist as big as Taemin.
if you like solo artists like Taemin, then I'm sure you will like Sunmi as well. She is the queen of K-pop and she is artistic like Taemin. I recommend check out Heroine, Gashina, Siren, and the best one Pporappippam and hopefully you can do a reaction because I thoroughly enjoyed your Taemin reactions . you got a new subscriber :)
"Is it too soon to be in love? ;A;" no, no it really isn't ;u; I'm a SHAWOL of 12+ years, it took ONE video that started my over decade long obsession "I'm sorry I'm trying to find my BRAIN-" MOOOD XD
It's interesting you mentioned your ADHD brain being drawn to his music because same. And tbh if you know anything about Taemin as a person... Well. I have always thought he's part of the gang. If he isn't he at least is very good at becoming the perfect hyperfixation 😂
Guilty was written and produced (the English version) by a woman that was cheated on and wrote it from the perspective of the woman that her ex cheated her with. He does write his own songs but this song in particular, (guilty) no.
He's leaving SM for his solo work, he's staying with SM for SHINee work - he's not leaving SHINee. He already has a solo career, that's what she's diving into in this reaction vid ^^
literally no one have said that he's leaving SHINee. Taemin and SM confirmed he's staying in the group with SM, just gonna make solo in a different agency
![Ice On My Teeth - ATEEZ エイティーズ 에이티즈 [Music Bank] | KBS WORLD TV 241115](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/c-n92OgbbwA/mqdefault.jpg)
![[sub] We have TAEMIN from a fairy tale 👑 I Hyeel's club 🍸 ep24 TAEMIN](/img/1.gif)
Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed discovering Taemin's Discography. 💙
He has 80 plus songs so u still have a ways to go, lol. But i am so glad u love his music like i do. Such a king!
i recommend you to watch taemin mama 2020,2016,2017
"Is it too early to be in love?" No. No, it's not. It's Taemin.
exactly
He is ONE of a kind.he is also so soft spoken, such a humble and kind human being. I love Jimin dancing, but Taemin came first.
aww
Welcome to Taemin's rabbit hole. "Destroy me more."❤❤❤
😂
Taemin is a different breed. He is beyond perfection and his art is incomparable. king of kpop for a reason.
Yes. I saw someone mentioning about Taemin that so much talent is engraved on him and it show itself.
That someone was watching Taemin's performance for the first time. :)
I loooove watching people discover Taemin, there's no one else like him!! Taemin is my all time favourite solo artist, he's on a different level imo ❤ also he's the cutest human being you'll ever see, the duality of him to then perform like he does is insane 😆
Taemin is a legend in the industry, as part of Shinee and as a solo artist. Especially as a dancer (although seriously he's an ace). I really hope you check out some dance practices/live performances!! His ability and style is 🔥you'll be blown away 😚(advice, IDEA, criminal)
For more I recommend IDEA, Strings, 2 Kids, Famous. For some vocal appreciation he has a Killing Voice, Lee Mujin. Also there's a pixid video with him and rookie idols which is super cute and funny.
Sorry for the info dump, super excited to see more videos from you !!!❤
You are finally reacting to the best soloist of all time according to music critics. The most cited Idol idol in the industry by other idols as a source of inspiration and role model. best dancer and performer in the entire industry. taemin has deep and well-crafted concepts. Taemin relies a lot on religious symbolism (good and evil), etc. Each of her MVs lends itself to detailed analysis because Taemin is inspired by books he has read, such as philosophy among others. Absolutely no one can compare to him. I subscribe for more reactions from Taemin. I recommend STUDIO CHOOM FOR DANCE PERFOMANCE ADVICE AND GUILTY
16 YEARS of career and he still surprises by setting himself limits and raising the bar so high that no one else reaches it except him
TAEMIN-KING
For Taemin you must wach his dance practice once you TAEM-in you can't TAEM-out ^^
Taemin is something else. He is art.
Can you believe he is even better live?!!
Taemin is like the harry potter of kpop. The entire music industry knows about him as soon as they mention his name. He is the blueprint of all male soloists. Jimin from BTS has him as a role model... his impact is due to his artistic quality incomparable to any other. They don't call Taemin the KING OF KPOP for no reason. So I recommend IDEA, PRESS YOUR NUMBER, SAYONARA HITORI and if you want to see dance performance I suggest you watch STUDIO CHOOM he has two: advice and Guilty
All of Taemin's MVs are stunningly beautiful and everything within them have meaning. Debuting in 2008 at the age of 14, you will discover that his discography is vast between his SHINee activities and solo work (he became a soloist in 2014).
Both SHINee and all the brothers love exploring or creating new genres of music. They always bring us something new with every comeback, and they never miss. As one of the first experimental groups of Kpop, you come to expect their genius with mixing genres together and producing magic. This latest comeback from Taemin didn't disappoint. Between "Guilty", "The Rizzness", and his December, 2023 "Meta-Morph" concert (which you can see on YT) he knocked it out of the park like the legend he is.
Along with Taemin's insane talent as a singer/dancer/performer, his creative involvement (sometimes as co-director/co-producer as with his 2020 "Never Gonna Dance Again", 2-pt. album) with all his projects and attention to the most minute details are what makes him an artist rather than an idol as it is with all of his fellow SHINee brothers. This is primarily why Taemin is given the best of the best in producers, directors and backup dancers. EVERYTHING, even the choreo, in Taemin's MVs conveys a much deeper meaning than what is conveyed in a surface reading of the lyrics. These are key things to remember when analyzing one of Taemin's works:
1) The simplest explanation is NOT the true interpretation (opposite from the philosophical argument of Occam's razor).
2) Taemin is deep into philosophy and regularly explores various world philosophies.
3) Many of Taemin's lyrics are directed inward to his psyche and history, spanning across a storyline using different philosophies as his concepts for each song.
4) He incorporates those philosophies along with religious symbolism, metaphors, and allusions to illustrate their conflict with his Christian faith (Taemin is Catholic).
5) Even his choreos reflect his commitment to his faith and give hints to look for a Christian worldview in his MVs, such as when he does his iconic "T-Pose", a symbol of the Crucifixion, or when he will incorporate a quick sing of the Cross within his choreo.
The MV/song you reacted to for "Want" is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. The entire MV is saturated with Christian symbols and metaphors from beginning to the very end and the lyrics are the same. The song is a retelling of Genesis 3 of the Bible. I won't go into it here because it would be too long, especially since I want to explain the meaning of "Guilty" in a second post.
Every comment said everything already!, I'm just going to add that his lives performances solo and with SHINee are legendary, his voice is SO good live plus his awesome dance. This man is a complete artist and performer. I assure you that you won't regret diving more into his work.
TAEMIN IS THE POWERHOUSE FOR MALE SOLOISTS IN KPOP. THE KING & ACE OF KPOP. He is built differently. He does not make commercial music and is quite experimental with his sound and very meticulous with his concepts and the creation of his MVS, that is why he is unique among the rest. i suggest IDEA
NO ONE DOES IT LIKE TAEMIN ❤❤
Welcome to SHINee world, in the words of our Maknea overlord Taemin, there's no exit. Taemin's entire discography is flawless. a truly no skip discography. that includes Korean songs and Japanese songs, title tracks and b-sides.
His Japanese discography it's great to. You can take any of his video and you can't get wrong.
YES!!!! Jimin from BTS and Hyunjin admire him a great deal. ❤
welcome in my TAEMIN's univers !!! he is the BEST singer an dancer in the kpop indusrty. he did have some diffuculty as singer at first bu his members helped him to be a great vocalist
Yoo I'm so happy you react to Taemin's musics and enjoying it, he's my all time favorite soloist because he just got everything and all his songs are just banger after banger after banger
Taemin has been in the industry for more than 15 years as part of the legendary 5-member Kpop group SHINee and he has been a solo artist since 2014. "Rizzness" is a B-side track and "Guilty" is his title track on his 4th mini Korean solo album.
I think "Guilty" is a continuation of the themes surrounding Taemin's previous releases. Particularly connected to his Never Gonna Dance Again trilogy of albums -- "2 Kids", "Criminal" and "Idea" -- and Advice album themes.
As Taemin has explained, "Guilty" is about a lover who DOESN'T feel guilty about all the bad things they have done in the relationship and they feel no shame or remorse for the pain and suffering they may have caused the other person. Which, if you connect it to the messages from his previous MVs, this easily could be interpreted as a metaphor for everything Taemin has gone through in his career and life. As an idol, he has been manipulated and controlled his whole life. Debuting at 14 years old, Taemin has lived his entire life in the public eye under a microscope, he is expected to be flawless and perfect, and people are constantly telling him what to do and how he should act, etc. However, now that he has turned 30, I think he is embracing a new chapter in his life where he is saying he is no longer going to allow people to manipulate him and he is officially taking back control. In other words, he's not going to feel guilty any more for being himself and doing what makes him happy.
The story in the "Guilty" MV also makes more sense if you pair it with the 2 teaser videos that were released a few days before the MV dropped. In the teasers you will see Taemin being manipulated even more by outside forces and people who literally at one point hand him a gun and force him to shoot something or someone, which is all part of the metaphor that has to do with taking control of his life, etc.
If you delve in deep you will see that "Guilty" could be interpreted as his relationship with fame and the different sides of who he is as a person and artist. Everything you see and hear can be thought of as a metaphor for life told using biblical references as an underlying theme showcasing Taemin's Catholic faith.The majority of Taemin's songs and MVs touch on concepts, stories and themes from the Bible, as a metaphor to explain what he has gone through growing up as an idol and the journey he has taken in order to find confidence in and acceptance with who he is as a person and an artist.
With Taemin -- and all the members of SHINee -- you will never get the same thing twice. Everything he releases will be a new style and sound and, yet, it will still be very "Taemin". As SM Entertainment's experimental boy group, SHINee are meant to be the first to do almost everything, and they are expected to come up with something new that no one has ever seen or heard before with every release of theirs. As Kpop's trendsetters, the members of SHINee reinvent the industry with every comeback.
Taemin is the main dancer and a main vocalist of SHINee. However, because he is a member of SHINee, this means he can do it all. SHINee are known for the fact that there are no longer any fixed roles in their group, the main vocalists can rap and the rappers can fill in as main vocalists at any moment. However, what they are really recognized for is the fact that they are one of the best vocal groups to ever exist. All of the SHINee members are top tier singers and dancers.
You may find this hard to believe, but when Taemin debuted as a member of SHINee way back in 2008, he didn't have a whole lot of lines in their songs. People even used to make fun of Taemin's singing and they would say that he was tone deaf and couldn't sing. However, it's sort of a misconception that Taemin "couldn't sing." it wasn't that he couldn't sing, it was just that he debuted when he was so young -- he was only 14 years old -- that his voice hadn't really developed yet and he didn't really have a good grasp of how to use his voice and produce the sounds he wanted with it. So, in the beginning, when he sang, he was often flat or his voice cracked or he was off key or out of tune, etc.
And because he was being compared to the other members of SHINee who are all 2 to 4 years older than him, and the other members had such phenomenal voices to start out with, it really made Taemin sound like he was lacking. (SHINee are considered THE premier vocal group that everyone dreams of being as good as.) That's why in SHINee's first few songs Taemin only has a few lines, and most of the time he was just given big solo dance breaks to fill the stage at his parts in the song.
However, if he was really tone deaf, he never would have become an SM Idol trainee -- SM would have put him on the dance track and probably steered him toward becoming a backup dancer -- and he definitely would have never become the amazing singer that he is today. As you probably know, someone who is truly tone deaf is physically unable to hear the difference in the notes and is unable to carry a tune.
Taemin is considered one of the greatest dancers of all time. He has literally been voted one of the top two BEST dancers in all of Kpop by his peers and industry experts. (Kai from EXO -- who happens to be Taemin's best friend since trainee days, and a fellow member of the Kpop supergroup SuperM -- is the other top dancer.) That is why he has been nicknamed the Korean Michael Jackson. Literally everyone in the Kpop industry looks up to Taemin and idolizes him.
But Taemin really wanted to prove to everyone that he wasn't just a dancer, so he spent a lot of extra time concentrating on vocal lessons and the other SHINee members -- especially Onew and Jonghyun (two of the best vocalists in the industry) -- spent some serious time coaching and mentoring him until he learned what it took to match their vocal range and to use his voice. (For the first year or more after SHINee's debut Taemin spent hours in vocal lessons and he would push himself every day until his nose would bleed because he was so tired and worn out, etc. He practically lived in the training rooms at SM.)
The ONLY thing the members of SHINee are not good at is lip syncing, so Taemin, and all the members of SHINee, have specifically trained since their debut, to build stamina and endurance, in order to be able to sing live for 3+ hours straight in concert, all while performing these intense choreographies and still sound flawless. When you watch a live performance, you may be shocked because Taemin and SHINee sound so perfect live even though they are dancing so intensely, but that is why they are so highly respected by everyone. Therefore, when you hear SHINee sing, 95% of the time it will be live.
Other Idols and audio sound technicians, etc. who have witnessed the SHINee members performing live are always blown away, because in the parts of the song where most singers would take a break and rely on the backing track vocals to cover their voices so they can catch their breath and recover, this is where the SHINee members actually ramp it up and become their most powerful.
In Taemin's live performance you will discover that he sounds even better than in the recorded version, all while dancing full out. What makes SHINee so great is that even if they are singing a cappella while performing this high energy choreography, they sound just as amazing. That's why, even as rookies, senior artists would stop what they were doing to watch SHINee's rehearsals on music programs because SHINee's vocal talent is that impressive.
When SHINee debuted, they were the first group to demonstrate how it was possible to sing live while performing complex choreography and still maintain stable vocals. Before SHINee, the thought within the industry was that it wasn't possible to sing live and also perform high intensity choreography at the same time. At that time, most groups would either sing live and have simple choreography, or they would have crazy cool choreography, but lip sync to their recorded vocals. SHINee completely changed the Kpop industry and upped the standard of what it meant to be an idol singer.
Taemin -- and SHINee -- live is unmatched. It's literally referred to as the SHINee standard. It's the standard that all other groups strive to reach, and SHINee are the vocalists that all other artists try to emulate.
Taemin has released at least one song or album -- most of the time way more than just one -- as part of SHINee, as a member of a project group, as a solo artist or as a member of SuperM every year since SHINee's debut. (Except for 2022 because he was on hiatus while he carried out his public service duties as part of his military requirements.) Therefore, including his full-length albums, mini albums, and singles, etc., as well as his Japanese albums, Taemin has more than a dozen solo albums. Not to mention the 2 albums he has as a member of SuperM. And on top of all that, SHINee currently has 14 full-length Korean and Japanese albums, just as many repackaged albums, numerous mini albums, etc. Plus, he has held many solo concert tours, as well as a world tour as a member of SuperM, and SHINee has held more than 100 concerts within 6 world tours so far. You have a TON to catch up on. :D
Now you need to check out Taemin's Killing Voice performance. I have a feeling when you watch his Killing Voice you will find that hearing him sing "Guilty," as well as his other songs, live that you will be even more impressed. There is a reason why Taemin is like none other. You also need to see his "Guilty" dance practice video and/or a live performance.
He is not 'just also a good dancer'... He is THE dancer! He is THE inspiration for almost every k-pop artist that came after him.
Jeanet, I was absolutely charmed when you went "off piste" almost immediately: that's the Taemin effect. I am always struck by his sensual, flirtatious performance self versus his soft-spoken, modest real self. Please check out "Sensuality" live and if you can, even if you don't react to it, his Pixid episode where he pretends to be a rookie idol. His reaction when all the others turn out to be hugely influenced and inspired by "Taemin sunbaenim" is not only telling but adorable.
Taemin the artist 🥰💎🎊🎁
I see "Advice" as a continuation of the themes within Taemin's previous Never Gonna Dance Again album trilogy -- "2 Kids," "Criminal" and "Idea." With "Criminal" and "Idea," Taemin talks about being involved in a toxic relationship -- not necessarily a romantic relationship, but a metaphor for his relationship with fame -- in which he agrees to be manipulated almost to the point of being destroyed in order to become the artist we see today. But, in the end of "Idea," we see him become free from the box everyone wants to put him in and he comes to terms with his role as an idol. He has now formed his own "Idea" about himself and what it means to be an idol, etc.
As Taemin explained during his VLive event for "Advice" -- which came out in 2021 -- "Advice" is like the end to the first chapter in his life, and it marks the beginning of the second chapter. The song seems to be his way of saying I am done caring to everyone who judged him and all those haters who spread rumors and misinformation about him. "Advice" is showing that he is now free and confident to be himself, breaking stereotypes and now only listening to himself.
Taemin is just one of those performers that leaves you speechless every time he steps on stage. He was born to be a performer and that is one of the reasons why he has become known as the Korean Michael Jackson. That is also why, as one of the top two performers in the industry, he was made a member of SuperM. Taemin is an Idol of Idols and a legend of legends. (He is considered the blueprint for what it means to be a successful as a male solo artist. He was one of the first male idols from an active group to go solo, and he did it at such a young age, starting in 2014 at 21 years old. He has been a solo artist for more than half his career.)
In "Advice" he's basically saying, "Stop trying to put me in a box, in which I'll never fit in." He is also speaking to everyone that says he's getting old, that he's just a Michael Jackson wannabe that doesn't sell a lot of albums because he tries too hard to be edgy, etc. He's rebelling against all those people who are constantly advising him to make more mainstream music, or to follow the traditional Kpop idol style, in order to boost his sales and his popularity. However, as Taemin is making clear in "Advice," that is not who he is and he will never be "normal" or "mainstream" and he is OK with that.
In the scenes where you see him covered in ink, I think that is supposed to be him showing everyone how he is no longer the "unstained," cute maknae everyone wants to think of him as. The diamond you see painted on his hand when he is playing the piano, and you see drawn on his bicep, etc. is SHINee's symbol and all the pearl aqua blue/green colors you see in the MV is SHINee's official color. (The large tattoo of a Peony flower you can see on his hip is real. Hence why in the lyrics he says, "I destroy the torso that you were chasing after." In other words, he's saying he's tired of people thinking they even have a say in what he does with his body.)
This song was specifically designed to not be like anything he has ever done before. He plays the piano, he raps, he shows off his falsetto notes, etc., which is different than what we often hear and see from him. He intentionally used this song to prove that he isn't one type of singer. People often think of Taemin as a sultry vocalist that sings in a breathy comfortable, less dynamic style. So, with this song he wants to prove to everyone that he can be unpredictable and try new things. Yet again, you can't put him in a box or tell him who to be. Everything you see in this MV is 100% Taemin, including the piano playing.
Everything that Taemin's haters like to point out about him and say are reasons why he shouldn't be held to such high esteem, I find completely ridiculous. I don't think that anyone who actually knows him would ever say he has played it safe at any time in his career. If you think he is only one dimensional, and that he is trying to be anything other than himself, then you really don't know Taemin. Everything he does is different, out there and definitely not safe. It's always uniquely Taemin, and he couldn't do it any other way.
Also, because Taemin is a member of SHINee, none of his songs are ever like anything you have ever heard or seen before from him. It will always have a new beat, style and sound. As SM Entertainment's experimental boy group, SHINee is meant to be the first and they are expected to set the trend, and that includes the members' solo work. With every new song Taemin produces it's expected to be different than the last, so you will never hear the same style or sound from him in any of his songs, even on the same album, and yet, it still will be uniquely Taemin-like. Which is another example of how you can never put him in a box or expect anything from him. :D
Another theme in "Advice" is about how Taemin is embracing his androgynous side -- but on his own terms -- which I think is a continuation of the message in his "Move" MV. Early in his career when Taemin was growing up in SHINee -- he debuted in 2008 at 14 years old -- he was known for his delicate feminine features. It took him a long time to accept that he was recognized for his looks and to come to terms with the fact that everyone thought of him as a "pretty boy," etc. So, at this point in his career -- he is now 27 years old in this MV -- he is making a statement about how he has decided to be himself and no longer care what people think. Music is art and art has no gender. So, that is why in "Advice" you see him wearing hair extensions, fishnets and women's Supreme sportswear, etc. But if you notice, his choreography is very fast paced and sharp, which is hyper masculine -- a complete contrast to the "feminine" image people want to give him. You also see him wearing makeup, but it's smeared on his face, as if to say, "people may think of me as a 'Pretty Boy,' but I don't care about looking pretty."
In the lyrics he is saying, "It's creepy how people are always looking to cause drama, so stop trying to create scandals in my life that don't really exist. It's all just stories you make up." He's tired of all those people who seem to look for reasons to cause drama, where none really exists.
Where he says "floppy" in the lyrics, I think he's talking about knowing about or hearing firsthand the things people are saying about him, but he is choosing not to pay attention to them because what they're saying is flopping or doesn't hold any weight or have any substance, etc. "Advice" just proves that every time people try to put Taemin in a box, he destroys it and keeps coming back with something more unique and never seen before.
Hence, why in the choreography he puts his hands in front of his face and creates a movement that looks like an animated mouth talking. It represents how everyone keeps talking about him and what they are saying is nonsense, which makes them look and sound ridiculous, etc. Which is why in the lyrics he says, "You will never get the keys to my lock" because he doesn't ever plan to give people what they want and allow them access to his secrets and personal life, etc. (Those people who like to gossip about him will never truly know the real him.)
I interpret the "One (piece of) Advice" he is talking about in the lyrics as a reference to the advice he keeps being given about being more mainstream, but he's saying, "stop trying to make me conform to the image you have in your head of who I should be and what I should do." In other words, take all that time and effort you have been using to come up with ways to talk about how he doesn't fit in, etc. and put it to better use. "Follow my own advice" and do something original for once.
And the crucifixion pose at the end of "Advice" is sort of a signature pose for him. I interpret it to be like he is saying, "And that is the end, this is my final word, take it or leave it, but don't doubt me. I have given it my all and laid everything I had out there for you," etc.
You should really see his "Advice" dance practice as well. It's a good way to see the full choreography without any cuts, edits or ackward camera angles.
Subbed, like and hit that bell for the GOD of kpop taemin. Thank you so truly much for showing taemin the love.
I would recommend famous, danger, press your number, day and night MVs
I really enjoy your reaction. Taemin is just pure Art! He has a lot of amazing songs ❤ have a nice day!
You’ve mentioned you liked dancing. I would suggest checking out Just Me And You, Thirsty and perhaps IDEA. These are all very different songs from different periods of time, but all three are amazing for different reasons. Thank for reacting to Taemin. He’s a mesmerizing artist, truly one of a kind.
Taemin is legendary! His Japanese discography is insane 😳 Sayonara Hitori, Flame of Love, Door, Under My Skin, and Famous!
Taemin is amazing 💎💙
You must see his live stage performance of badukan stage his first one and latest matamorph indeed all his stage performance are all best he is from shinee group they are best but before that you must see introducing version of shinee.
Idea is a must. Sayonara Hitori is amazing. Famous, Thirsty & Press My Number are more to do (with mvs) lots of great songs with only live or lyric videos
TAEMIN IS AMAZING 💕😍🥰
"Criminal" is the second part of Taemin's Never Gonna Dance Again album that came out in 2021. It's part of a trilogy, which started with his prologue "2 Kids," and continued with "Criminal," which is part of Act 1 of the album. And it was followed up by "Idea," which is part of Act 2 of the album and it brings the whole concept full circle. And now his follow up release, "Advice," has become the epilogue to the story.
Taemin said in an interview: "The two acts put together tell a story. '2 Kids’ is about growing pains and depicts the story prior to the story in the album. You can think of '2 Kids' as a teaser before the movie called 'Never Gonna Dance Again.' Act 1 shows a new side of me. I think it’ll be something you’ve never seen in K-pop before. And Act 2 is the end-all-be-all. It’s the ultimate level of intensity. Never Gonna Dance Again’ was originally the name of the concept. Because it doesn’t make sense for me to stop dancing. But I wanted to give a sense of rebellion with the irony of the title.”
Just so you know, the Taemin you see is not necessarily the criminal in the song. I see him as the victim who is being held captive by the criminal. The criminal is his lover (i.e. the other side of him) that he is singing about, which is a metaphor for the pressure he feels under as a Kpop idol. The song is about living in a toxic relationship and being brainwashed by a lover. He has now fallen in love with the person (or thing -- i.e. his career) who is inflicting all the pain and suffering on him, so now he accepts the abuse as a normal part of the relationship. Even though he is being abused by that person -- possibly a metaphor for the pressure he is creating for himself with the need to always be the best in everything he does -- he can't help but love them and allow them to continue to hurt him, etc.
All the abuse is happening to him, he is not hurting anyone else or doing anything criminal himself. Therefore, the story isn't about Taemin being a criminal. Notice, the S.W.A.T. team isn't arresting him. They pretty much walk right past Taemin and ignore him as they search for the criminal.
The "boss" vibe is a facade he puts on to make people believe he is in control, but as we see in the choreography, he is being manipulated by all the outside forces around him. For example, we see him lying across the backup dancers backs and they pick him up and manipulate him to do what they want him to do at that moment. A lot of his dance moves are designed to make him look like a marionette puppet that is being pulled around by strings and being told what to do. Which is what you see when he is crouched down and he creates that wiggly, wave movement in the dance, etc.
As part of the story, he has been held captive for so long that, as it says in the lyrics of the song, he is now suffering from Stockholm syndrome, so he is no longer fighting the abuse and that is why you see him throw his bindings away. The criminal -- which is a metaphor for the pressure he has felt in his career -- no longer has to tie him up to keep him there. (Because he has fallen in love with the pain and suffering he inflicts on himself as an artist, etc.) The backup dancers represent the forces he is struggling against as he fights with his mind over whether to stay or go, etc.
Fun fact: It was Taemin's idea to include the police blotter/news clips in that part of the song. If you notice, the sound bites are from all over the world and they are speaking multiple languages.
This album's whole concept is a metaphor for his life and career. With every release from this album, the concept was designed to be darker then the last. In "2 Kids" he was emotionally and physically beating himself up with regrets. In "Criminal" he was living in a toxic relationship. In "Idea" he takes the theme one step further, and says that even though it was my idea and my plan to live this life, nothing comes without a price, and because of that need for perfection, any chance of being average or living a regular life is pretty much dead. Taemin has sacrificed everything to become the magnificent and unique performer and person that we know him as today.
But there really is no one that pushes him or holds him to a higher standard then himself. Taemin has said that he really has never taken a true vacation since he was a trainee -- he started with SM Entertainment when he was around 11 years old -- and he doesn't know what to do if he isn't constantly working and training. As he has said, there has never been anything that has come easy to him and he has only gotten to where he is today because he has worked hard to accomplish everything. He is constantly pushing himself to become the best of the best in everything he does.
All of Taemin's dances tell a story. As he has said, he specifically designs his choreography to be a part of the story within the song and MV. So, "Criminal" is supposed to be slightly creepy, as well as sexy. He is literally being abused and asking you to please "destroy me more."
As a member of SHINee, Taemin has trained his entire career to be able to pull off this type of intense and intricate dancing while singing live and always sounding flawless the whole time. (SHINee debuted in 2008 when Taemin was only 14 years old.) That is what SHINee are known for. So not only is Taemin an amazing dancer, but he is also one of the best singers in the industry, and the 5 members of SHINee make up one of the top groups, that everyone looks up to and dreams of even coming close to being as good as.
If you are impressed with Taemin's dancing, not only should you see his dance practice video for "Criminal," but just wait until you see a live performance. You will be even more blown away. And if you want to see Taemin explain the concept behind his dance moves, watch a tutorial video he did where he explains the dance to Jeno and Mark from NCT.
Taemin is ART personified 👑💯💎🔥
Thank you for watching our Taeminnie. I think you would love the teasers for Guilty. It has a storyline and a message. Hope you can watch more of him :)
Thanks for reacting to Taemin!!! Would definitely recommend checking out his dance practices or more about his personality!!
You really REALLY have to check his dance practices, MOVE and Advice are amazing!
Soooooo you’re one of us now. Haha
But seriously, great job checking out his other popular MVs as well. This was a great selection. But when it comes to Taemin and his art, these are all just the tip of the iceberg. Enjoy the discovery! 🤗
TAEMIN is an awesome dancer !! 🤯🤯🤯🔥🔥🔥
I knew Taemin was my new favorite artist in the world on my first minutes watching criminal, so yeah it's never too early to be in love with him. Love at first sight.
I first saw Taemin in SM super group..Super M….fell for him, and watched everything he’s on!❤
Taemin💯💯💯
The look and feel for "Move" is very specific, it's supposed to be androgynous and gender neutral. Early in his career when Taemin was growing up in SHINee he was known for his feminine look. The industry thought it was novel and cute to play up his feminine features. Being recognized for his delicate image, ended up giving him a real complex about the fact that people never saw him as a masculine man. It took him a long time to accept that he was known for his looks and to come to terms with the fact that everyone thought of him as a "pretty boy," etc. So, at this point in his career as a 24 year old (He is 30 now) he was trying to make a statement about how he has now come to terms with just being himself and not caring what people think. Dancing is art and movement has no gender.
"Move" is his title track on his 2nd Korean solo album, which was released in 2017. He debuted as a solo artist in 2014. There are 3 versions of his "Move" MV. Version #1 is the regular MV version, which you watched. Version #2 is his solo performance version that just highlights his dancing. Version #3 is the duo version, which focuses on the choreographer and him dancing together.
Fun fact: The blue color you see throughout this MV is supposed to represent the cool, chill vibe of this song, but Pearl Aqua also is SHINee's fan color, so you will see aqua/blue/green shades with most everything to do with SHINee as a way to represent their connection as a group and their connection to their fans, etc.
And just so you know, those background vocals aren't Taemin's. They actually chose to leave the songwriters' vocals in the song from when they recorded the guide track. I have seen interviews with Adien Lewis, one of the original songwriters and he was shocked to hear his voice still in the song. Usually when a Kpop company gets a song from a songwriter, especially a foreign songwriting team, they will translate it into Korean and record all the vocals using the artists' vocals or other Korean artists, etc. Therefore, it's very rare that a songwriter would have their original vocals in a Kpop song, however, this was one of the few times where SM didn't rerecord or change everything. If you're interested, here is a short clip of an interview with Adien Lewis talking about "Move", ruclips.net/video/hTxbaiWyrmA/видео.html.
"Move" features all female dancers because the whole point of the song and dance is supposed to be about crossing gender boundaries and how just because you are male doesn't mean your dance has to be hyper masculine. Taemin uses what is traditionally considered more feminine dance moves to show how you can merge both feminine and masculine styles together to create something that can't be singled out as one gender or the other. This dance allowed a more mainstream audience to start to embrace less traditional gender roles within Kpop.
"Move" is one of Taemin's most famous choreographies and it has become the dance he is most recognized for.This dance has inspired what is known as the "Move disease," and it is said that the dance is so catchy that you can't help but try to imitate it. There are literally hundreds of videos online of people attempting cover dances to this song. (It is on the level of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" dance and some of the most famous TiKTok dance challenges.) However, no matter how good of a dancer they are, it is quickly apparent that there is just something about the way Taemin moves that can't be duplicated. Taemin is Taemin and there is no one else like him. The dance is never as sharp or precise as the way Taemin does it. That is why he is hands down considered one of the top two BEST dancers in the industry.
Taemin's "Move" choreography is actually considered by professional dancers to be one of the most difficult dances to pull off because of the amount of control you have to have and the intricate movements. They say that if Taemin's dances look easy then that means they are extremely difficult and if they look difficult then they are almost impossible to pull off unless you are Taemin. There's a reason why EVERYONE looks up to him, even world-famous dancers.
As Taemin has said numerous times in interviews and on variety shows, the key point in "Move's" choreography is literally supposed to be to stare into the camera like you are trying to seduce the person who is watching. So, you are right, that is exactly what Taemin is doing.
The female dancer who is the featured dancer dancing with Taemin in the MV wasn't just any dancer, she is the choreographer who choreographed "Move". Her name is Sugawara Koharu and she is a Japanese choreographer who has choreographed dances for several Kpop groups, as well as American artists. She has worked with Taemin a lot over the years and she is the one that also choreographed Taemin's dance for his songs "Want," "Flame of Love" and "Sayonara Hitori" and helped choreograph Taemin and her performance on the competition program Hit the Stage -- "Devil" performance, etc., and she was one of 3 or 4 choreographers who helped choreograph Taemin's "Criminal." Taemin and Sugawara are really good friends. She was also the choreographer for SHINee's song "Good Evening," among others. She loves working with Taemin because they are a lot alike, and that is one of the reasons why she has been featured in several of Taemin's projects. Plus, Taemin, and all the members of SHINee, are also one of the most famous artists in Japan and they all speak fluent Japanese, so they have no problem communicating through dance or language. :D
You should now check out his dance practice video, as well as a live performance so you can really see why this song is so iconic and discover how it literally changed the Kpop industry.
Taemin's choreography is very much influenced by him. Although he has input in almost everything he does, he has choreographers that come up with the choreography for most of his dances and he then infuses it with his own ideas and style and makes it uniquely his. The way Taemin dances is just the way he moves. His movements are effortless. If you watch Taemin dance a lot, you will see that no matter who choreographs the dance, it will always be very Taemin-like.
Taemin's style of dance can't be defined. As he has said, he has worked his entire career to create a style of dance that is unlike anything in the Kpop industry. And I would argue that that now extends to the entire industry of dance. Taemin started out as a self-taught popper and locker without any dance training, and, even then, as a trainee it was clear his skills as a dancer went far beyond the average dancer. Over the years he has infused those popping and locking skills into his now more contemporary style of dance. But, when it comes to dancing, he can do it all and there is no one better at it than him.
Taemin is definitely very talented. I’d be interested to see you reaction to some other solo artists too. I recommend TEN (MVs: Birthday and Nightwalker), WOODZ (MV: Love Me Harder, Ready To Fight, and Feel Like), and DPR IAN (MV: So Beautiful, Don’t Go Insane, and So I Danced). Also for another KPop group I would recommend Monsta X.
Taemin is One Of The Kind. He is one of the best ❤
Yes love our Taemin!
Please react to his Japanese discography 🎉 Thanks for the reaction, I recommend his oldest mvs i love danger and press your number💎💙
Welcome to the fandom ❤️ I hope you could see more of his music and arts.. You should definitely continue the journey with all his remaining MVs: IDEA, Press Your Number, Danger and some of his B-side tracks like Heaven, Identity, Black Rose, Ace, and literally anything you come through because you won't be disappointed
Taemin is a GOD.
Omgg yyaaaaass 🤩🤩🤩🥰
Taemin has it all, visual,charm,dance and vocal, the best artist ever to me ,
Now, let me give you my take on "Guilty". When putting of the things we need to look for in a Taemin MV together, we begin to see what is going on in this MV. In short, this is not about a toxic relationship between a couple, but rather the continuation of Taemin's toxic struggle between the relationship of the two egos in his mind (indicated by the hand inside his shirt grabbing himself -- it's coming from inside himself): the demon tempting him with the perks of his celebrity life clashing with his Christian self desiring to adhere to his Christian worldview. Taemin LOVES what he does, but the temptations to go astray and embrace a worldly lifestyle are many. This is the cause of his guilt. The person clinging to the attendant's leg is Taemin himself. He's trying to cling to his faith-based identity. He digs his fingers into his own flesh to feel pain and bring himself back to, or hold onto, reality. This personal story concept, initially introduced in his 2016 MV for "Press Your Number", also runs through his 2018 Japanese song, "Under My Skin, as well as 2020's "Criminal", "IDEA" (in fact the entire "Never Gonna Dance Again" Acts 1 & 2 albums of 2020), and 2021's "Advice" (look carefully at the black/white contrast & then Taemin's suit).
For this particular song/MV, Taemin indicated that he researched both "Demian" by Hermann Hesse and ""Erotism: Death and Sensuality" by the French philosopher, Georges Bataille. His concept is that of guilt and how humans process their guilt, especially with respect to dealing with toxic relationships. For Taemin, this toxic relationship is within himself and is displayed through the character he plays of Abraxas (wearing a headdress and representing the gnostic demigod of a heretical sect and later referred to as a demon). However, Taemin also plays the character of himself being tormented by this internal demon who constantly plagues and entices him to go astray. The entire song is a dialogue between Abraxas and Taemin. During the dialogue, Taemin is struggling (the choreo) to fight off being possessed and swallowed completely by Abraxas. We see even more of this struggle in the b-side performance video for "The Rizzness" which you also reacted to. You clearly see the demon, "Abraxas" alone all in black (death, evil, chaos in religious terms) and Taemin dressed in white (associated with innocence, righteousness, and good in contrast to black) with backup dancers.
We see Taemin walking through institutions of his memory such as a school (which, as an introvert, he hated), hospital/mental institution (brainwashing-Taemin was extremely se*ualized by the industry as a very young idol specifically because he was so pretty and just 14 at debut), and training center (SM?), always being controlled and in situations that produce temptations to go against his values. If he is not constantly vigilant, "....when you've caught on (Abraxas), I'm already gone (Taemin)." In other words, he will lose himself instantly because the temptations are so appealing and addictive (as illustrated in his MVs for "Want" & "Famous"). The "poison apple" is the bait, (again just like in 2019's "Want" & "Famous")..."want a bite?" "Just a little more, that's all it takes." "Gift you once as a bait, then I (Abraxas) take everything." The demon is the father of hundreds of lies.
The pre-chorus and chorus are actually further dialogue between Taemin and Abraxas:
[Pre-chorus]
Ooh-ooh
(On that vague border between good and bad - Taemin)
You played the fool for me - Abraxas
(My judgment in the final moment - Taemin)
[Chorus -- all Abraxas]
Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
You got me G-U-I-L-T-Y -
Trick and take everything from you
Again, just playing a game all for fun
Hundreds of lies
Ooh yeah
Taemin is a genius when it comes to interweaving layers of meanings into his lyrics (which he often rewrites/tweaks from SM samples to make them fit his concepts) and leaving us mesmerized, trying to arrive at the deepest look into his psyche. This is why he is the ultimate artist for me. Yes, I love his dancing, but it's his lyrical and musical prowess that truly captivates me, while also gratifying my desire for deeper, meaningful Christian messaging that is usually lacking in actual Christian music.
Yessss taeminn
Thank you for reacting Taemin, He and all SHINee members are so amazing ❤
His first solo song Danger! Must watch MV and live. I think he was 21. Incredible!!
Bienvenida al mundo sin retorno del idolo de ídolos del KPOP. LEE TAEMIN .Su discografia es maravillosa TE recoundo SAYONARA HISTORY . TRASTE. TU Y YO. IDEA ..Y Su concierto SIRIO Y METAMORFOSIS ARTES .Verlo en vivo es facinante. .Tiene una presencia escénica Unica. ❤
I like TAEMIN. His vocals are amazing. His dancing is top-notch.
The king of kpop is back❤
이태민 이태민 이태민 🩵
Thanks a lot!❤ I recommend watching his live performances too. From the MV I recommend: Idea, Famous, Press your number, Sayonara Hitori, Under my skin, Flame of Love, Thirsty, Taemin's charming side in Thaink of you (song lyrics written by Taemin) Live performance: Heaven, Sexuality, Artistic groove, Guess who, Shadow, Eclipse, Rise, Guilty
Thank you for the reaction to the King❤
In the Move video the girl in black who dances with a Taemin is Koharu who choreographed this dance. Watch the Move #3 video to see them do the whole thing together. It’s my favorite.
Fun fact: That's not just any female dancer in Taemin's "Want" MV. The girl you see highlighted in the shadows is Yoo JiMin (Karina) who is the leader and main dancer of aespa. She participated in this song as a rookie trainee even before aespa's debut. ("Want" was released in February 2019 and aespa didn't debut until November 2020.) She also participated in some of his live comeback stage performances and she was in his "Want" dance practice video.
"Want" is one of those songs that the lyrics take the song and performance up to the next level. :D As you can see, the lyrics give everything a whole other feel and it helps to explain the images and story you see being told in the MV.
Many people think that "Want" has a vampire vibe, and I can see where some might get the vampire feel from this MV. After all, one of Taemin's nicknames is SHINee's eternal vampire because in some performances and MVs, the way he looks and the aesthetic of the performance gives him a vampire image.
However, in "Want" Taemin is supposed to be portraying Lucifer. That's why he seems to have a love affair with those snakes. (The ones he is holding are real snakes.) And, like Lucifer, he is supposed to be seducing the audience and the girl using his devilish powers, which is why the choreography looks like he is slithering like a snake. The gate you see him standing in front of is supposed to be a representation of "The Gates of Hell " from French artist Auguste Rodin. Taemin is Catholic, and most of his MVs showcase his faith as it tells the story using numerous Biblical references.
The style and aesthetic in "Want" is just the kind of vibe we have all come to expect from Taemin. He has a very sensual/sexy way of moving and, as a soloist, it's kind of his signature thing.That is why all his songs are titles such as "Danger," "Soldier" "Sexuality," "Tiger," "Press Your Number," "Guess Who," "Mystery Lover," "Hypnosis," "Crazy 4 U," "Flame of Love," " Under My Skin," "Thirsty," "Want," "Criminal," etc. or "Ace," "Already", "Door, "Pretty Boy," "Move" "Artistic Groove," "Famous," "Idea," etc. Each song is meant to show you exactly why he is one of the best in the industry even just by their titles. I find it interesting that all of his songs, with the titles alone, tell you exactly what Taemin is all about. If you look at all the titles of his songs, you will see that the titles convey one of two things about him, either painting a picture of his sexy and sensual onstage personality, or they explain his dedication and passion as an artist.
Taemin is very unique and never does the same thing twice, he is constantly switching up his sound and dance style. However, you will see that he always stays true to himself. Many choreographers who have worked with him over the years have said that, with Taemin you can't help but allow him to move in whatever way his body takes him. Taemin is art in every sense of the word. :D
Taemin started when he was a child by copying dancers that he saw on TV such as Michael Jackson and Kpop star Bi Rain. And he didn't have any formal training until he joined SM. As trainees, SM originally planned to make SHINee a hip-hop group, so Taemin's dance training started out focusing on hip-hop dance styles like popping and locking. However, over the years, he has devoted himself to learning every style of dance. Now he is considered one of the top two best dancers. (EXO's Kai -- who happens to be Taemin's best friend since trainee days and is a fellow member of SuperM -- is the other top dancer.) Taemin is literally the artist that everyone within the Kpop industry looks up to and respects.
Ha ha No
Its not too early
He is the finest soloist
You picked a great set of intro songs
Nailed 2 of my favourite outfits (there are others)
Picked up on lots of good stuff
You did well
Enjoy the rabbit hole
This Prince of Kpop never misses or disappoints
@thespianoge said on 11/5/23
Some initial bullet points:
I definitely think The Rizzness is a diss track to the industry.
My interpretation of Blue is that it’s about/for Shawols. The pearl-aqua ocean of fan lights.
Taemin’s variety is huge and I highly recommend going through his discography. He’s a stunning, creative, chameleon like soloist and I love his soft, soothing voice that can grow to an impressive belt. It could be interesting to go though his discography in order to see his growth, but ultimately I’d recommend Never Gonna Dance Again Act I and II (both have some of my very favorite songs and I honestly can’t pick between the two…) I’m not the hugest fan of his debut Ace based mainly on my personal taste.
He’s incredibly involved in picking the songs, though isn’t a songwriter himself as a rule.
Taemin has specifically said that this is the beginning of his “Act II” in his career and basically life in general from what he’s said.
And now…you wanted to read a think piece on the MV. Boy, do I have one for you.
Pardon the RIDICULOUSLY long essay. I have been meticulously and obsessively dissecting this video since it came out. cracks knuckles
I have three main theories. I’ll talk about this later, but he experienced a traumatic military service and it could be speaking to that. It could also speak to being taken advantage of by the industry as a child, especially. And as a queer person who kind of finds queerness in everything, I felt gay conversion camp vibes from the time I saw the first trailer.
There's also the book Erotism by Georges Bataille that the director recommend he read in preparation for this comeback. It’s about the intersections of sexuality, religion, death, the sacred and the profane and taboo. (Which has ironically basically been his brand from the beginning, more or less.)
There’s also the quote by Herman Hesse that he's mentioned in interviews even before enlistment from the book Demian. "The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world. The bird flies to God. That God's name is Abraxas." People think that the feather crown is a nod to Abraxys, which is supposed to be a heretic god, both God and Satan, without a binary.
I found the lyrics somewhat at odds with the MV, but maybe to condense the most basic thesis is wrestling within oneself with their guilt, warranted or not, until one finds their way to set themselves free.
They evolve like the bird fights out of the egg to destroy their prior world to find their inner god, both good and bad, the radiant and the taboo, but it’s on their own terms, like in Demian.
For the queer theory: At the beginning he's wearing Homme Girls boxers (he's actually worn them before and they're HEAVILY featured in his album photo book) from the beginning. It could mean some sort of secret queerness kept under wraps.
Then he graduates to a denim skirt but with a cross necklace, perhaps still trying to convince himself that he could return to the comfort of conformity, and finally, a skintight floral
"feminine" look. Coming into his own personal expression, claiming it after the flaming arrow hits the target.
To go further down the rabbit hole, my queer headcanon saw the brief scene featuring two young people in an intimate moment in a room off the hallway, walking in on something forbidden, which he quickly left at 21 seconds. The person on the left is the person in the long sleeves featured at the 36 second mark.
Some people read it as young Taemin, with old Taemin looking at himself as a child, which totally makes sense. Except when I first saw it, I read it as an androgynous girl and was kind of confused about her significance. So I could be completely wrong but I read some queerness into that brief scene as well. Or it’s just Taemin looking in on his younger self in early sexual experimentation.
In the original trailer, there were a bunch of kids playing in the creek. Some were male and some female, but they were indistinguishable from each other. I even didn't clock it until someone else mentioned it.
But once they were in their uniforms, there was a clear delineation where the girls were now wearing skirts, enforcing the gender roles they were previously unconcerned about.
I'll also mention a content warning for racy talk. There's also a brief moment in the scene in the bunks with someone holds the head of someone with a baseball cap in front of their fully clothed groin. In the split second moment at 1:45, Taemin’s hand is seen lifting up the chin of someone. They have an Adam’s apple.
Finally, the most obvious line that people have latched onto is “loving is a crime.”
With the military theory, he ended up having to leave the military proper and go into the public service sector for the rest of the time due to extreme anxiety and depression. There's been documentation of idols (G-Dragon is a good example) being treated extremely badly by other members, even as much as trying to take photos of them in the shower and such. It's entirely possible he had a traumatizing time in there on top of his preexisting mental health conditions.
Especially as someone who has been sexualized by being beautiful and feminine since he was literally a child in the industry, this may have made him an even bigger target than just being an idol. So one interpretation of this MV is referencing the invasive nature of an institutional (military) setting. Medical examinations, forcing violence, having a hand help him him hold up the gun to shoot it as seen in the trailer, bunks, etc. With this theory, he would have to walk a fine line because it would be criticizing the South Korean military.
Then there’s the theory of being an idol from basically childhood and the ways he has been taken advantage of. He began training at the age of 12 and debuted at the age of 14. There is literally a RUclips video entitled “The Sexualization and feminization of Lee Taemin” chronicling the way adults have been creepy and inappropriate to him since the beginning. The bunks are like like trainee dorms, and he looks back on his old self with sadness and pity. The clinging to the leg of a captor because there’s no other choice. The early loss of innocence, but ultimately coming out empowered by the end.
Throughout the MV, he danced in an especially tortured way after depicting memories of invasive manhandling which tracks along any interpretation. There’s clearly a story about someone vulnerable and their journey to self discovery and purging themselves into their empowered "final form.” His hand-under-the-shirt move may have something to do with a secret desire or feeling that keeps trying to get out, perhaps like the temptation of the biblical serpent. Or, as per the title, secret guilt choking him.
With the skirt look, there are many keys around his waist. Perhaps this could signify that he already has the keys that he needs to “unlock” himself and they’re all ready for when he’s ready to use them. It could be a reference to his song Advice when he says “you’ll never get the keys to my lock. Like he is the only one who holds the keys to unlock himself, kept safe on his person.
In the scene outside in the uniforms near the end, there is the building of extreme anxiety with the inhaler and the gripping and scratching of his legs to try to cope and gather the strength to “burn it all down”/be his true self.
The self knowledge that it must be done but he’s scared shitless. One last clinging to authority/the system with they leg, and finally the full acknowledgment that he needs to do it anyway with determination in his eyes.
The I think that the lyrics aren’t projecting outwards towards another person, but rather a back and forth with himself, with his conscience vs his base desires. And the lyric “I can walk like that, talk like that, play like that" could apply to all three readings, be it “passing” as queer/cis, appearing to mentally and emotionally healthy, or the training and indoctrination trainees receive to behave perfectly as idols.
In livestreams before the comeback, he spoke about how he was going to “walk the tightrope to see how far he can go.” He’s definitely toeing the line with any one of these topics. He and his team are BRILLIANT.
More SM artists plz. They are literally next level!
It cracked me up when she said something akin to “ooh, if he can dance, too, then I’m in trouble”. Oh, my friend, you are definitely in trouble. As are we all. He is King. 💎
Oh my god you know taemin too😭💜💜💜
TAEMIN is currently an artist who can combine it all: dancing, charisma, performing and singing at the highest level at the same time.
1/ Some idols can sing better than TAEMIN but I'm sure they can't reach his dancing level
2/ Some others may have a dancing level close to TAEMIN's level, but they certainly can't sing as well as him
Especially, no one can do what TAEMIN does. He is the different level forever. THE KING of kings
Welcome to Taemin world - enjoy the ride. Do remember to watch all dance practises.
I've never been a fan of him. I mean I really liked his solo stuff, but it never hit me hard. And then I saw him live and he's so charming and have such amazing stage presence, that even though I'm an EXO-L and the first band I would recommend is always EXO I would definitely add that everyone should check out his solo stuff and go see him live if anyone have this chance!
Same he brought me Back into kpop After kinda leaving it in 2004....Press ur Numder was his,solo Caught my eye
Further Taemin recommendations: Idea, Danger, 2 Kids, Thirst. Japanese tracks: Sayonara Hitori (Solitary Goodbye) and Flame of Love. Songs without mvs: Black Rose, Sensuality and Rise.
he was also in the superm group while his team members were in the army
Detouring for Move, Criminal and Want was such a good idea though!
Taemin is great friends with Jimin. They are both in the same friend group 🥰
On Yoongis show Suchwita Taemin was a guest in the 20. episode and spoiler:
Jimin is a surprise guest for Taemin
Cont...
Hi, i am back. Good rection(The Rizzness), ty. It's not bad. The rhythm is ok. Like his singing more. Glad to see him exploring rap more. He good. He is still growing. He should be confident. He got so many looking up to him. King! HE IS ART. After Advice i hoped he would explore rap more. I am glad he did. Shinee has rap songs. So they all know how to rap. But this is his own version. It's different and i really like it in Guilty. Borahae. -NY USA 2019 Army💟
Good reaction(Guilty), ty. Good song. On 1st listen I felt strongly like crying. The tears were held in though the whole song though. But at the end i had to wipe my eyes. I just want to hug Taemin. On my 2nd listen i read the lyrics. And after i wondered was my reaction all in my head. There are layers here upon layers. Loved the fits and makeup. Some of the subject matter was an issue for me. I know Taemin had lots of mental health issues in the military. Based on the teasers I thought he would talk about it. And it looks like he does in his own way. I really want to hear his views on this song and album. I watched Suchwita ep. w. Taemin right after this. Glad he is back giving us headaches, lol. Perfect vocals in my opinion. The feathered headband is a Native American thing for me. I feel it has an important significance. The lyrics had nothing to do with the images in the MV. I think this is way over my head and i will watch some reactions to see what others think of Taemin's msg here. Feels based on imagery. Great choreo. The dance practice was so good. Hope u watch the live stages.
Loved that long skirt. He looked so good, dang.
I also was getting examination. After a few reactions i am thinking he is showing military and psych mental health area. Like a mix of places. I was thinking were ppl saying he was guilty of making them feel attracted to him? Does he feel guilty about something? Lots of thoughts going through my head. I am so glad u watched the teasers. The more i watch the more i think that he is combining the military facility with a mental health facility. And we know he suffered in the military and asked for a transfer. So it seems he is portraying his struggles here.
@ireneserrano4570 said on 10/30/23
I'm still confused about the exact meaning, but again, there could be different interpretations as with his other songs. But from the visuals i get the feeling it refers to abuse, it can be at so many levels. It can have psychological and physical or both, you can suffer it under your own family, friends, at school, at work, in love relationships... Then who is the perpetrator? many times you can be trapped by those people, even in a group or the society, you don't even realise but by the time you realise you have been actually abused THEY are gone, who can you blame exactly? I have gone through my own dose of abuse, and after years you realise but you end up blaming yourself too, as if you hadn't known better but then you allowed it...😢 Also the images of classroom and rooms with beds, and a kid surrounded by a group...Taemin is watching him from the door as if he was watching himself as a kid... also at the end those kids in school uniforms, all spread around, one grabbing the legs of an adult that grabs his leg, bleeding... South Korea also has buIIying as endemic.. at schools (kids also teachers committing suicide as they can't either find understanding or help by their surroundings, on the contrary they are treated as the outcast and weirdos) also at the workplace, in the Military, in university... Their social rules, their stratification and obsession with seniority, comparing their ages, wealth, possessions, their marks, everything... the social pressure on kids and in general on everyone to be better, the most xx the most xx...). The crazy mix of their traditional values and the contrast to the monstruos capitalism that devours all traditional values... traditional collectivism versus wild individualism...
@pamela-623 said on 10/30/23
this is an amazing comeback, so artsy so taemin, shawols had lots of interesting theories, my favorite being that this is an interpretation of the struggles in military enlistment, young men being taken, examined and given a gun, i find it so fascinating
@princesssunshine79 said on 10/31/23
From what I have picked up here and there, I THINK, don't quote me, the song is about training at an extremely young age in a very exploitive industry, his horrible experience while doing his military service, and his own mental health. Again, I am not positive about any of this. But, for Taemin, it makes a lot of sense. Especially the last two bits because his 2 years away was a nightmare that really messed with his mental health and depression. I hope this helps a wee bit. 😁
@sumim2192 said on 11/1/23
Just a note, In July (I think), Taemin updated his Instagram bio with a famous quote from Hermann Hesse's famous novel Demian “The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world. The bird flies to God. That God's name is Abraxas.” I think his outfit with the feather hat represents the god Abraxas.
@prisonbreakd said on 10/31/23
The way he does dark concepts is so amazing to me.
I think if you think about how guilt feels, the video/song represents it perfectly. The way he moves through the corridors and outside, and the choreography feels like he is out of control, and being suffocated by the situation, he is overwhelmed and struggling to understand up from down, invisible and visible hands push him around. You can't help but feel sad or sorry for him, despite him singing that he's done something horrible. And I think it's because, unlike in "Want", he is not proud or embracing it here; his pain, struggle and guilt are obvious. It's haunting.
To me, the overall story of the video was that love (and life) is not always cutesy and sweet; it can come with a dark side, conflicting feelings, being intense and too much. You can do things you regret, and it can spin out of control, you can be aware of doing something wrong and not know how to stop, you can want things that are not good for you or someone that you care about. You can hurt people and be aware of what you are doing but not know how to do it better. You can love the wrong people, make mistakes and feel... well, guilty. It's just a very painful side of human experience that we don't like to look at because guilt and shame go together and make us very uneasy.
@pandakholin said on 10/31/23
9:55 Yep. Rian, Simeez, Noze and Rozalin. They’ve been Taemin’s backup dancers since Criminal.
Also here is Suzy Hong and Kim Haeun.
Only the best of the best for Taemin.
@lunemaline1338 said on 10/31/23
Taemin has spoken before how he regrets debuting so young in a very exploitative industry, that mixed with how hard his military enlistment period was for his mental health I see this being about him kinda losing his innocence and being thrown into violence. the shot of him looking at one of the dancers that kinda looks like a younger version of him having fun with everyone else to him being in this medical room and being moved like a puppet, forced to hold a gun and being stripped of his individuality by wearing this school uniform. That’s what I love about Taemin’s music and MV’s it starts to make you think and theorize, he’s super creative.
@schuylernefcy3466 said on 10/31/23
Other note, It's like Taemin is singing the part of the abuser and dancing the part of the abused and I can't believe how hauntingly beautiful it is.
@bea_hae_tae9392 said on 11/3/23
Taemin has talked about the literature that inspired this concept: Erotism: Death and Sensuality by Georges Bataille and Demian by Hermann Hesse.
Love that Taemin decided to do things his own way with his own colors. I don't see anyone else doing this concept, or even the way in which he does it. Just stunning! Great reaction, thanks for giving so much love to his work.
@carriemorgan2704 said on 11/1/23
Casper and Bada Lee did the choreography. Just amazing. Loved your reaction. You were as excited as me. The man is ART. I agree. My fav song he's ever done. Big call...but this was a literal experience.
I remember watching your guardian reactions! Very happy to see you check out my favourite idol lol ❤️
Welcome to SHINee World! Once you Taem-in, you can't Taem-out.
Taemin is an artist transcending kpop. You might love Just Me and You, Soldier & Rise (live), Stone Heart (live), and do NOT miss his dance practices. Speaking of dancing, the girl in Want is Aespa's Karina pre-debut, while the solo dancer with him in Move is Sugawara Koharu, the choreographer for Move, Want, and SHINee's Good Evening.
SHINee have always had female dancers in their videos, and Taemin's Japanese dance crew are incredible. Just watch the dp for Famous to see...and of course, many of not most of his current Korean dance crew are well known choreographers in their own right. Quite a few have appeared on Street Woman Fighter, etc.
And thank you so much for your reaction!
Keep Stan taemin ❤
Check out Jimin in his Who video. He’s a singer and dancer.
The king of kpop ❤❤❤❤ he's so good
Do you know what is shocking?
His B-side tracks are also a feast to ear, ranging different heights.
Cont...
Good reaction(MOVE), ty. So glad u looked into him. Now I can learn with u. =0] Jimin is pals with Taemin. They have a lot in common i hear. They also did a dance together. So i slowly started to listen to his songs. I love Sayonara Hitori /Goodbye by him. It's beautiful. Hope u check it out. Love this one. It's catchy. His visuals are great. He is very striking to me in this MV. Liked his vocals too.Loved the choreo. It's MJ inspired but focused on the slow movements more. Nothing I have seen before. So it really surprised and pleased me. I saw a lot of inspo Jimin got from him. But I also see how Jimin is different and his own artist. It was cool to see that. Hope u see the dance practice. It's really good. He is smooth with it. I see why Jimin is a fan. I liked the girl backup dancers too. Love that he uses just great dancers overall consistently. My understanding was that others said he had an androdunous look to him. And he accepted that after a time. This is the song where he accepts himself as is. He accepts both sides of himself. I also heard that Taemin started the looking into the camera dead on. He was the 1st to do it and inspired others. Hugs. -NY USA 2019 Army💟
The #1 is because there are 3 versions of Move, the regular MV and 2 performance videos. One is the solo, where he’s dancing with his girls and the other is with his choreographer Koharu Sugawara.
dheu said on 1/24/22
You’re right, the dance moves in the choreo are more stereotypically “feminine” moves. Move is the moment when Taemin fully embraced his androgyny and confidently mixed masculine and feminine dance into his choreo, because as he has said before, he doesn’t see things as “male dance” vs “female dance” but rather all dance moves are a form of expression that should not be tied to one gender or another. He is not afraid to challenge the stereotypes of Kpop dance styles, and for this reason the Move choreo is iconic, with idols of both genders even to this day covering the song and the dance. It was so different from anything that came before and still stands out as one of the most unique choreos for Kpop. This is one of his defining moments in his solo career, I think, because he really began to set himself apart with a distinct artistic vision for his songs and dance style from here on out (Not saying it wasn’t like this before but rather he seemed to become more confident about it from here on IMO).
I also love that he uses both female and male backup dancers and has them do the same choreo. He really does actively support the idea that no dance or dance style is gender-restricted.
Thank you so much for the reaction!
blinking game said on 1/30/2020
The best thing about Taemin is that he really started a movement in K-pop. His androgynous looks weren't always in his favour and back then he said how he always wanted to be as manly as the others but now he embraces it. He says how dancing isn't about gender and how he wants to show that there shouldn't be any differences between girl idol and male idol's dancing. Most of the time he uses female back-up dancers and it wasn't that common yet that your female back-ups have the same spotlight as the male idol in the center, they usually were just a bonus but in Taemin's performances they're a part of the whole performance and it wouldn't work as well without them. Even during his concerts there are sections where only the female dancers are on the stage and dance without him as a transition. Recently Taemin also talked about wearing make-up a lot this was what he said: "For me, I think there is no absolute standard on masculinity. Nowadays, there are a lot of men who care about skin care and even use makeup to express themselves. I feel like there was a strict gender classification in the past, but the boundaries have become more blurred and our society is more about accepting and respecting each other’s differences these days. If makeup highlights and empowers my unique appeal, why not use it?"
You should check out his song "Pretty Boy" with the lyrics, that was his collab with Kai and he chose him because Taemin wanted his best friend to be part of his solo debut album. Pretty Boy was written by Jonghyun and he said he thought about Taemin while writing it, it touches upon the expectations towards males in south korea and in general and it really fits Taemin well.
@saffroncake7 said on 9/4/23
"Move" is one of the most imitated choreographies in k-pop and nobody can do it like Taemin. It looks low-key and even simple on the surface, but it's incredibly difficult to control all the muscles in your shoulders, back and arms as smoothly as he does.
@tulagoudevenos6010 said on 11/19/23
18 hours under the rain ! Thank you again for reacting to this INCREDIBLE ARTIST 💎💎💎
@JoobieLoobieSoobie said on 11/19/23
This song changed things in K-pop. Not because of the song, but because of the choreography. Before Move, there was choreo for men, and choreo for women. Taemin rejected that. Taemin and his partner are doing the same dance, which was more 'feminine' than typical men's choreo, and more 'masculine' than choreo for women at the time. He showed everyone that it was OK to break the previously strict gender norms of the day. Gender-bending had been done before (see Heechul from Super Junior), but not to this extent, and not by a soloist as big as Taemin.
if you like solo artists like Taemin, then I'm sure you will like Sunmi as well. She is the queen of K-pop and she is artistic like Taemin. I recommend check out Heroine, Gashina, Siren, and the best one Pporappippam and hopefully you can do a reaction because I thoroughly enjoyed your Taemin reactions . you got a new subscriber :)
We all lost our innocence after watching Criminal 👀
"Is it too soon to be in love? ;A;" no, no it really isn't ;u; I'm a SHAWOL of 12+ years, it took ONE video that started my over decade long obsession
"I'm sorry I'm trying to find my BRAIN-" MOOOD XD
It's interesting you mentioned your ADHD brain being drawn to his music because same. And tbh if you know anything about Taemin as a person... Well. I have always thought he's part of the gang. If he isn't he at least is very good at becoming the perfect hyperfixation 😂
태민이 속한 샤이니라는 그룹도 리액션 해주시면 좋겠어요!! 태민이 영상 리액션 해주셔서 감사합니다!! 😉❤️
Oh my god, I know you from your MXTX content! 😂❤
❤❤❤❤
Can't really hear you when you're speaking as the MVs play but other than that I loved your reactions!
Yeah once you Taem-In, you can't Taem-Out 😂❤
I'm just gonna say: Once you Taemin, you never Taemout.
저는 원트가 가장 좋아요~^^❤
🤪
Guilty was written and produced (the English version) by a woman that was cheated on and wrote it from the perspective of the woman that her ex cheated her with. He does write his own songs but this song in particular, (guilty) no.
Today i have read Taemin will leave Shinee. Maybe he makes a solo Carriere.
He's leaving SM for his solo work, he's staying with SM for SHINee work - he's not leaving SHINee. He already has a solo career, that's what she's diving into in this reaction vid ^^
literally no one have said that he's leaving SHINee. Taemin and SM confirmed he's staying in the group with SM, just gonna make solo in a different agency