IDEA is such a “grand” song. The MAMA performance was crazy, but the rearranged version of IDEA for the KBS Music Festival has probably got to be my favorite version. The Criminal+IDEA performance has got to be the stage of the year.
The whole storyline behind the NGDA albums was extremely detailed, complex, & philosophical. Really, it's ingenious! It's based on Plato's Theory of Forms or *IDEAS* - often capitalized & pronounced as *ee-deas* originally in Greek. It translates to "forms" or "idea." That's why Taemin says "ee-dea" instead of "idea" in the MV. I'mma go ahead & do an analysis of the lyrics & the MV with my own interpretation. Warning: Incoming long essay! So, Criminal was based on stockholm syndrome. But instead of describing a 2nd person, he portrayed himself as both the criminal & the victim, depicting an abusive mindset or a toxic relationship with himself (his inner self). Whether we realize it or not, I'm sure we've all somewhat had those moments in life where 2 or more different sides of ourselves made us a slave to the "criminal & victim" nature of our own thoughts & actions. For Taemin specifically, this can refer to a number of things: his love for dancing/singing, idol lifestyle, his artistic career in general, etc. In the MV, Taemin shows 2 different personas/"egos" of himself. One is trying to evolve & create a new identity, but the "criminal Taemin" is "brainwashing" & sweet-talking this new "ego" to keep him a prisoner within himself as Taemin is more familiar/comfortable with his current persona/identity. Now before diving into IDEA, let's delve a little bit into Plato's Theory of Forms. I'm gonna assume that you aren't familiar with the concept. Otherwise, feel free to skip this part. It's a philosophical theory/concept that states that the physical world is not the "real" world. Instead, there's an alternate, ultimate reality that exists beyond our physical realm: the spiritual realm. The physical world is the material stuff we see & interact with everyday. This realm is always changing & is imperfect. *Perfection cannot exist in this realm.* The spiritual realm, on the other hand, is the perfect, "ideal" version of the imperfect physical realm which is only a shadow or an image of the true reality of the spiritual realm. Plato called this spiritual realm the *Realm of IDEAS* (a.k.a "Forms" or "Ideals"). So what exactly are these IDEAS/forms? They are the non-physical essence of all things. They are abstract, perfect, & unchanging concepts or ideals that exist in this perfect spiritual Realm of IDEAS. These concepts can be anything: Redness, Roundness, Beauty, Goodness, Justice, etc. So how about a specific individual object like a red dress, a round ball, a beautiful man, or a good person? They are simply just different examples of the IDEAS/forms & reside imperfectly in the physical realm. Think of a circle, for example. You draw one. I draw one. If we compare, there will be a number of differences & imperfections. They may have different sizes, shapes, colors, etc. So the 2 imperfect circles reside in our physical realm. However, even with such imperfections, there's something that unites them together that makes us agree that what we drew were both circles. This "it" factor is the IDEA of Circle which resides in the spiritual realm. With that being said, Taemin's IDEA is basically about his new "ego" chasing after his IDEA to become his perfect, "ideal" self & break free from the shackles of his former "ego." As the lyrics go: *A small reflection made by reason, Growing on the instinct, A dream blooming deep inside,* So, something as "small" as just "reasoning" with himself & "reflecting" about a certain matter made him realize that he's flawed. If we are to draw a connection to act 1, this "certain matter" could be referring to the struggle between his 2 personas. Throughout the Criminal MV, Taemin had been handcuffed, & the IDEA MV starts off with the 2 "criminal & victim" sides of himself in an interrogation room. Another small detail is that his ending T-pose in the Criminal choreo is also the starting pose of the IDEA choreo. The all-white room is heaven according to Taemin & the MV director. In the beginning, he went there despite still being alive due to the false euphoria he was experiencing in the stockholm syndrome relationship. That's why all the heavenly beings, portrayed by the face paintings/luxarious fashion, were looking at him strangely as he was undead. Hence, the realization that he's living a lie & is imperfect sparked his new "ego's" thirst for perfection which "grew on instinct" & became a "dream." *The shadow is holding the night & getting darker, Inside my heart, Under, under, under (2x) Beautiful silhouettes, Sweet voices, You make me crazy, You are my messiah, You are my me- (killing me) (Killing me softly)* Within his mind, Taemin has an IDEA of "Taemin" or an image of what it means to be the perfect "Taemin." This is the silver terminator blob that appears before him. His former "ego" - "the shadow" - is getting stronger & trying to crush this new "ego" that's bubbling under the surface ("holding the night & getting darker"). But deep "under" within himself, his new "ego" sees the images/glimpses of his perfect self: "beautiful silhouettes, sweet voices." He sees this concept of "Taemin" as his savior ("messiah") & believes that he can willingly achieve this perfection & become strong enough to escape the former "ego's" clutches. However, he's unable to reach it despite continuing to chase after it, making him go "crazy." It "kills him softly." So, is it really his "messiah?" The irony is that deep down, he questions it too but refuses to acknowledge it. *I can't even see or grab, Before I know it, I redefine myself, Everything in me is doubled, Making me take the hottest breath,* He can't "see or grab" this abstract concept of the perfect "Taemin," but unconsciously, he begins to "redefine" himself/his flaws by slowly developing his new "ego" to get closer to perfection. So now, there's the former "criminal" persona & the glimpses of the new, evolved "victim" persona within himself ("everything is doubled"). This struggle between the 2 "egos" makes him excited/agitated - "take the hottest breath." *Under, under, under, Beautiful silhouettes, Sweet voices, You make me crazy, You are my messiah, You are my me- (killing me) My IDEA (you are) (2x) You are, you are, you are My IDEA (2x) The dangerous dream that swallowed me, Is proven by you, This thrill deep inside my heart, You are my messiah (killing me softly)* Finally in the 2nd chorus, Taemin addresses the "you" throughout the song as his IDEA or the perfect "Taemin." The forest scene before/during the chorus is his new "ego" that's trapped by the former "ego" - depicted by the hell 🔥 scene. His new persona believes that his thirst for perfection is "proven" or justified by the existence of this IDEA of "Taemin" within himself even though it's "killing him softly," as shown by the utter madness of this scene in the MV. *Beyond the limit of realization, Your shadow I finally found, At the moment when I've become to trust everything invisible, I throw myself into the ideal, When the blue light flowing on me, Faces you & me, All the colored emotions inside, Become the unlimited range, The brightest presence in my world, The absolute value, you* So, he has managed to grasp at something beyond his physical limit - the "shadow" of his IDEA - & immerses himself into this "ideal." In the MV, he's sitting on the staircase to heaven in this scene. This is the limbo in between heaven & hell where IDEA exists. The "blue light" in the lyrics represents a higher being that's beyond human understanding. This higher being enlightens Taemin ("faces you & me") , & all the struggles & confusions ("colored emotions") from his 2 "egos" come to an end. They merge & become one with his IDEA in the spiritual realm. The merging into his IDEA is shown in the black background scene around min 6:48. Now he has "unlimited" potential/possibilities as he has become his one & only perfect self ("the brightest presence . . . the absolute value, you"). *My, my IDEA, You are, you are, you are, (Killing me) My IDEA (you are) (2x) You are, you are, you are My, my IDEA (2x) (My IDEA) (You are my messiah) The dangerous dream that swallowed me, Is proven by you, This thrill deep in my heart, You are my messiah (Killing me softly)* But after becoming one with his IDEA in the spiritual realm, his new "ego" realizes that he cannot achieve this perfection in the physical world which then again "kills him softly," & the struggle & chaos starts all over again with his 2 "egos" in the spiritual realm. This is portrayed in the platform scene with the intense choreo/lightning & the hell 🔥 scene in the final chorus. *(Killing me softly, killing me softly), On the night I cut you out from my heart, (Killing me softly, killing me softly), Finally I open the [new] eyes.* In the end, Taemin's new "ego" is able to accept the fact that he cannot achieve his "ideal" self & reaches a middle ground in between heaven & hell. He "cuts out" IDEA from his heart & emerges into an evolved "Taemin" that is more complete than his former "ego." Though he's still imperfect in a sense, he's happy with where he's right now & abandons his former "ego." This is the final scene in the MV where he's in the blue outfit, looking up - again, in the same T-pose with which he ended Criminal & started IDEA - taking a deep breath (though this is due to the intense dance choreo, it does add something exquisite to the storyline that Taemin has created for his comeback). Even though, the new "Taemin" has learned to not be so obsessed with perfection, he's still striving to reach that IDEA or at least get as close to perfection as he possibly can which is seen in this ending scene as he looks towards the sky. After all, as human beings we always strive to improve ourselves & aim to become the absolute best version of ourselves despite knowing that we are flawed. This is how we grow & mature. Hence, it's the concept of rebirth that Taemin mentioned is the backbone of act 2.
So as you can see, Criminal & IDEA both have a much more deeper underlying message than just about a "love that's bad for him, but he likes it." Ofc, songs are open for different interpretations, & Criminal can definitely be understood under that context. Infact, I myself like the "lover that's bad/bdsm" aspect of Criminal even though I know the real message he's trying to get across lol 😉😏😂.
There are three things to remember when reading Taemin's lyrics and watching his MVs: 1) Taemin usually has dual meanings for his lyrics: A) take them as you read them and be happy; or B) delve more deeply to reveal the true meaning. 2) Taemin is a Christian (devout Catholic) so there is also usually a lot of religious imagery, symbolism, metaphors, and allusions within his lyrics and MVs. 3) Taemin is DEEP and very intellectual. Much of what we know about the lyrics come from listening to him explain it on interviews and IG LIVEs. The rest is due to our (fans) research. This is one of his songs from his newest 2 pt., full-length album: "Never Gonna Dance Again" consisting of a Prologue which is part of Act I ("Two Kids"), Act I ("Criminal" MV) and Act 2 ("IDEA" MV). Both Act 1 and Act 2 have nine songs each. There are two concepts for this album that dovetail together to form a complete story: Stockholm syndrome and Plato's philosophical Theory of Forms. This song/MV is the continuation of Act 1. The rebirth/resurrection of Taemin with a new, enlightened Ego. As I stated above, the concept for this song/album is Plato's philosophical Theory of Forms, hence the Greek pronunciation of the word "Idea". Remember, I told you Taemin was deep! The Theory is basically that any material form can only achieve perfection if it comes from a higher power outside the material thing/form itself. This fits in perfectly with Taemin's Christian worldview. What makes Taemin, TAEMIN? How can he achieve perfection? The present ego thinks he's the one who can achieve perfection on his own without any outside influence. The newly-emerging ego has been held prisoner by the stagnant present ego and thinks maybe perfection on his own can't be achieved without the help of a greater power outside himself (part of Plato's Forms Theory). This realization creates even more conflict. So with "IDEA" you have the climactic battle between the two competing egos inside Taemin's head. In the end, Taemin's new ego breaks out of that prison and hell in his mind to take over. The old IDEA of Taemin is killed and shaken off. A new, enlightened IDEA of Taemin (Heaven) has begun. This is perfectly illustrated through the lyrics and the imagery of the MV. If you haven't reacted to "Criminal", I would highly recommend that you do so to get the full picture of Taemin's genius within this whole album. It's a MASTERPIECE that didn't get the promotion from SM that it deserved and should be album of the year. All of the songs could easily be title tracks.
Taemin started Solo 2014, all SHINee members have been doing Solos too but still together as SHINee ofc. The last 2 years only Taemin was active coz older members went to military for their mandatory enlistment. The last one got out this November 2020. Now SHINee are prepping for their comeback, group and solos. 😊
I WAS WAITING FOR YALL TO REACT TO IDEA OH MY GOD FINALLY !!!! ALSO YES CHOOSING TAEMIN AS YOUR FAVORITE SOLOIST YES !!!!! LOVE TO SEE IT !!!! Also, yes, taemin is still part of shinee in fact, he and the members just hinted a comeback at the beginning of next year
Yes, I couldn't click on this any faster. You two are always on point with your reactions, because you notice the choreography, visuals, and vocals. And, not only do you notice the vocals, but you truly appreciate every single high and low note being sung. As for Taemin's IDEA video, again, the visuals are incredibly out of this world. There's darkness throughout, eventhough we get a great amount of lightness in this video and in the storyline of Taemin. He's like a combination of angelic and naughtiness. I like the naughty side of Taemin, which is probably unpredictable and quite interesting. The choreography is always on the highest level, it is already agreed on, that Taemin is a phenomenal and magnificent dancer. And, shout outs to all of Taemin's backup dancers, who not only have to keep up and dance beside Taemin, but they have to also appear as fierce and strong with him as well, with this amazing choreography. Taemin's singing voice is sweet and soothing sounding, like always. The concept of this entire video is brilliant and another work of art from Taemin. I am telling you, in my opinion, both Taemin and Kai are here to Kill us all with their talent and their breathtaking dancing. They both are artists to the full extent. You mention the best dancers Taemin, Kai, and Jimin....I think, you should also add TEN to that group as well. Ten's body movements and the way he presents himself on video and stage, is beyond nothing I have seen before. He is an outstanding performer, in my opinion. Anyway, thanks, for another interesting reaction. Please, react soon to NCT RESONANCE music video, as soon as you can, please. Take care, and be safe and be well, everyone. Suzanne
Y’all just snatched me right out of a spiraling cry session. Thank you 😂 my dumb ass over here listening to EXO Christmas stuff just snotting and crying “oh Ed and Christina did Taemin, ok” *click* dry eyes now
Criminal was in Act 1 which was the first part it was the title track and Idea is the title track for Act 2 which is the second part of Never Gonna Dance Again and now he coming out with another version with everything together I think
All of the shinee members have their solo work alongside their group releases. But Taemin being the first to have a solo debut have the largest solo discography followed by Jonghyun who has released 5 albums. The shinee members were serving in the military these past couple of years which is why you only see Taemin promoting but they’ve announced a group comeback for 2021.
Omg... Christine has absolutely perfect Nubian bone structure, like Brandi. And Ed is the most attractive black man ive ever seen. Yall are the most attractive couple in the react game right now.
Yes, I also noticed the same "not hearing every thing in the music" issue in your earlier videos. It's good that you guys wear headphones now. I always use a Bose Bluetooth speaker whenever I watch MVs. I'm kind of an audiophile; so I want good audio! (Also, I notice that the audio in the little MV, in each reaction video, sounds better too.)
Every time I hear that BOA phrase “Killing Me Softly”, it always reminds me of the kdrama “Melting Me Softly” which is should memorizing show with actor #JiChangWook I haven’t finished watching it yet.
Ohh my God I really love your reaction .this music video is a definition,of perfection. Thank you .please share his music he really need people to see the amazing work he does. he's music is so so good 👍
Nah fr tho this song really do hit lmao I was dead waiting for this reaction to lmao I love y’all reactions all the time my favorite you tubers honestly
The voice singing the killin me softly part is none other than the Queen of kpop Boa. And Kai is taemin bff and both Kai and taemin are close friends with Jimin. You should react to taemin live performance of pretty boy ft. Kai! Awesome performance! Or watch the two bff in SuperM
There is only one Lee Taemin - just a pure legend! I too would like a collab with Kai and Jimin and also Taeyang (SF9) ❤ thanks for the reaction. Stay safe.
The "killing me softly" part is no other than fellow SM artist BOA aka the OG Queen of Kpop. She also just had a comeback ruclips.net/video/fOxl2OIOVII/видео.html
"killing me softly" is done by the female solo artist *BoA* who's also under SM ent. She's legendary & has been in the industry for ~20 years I believe. She was also like Taemin in the sense that debuted/started out really young. Check her out if you haven't yet. She's fantastic. Since you know Taemin, maybe you can start with *BoA's Only One* where Taemin was one of the featured solo male dancer in the choreo along with many others like Yunho (TVXQ), Eunhyuk (Super Junior), Sehun & Lay (Exo), etc. (mostly cuz Idk much about artists/new artists outside of SM & don't wanna give the wrong info. Someone help me out here 🙏).
one of the big 3 kings of korea ^^ lee taemin the legend the killing me softly parts are made by queen Boa by the way taemin kai and jimin are friends by the way
BTW the way hes pronouncing "idea" is not supposed to sound like english. He's using the greek pronunciation. This song is in part influenced by Plato's Allegory of The Cavern.
can you pls react to super junior’s ‘burn the floor’ performance video? it’s one of their recent songs in their upcoming ‘the renaissance’ album! u won't be disappointed :))
You guys should also check out BoA and TVXQ they're Kpop Legends BoA recently had a comeback a couple weeks ago and also If you wanna hear vocals then I really recommend TVXQ Before U Go: ruclips.net/video/KLBIy6t-X-A/видео.html
Can you please react to SUPER JUNIOR -sorry sorry Answer -Lo Siento -mamacita -2ya2yao PLEASE react to super junior...if you want more for their videos search "super junior track"
Taemin is a literal king, it's not even debatable. IDEA is one of the best songs of the year for me.
IDEA is such a “grand” song. The MAMA performance was crazy, but the rearranged version of IDEA for the KBS Music Festival has probably got to be my favorite version. The Criminal+IDEA performance has got to be the stage of the year.
idea and criminal are my favorite
The one who's saying killing me softly is QUEEN BOA she also had a comeback recently!!!!!
The whole storyline behind the NGDA albums was extremely detailed, complex, & philosophical. Really, it's ingenious! It's based on Plato's Theory of Forms or *IDEAS* - often capitalized & pronounced as *ee-deas* originally in Greek. It translates to "forms" or "idea." That's why Taemin says "ee-dea" instead of "idea" in the MV. I'mma go ahead & do an analysis of the lyrics & the MV with my own interpretation. Warning: Incoming long essay!
So, Criminal was based on stockholm syndrome. But instead of describing a 2nd person, he portrayed himself as both the criminal & the victim, depicting an abusive mindset or a toxic relationship with himself (his inner self). Whether we realize it or not, I'm sure we've all somewhat had those moments in life where 2 or more different sides of ourselves made us a slave to the "criminal & victim" nature of our own thoughts & actions. For Taemin specifically, this can refer to a number of things: his love for dancing/singing, idol lifestyle, his artistic career in general, etc. In the MV, Taemin shows 2 different personas/"egos" of himself. One is trying to evolve & create a new identity, but the "criminal Taemin" is "brainwashing" & sweet-talking this new "ego" to keep him a prisoner within himself as Taemin is more familiar/comfortable with his current persona/identity.
Now before diving into IDEA, let's delve a little bit into Plato's Theory of Forms. I'm gonna assume that you aren't familiar with the concept. Otherwise, feel free to skip this part. It's a philosophical theory/concept that states that the physical world is not the "real" world. Instead, there's an alternate, ultimate reality that exists beyond our physical realm: the spiritual realm.
The physical world is the material stuff we see & interact with everyday. This realm is always changing & is imperfect. *Perfection cannot exist in this realm.* The spiritual realm, on the other hand, is the perfect, "ideal" version of the imperfect physical realm which is only a shadow or an image of the true reality of the spiritual realm. Plato called this spiritual realm the *Realm of IDEAS* (a.k.a "Forms" or "Ideals").
So what exactly are these IDEAS/forms? They are the non-physical essence of all things. They are abstract, perfect, & unchanging concepts or ideals that exist in this perfect spiritual Realm of IDEAS. These concepts can be anything: Redness, Roundness, Beauty, Goodness, Justice, etc.
So how about a specific individual object like a red dress, a round ball, a beautiful man, or a good person? They are simply just different examples of the IDEAS/forms & reside imperfectly in the physical realm.
Think of a circle, for example. You draw one. I draw one. If we compare, there will be a number of differences & imperfections. They may have different sizes, shapes, colors, etc. So the 2 imperfect circles reside in our physical realm. However, even with such imperfections, there's something that unites them together that makes us agree that what we drew were both circles. This "it" factor is the IDEA of Circle which resides in the spiritual realm.
With that being said, Taemin's IDEA is basically about his new "ego" chasing after his IDEA to become his perfect, "ideal" self & break free from the shackles of his former "ego." As the lyrics go:
*A small reflection made by reason,
Growing on the instinct,
A dream blooming deep inside,*
So, something as "small" as just "reasoning" with himself & "reflecting" about a certain matter made him realize that he's flawed. If we are to draw a connection to act 1, this "certain matter" could be referring to the struggle between his 2 personas. Throughout the Criminal MV, Taemin had been handcuffed, & the IDEA MV starts off with the 2 "criminal & victim" sides of himself in an interrogation room. Another small detail is that his ending T-pose in the Criminal choreo is also the starting pose of the IDEA choreo. The all-white room is heaven according to Taemin & the MV director. In the beginning, he went there despite still being alive due to the false euphoria he was experiencing in the stockholm syndrome relationship. That's why all the heavenly beings, portrayed by the face paintings/luxarious fashion, were looking at him strangely as he was undead. Hence, the realization that he's living a lie & is imperfect sparked his new "ego's" thirst for perfection which "grew on instinct" & became a "dream."
*The shadow is holding the night & getting darker,
Inside my heart,
Under, under, under (2x)
Beautiful silhouettes,
Sweet voices,
You make me crazy,
You are my messiah,
You are my me- (killing me)
(Killing me softly)*
Within his mind, Taemin has an IDEA of "Taemin" or an image of what it means to be the perfect "Taemin." This is the silver terminator blob that appears before him. His former "ego" - "the shadow" - is getting stronger & trying to crush this new "ego" that's bubbling under the surface ("holding the night & getting darker"). But deep "under" within himself, his new "ego" sees the images/glimpses of his perfect self: "beautiful silhouettes, sweet voices." He sees this concept of "Taemin" as his savior ("messiah") & believes that he can willingly achieve this perfection & become strong enough to escape the former "ego's" clutches. However, he's unable to reach it despite continuing to chase after it, making him go "crazy." It "kills him softly." So, is it really his "messiah?" The irony is that deep down, he questions it too but refuses to acknowledge it.
*I can't even see or grab,
Before I know it, I redefine myself,
Everything in me is doubled,
Making me take the hottest breath,*
He can't "see or grab" this abstract concept of the perfect "Taemin," but unconsciously, he begins to "redefine" himself/his flaws by slowly developing his new "ego" to get closer to perfection. So now, there's the former "criminal" persona & the glimpses of the new, evolved "victim" persona within himself ("everything is doubled"). This struggle between the 2 "egos" makes him excited/agitated - "take the hottest breath."
*Under, under, under,
Beautiful silhouettes,
Sweet voices,
You make me crazy,
You are my messiah,
You are my me- (killing me)
My IDEA (you are) (2x)
You are, you are, you are
My IDEA (2x)
The dangerous dream that swallowed me,
Is proven by you,
This thrill deep inside my heart,
You are my messiah (killing me softly)*
Finally in the 2nd chorus, Taemin addresses the "you" throughout the song as his IDEA or the perfect "Taemin." The forest scene before/during the chorus is his new "ego" that's trapped by the former "ego" - depicted by the hell 🔥 scene. His new persona believes that his thirst for perfection is "proven" or justified by the existence of this IDEA of "Taemin" within himself even though it's "killing him softly," as shown by the utter madness of this scene in the MV.
*Beyond the limit of realization,
Your shadow I finally found,
At the moment when I've become to trust everything invisible,
I throw myself into the ideal,
When the blue light flowing on me,
Faces you & me,
All the colored emotions inside,
Become the unlimited range,
The brightest presence in my world,
The absolute value, you*
So, he has managed to grasp at something beyond his physical limit - the "shadow" of his IDEA - & immerses himself into this "ideal." In the MV, he's sitting on the staircase to heaven in this scene. This is the limbo in between heaven & hell where IDEA exists. The "blue light" in the lyrics represents a higher being that's beyond human understanding. This higher being enlightens Taemin ("faces you & me") , & all the struggles & confusions ("colored emotions") from his 2 "egos" come to an end. They merge & become one with his IDEA in the spiritual realm. The merging into his IDEA is shown in the black background scene around min 6:48. Now he has "unlimited" potential/possibilities as he has become his one & only perfect self ("the brightest presence . . . the absolute value, you").
*My, my IDEA,
You are, you are, you are,
(Killing me)
My IDEA (you are) (2x)
You are, you are, you are
My, my IDEA (2x)
(My IDEA)
(You are my messiah)
The dangerous dream that swallowed me,
Is proven by you,
This thrill deep in my heart,
You are my messiah
(Killing me softly)*
But after becoming one with his IDEA in the spiritual realm, his new "ego" realizes that he cannot achieve this perfection in the physical world which then again "kills him softly," & the struggle & chaos starts all over again with his 2 "egos" in the spiritual realm. This is portrayed in the platform scene with the intense choreo/lightning & the hell 🔥 scene in the final chorus.
*(Killing me softly, killing me softly),
On the night I cut you out from my heart,
(Killing me softly, killing me softly),
Finally I open the [new] eyes.*
In the end, Taemin's new "ego" is able to accept the fact that he cannot achieve his "ideal" self & reaches a middle ground in between heaven & hell. He "cuts out" IDEA from his heart & emerges into an evolved "Taemin" that is more complete than his former "ego." Though he's still imperfect in a sense, he's happy with where he's right now & abandons his former "ego." This is the final scene in the MV where he's in the blue outfit, looking up - again, in the same T-pose with which he ended Criminal & started IDEA - taking a deep breath (though this is due to the intense dance choreo, it does add something exquisite to the storyline that Taemin has created for his comeback). Even though, the new "Taemin" has learned to not be so obsessed with perfection, he's still striving to reach that IDEA or at least get as close to perfection as he possibly can which is seen in this ending scene as he looks towards the sky. After all, as human beings we always strive to improve ourselves & aim to become the absolute best version of ourselves despite knowing that we are flawed. This is how we grow & mature. Hence, it's the concept of rebirth that Taemin mentioned is the backbone of act 2.
So as you can see, Criminal & IDEA both have a much more deeper underlying message than just about a "love that's bad for him, but he likes it." Ofc, songs are open for different interpretations, & Criminal can definitely be understood under that context. Infact, I myself like the "lover that's bad/bdsm" aspect of Criminal even though I know the real message he's trying to get across lol 😉😏😂.
@Shanequa Green Glad I could help!
Wooooowww I knew there was a deeper meaning but I never had the chance to dive into that meaning. Thank youu for the efforts.
@@yesthisismyusername353 you're welcome 😉!
Wow I really love your interpretation on both MVs. May I translate this essay to Korean and share with my Shinee World friends?
Taemin is just on another level when it comes to being a soloist no one can do what he does he puts his all in his craft and perfects it every time
All SHINee members are soloists, but Taemin and Jonghyun are the most prolific. SHINee comeback in 2021!
There are three things to remember when reading Taemin's lyrics and watching his MVs:
1) Taemin usually has dual meanings for his lyrics: A) take them as you read them and be happy; or B) delve more deeply to reveal the true meaning.
2) Taemin is a Christian (devout Catholic) so there is also usually a lot of religious imagery, symbolism, metaphors, and allusions within his lyrics and MVs.
3) Taemin is DEEP and very intellectual. Much of what we know about the lyrics come from listening to him explain it on interviews and IG LIVEs. The rest is due to our (fans) research.
This is one of his songs from his newest 2 pt., full-length album: "Never Gonna Dance Again" consisting of a Prologue which is part of Act I ("Two Kids"), Act I ("Criminal" MV) and Act 2 ("IDEA" MV). Both Act 1 and Act 2 have nine songs each. There are two concepts for this album that dovetail together to form a complete story: Stockholm syndrome and Plato's philosophical Theory of Forms.
This song/MV is the continuation of Act 1. The rebirth/resurrection of Taemin with a new, enlightened Ego. As I stated above, the concept for this song/album is Plato's philosophical Theory of Forms, hence the Greek pronunciation of the word "Idea". Remember, I told you Taemin was deep!
The Theory is basically that any material form can only achieve perfection if it comes from a higher power outside the material thing/form itself. This fits in perfectly with Taemin's Christian worldview.
What makes Taemin, TAEMIN? How can he achieve perfection? The present ego thinks he's the one who can achieve perfection on his own without any outside influence. The newly-emerging ego has been held prisoner by the stagnant present ego and thinks maybe perfection on his own can't be achieved without the help of a greater power outside himself (part of Plato's Forms Theory). This realization creates even more conflict. So with "IDEA" you have the climactic battle between the two competing egos inside Taemin's head. In the end, Taemin's new ego breaks out of that prison and hell in his mind to take over. The old IDEA of Taemin is killed and shaken off. A new, enlightened IDEA of Taemin (Heaven) has begun. This is perfectly illustrated through the lyrics and the imagery of the MV.
If you haven't reacted to "Criminal", I would highly recommend that you do so to get the full picture of Taemin's genius within this whole album. It's a MASTERPIECE that didn't get the promotion from SM that it deserved and should be album of the year. All of the songs could easily be title tracks.
TAEMIN IS THE BEST !!
Taemin started Solo 2014, all SHINee members have been doing Solos too but still together as SHINee ofc. The last 2 years only Taemin was active coz older members went to military for their mandatory enlistment. The last one got out this November 2020. Now SHINee are prepping for their comeback, group and solos. 😊
The part "Killing me soflty" is BoA , she is queen legend of kpop
The one singing the "killing me softly" part is BoA the queen of Kpop.
SM just deliver legends it’s unbelievable what do they give them to eat 😭
You are sooooo going to freak out with his new comeback ADVICE.... i swear, MASTERPIECE
Taemin ain't playing with his comeback tho! Such a legend! 😍
I WAS WAITING FOR YALL TO REACT TO IDEA OH MY GOD FINALLY !!!! ALSO YES CHOOSING TAEMIN AS YOUR FAVORITE SOLOIST YES !!!!! LOVE TO SEE IT !!!! Also, yes, taemin is still part of shinee in fact, he and the members just hinted a comeback at the beginning of next year
Yes, I couldn't click on this any faster. You two are always on point with your reactions, because you notice the choreography, visuals, and vocals. And, not only do you notice the vocals, but you truly appreciate every single high and low note being sung. As for Taemin's IDEA video, again, the visuals are incredibly out of this world. There's darkness throughout, eventhough we get a great amount of lightness in this video and in the storyline of Taemin. He's like a combination of angelic and naughtiness. I like the naughty side of Taemin, which is probably unpredictable and quite interesting. The choreography is always on the highest level, it is already agreed on, that Taemin is a phenomenal and magnificent dancer. And, shout outs to all of Taemin's backup dancers, who not only have to keep up and dance beside Taemin, but they have to also appear as fierce and strong with him as well, with this amazing choreography. Taemin's singing voice is sweet and soothing sounding, like always. The concept of this entire video is brilliant and another work of art from Taemin. I am telling you, in my opinion, both Taemin and Kai are here to Kill us all with their talent and their breathtaking dancing. They both are artists to the full extent. You mention the best dancers Taemin, Kai, and Jimin....I think, you should also add TEN to that group as well. Ten's body movements and the way he presents himself on video and stage, is beyond nothing I have seen before. He is an outstanding performer, in my opinion.
Anyway, thanks, for another interesting reaction. Please, react soon to NCT RESONANCE music video, as soon as you can, please. Take care, and be safe and be well, everyone. Suzanne
Taemin is everything! You gotta react to his recent award performance to this song at the MAMA awards! He killed it!
TAEMIN KING
He such an icon
Thanks for réaction for taemin i love taemin so much he's always amazing and best dancer in k-pop 💙✨💎✨
Ok I am convinced that SM needs to hire you guys to be Taemin's publicists or something hahaha love your reactions to anything Taemin-related!
Kai Taemin and Jimin--and they are all friends! Part of padding squad
Y’all just snatched me right out of a spiraling cry session. Thank you 😂 my dumb ass over here listening to EXO Christmas stuff just snotting and crying “oh Ed and Christina did Taemin, ok” *click* dry eyes now
I'm sorry you were crying but your comment was still hilarious. I'm glad to hear you pulled thru. 😌
React to MAMA- 2020, Taemins performans. It was amazing!
Emperor Taemin! You should watch his live performances :) btw, thank you for your genuine reaction...
He was possessed!
Taemin the best
Taemin has comeback on May 18.21!🔥
Criminal was in Act 1 which was the first part it was the title track and Idea is the title track for Act 2 which is the second part of Never Gonna Dance Again and now he coming out with another version with everything together I think
😹😹😹💙DYING OF LAUGHTER EVERY TIME I WATCH YOUR REACTIONS
Damn yo that was raw! Was not expecting that lol
The song you mean? Or?
@@Lucidanne717 yeah the song lol can't believe i missed this comeback
Taemin dance king
You guys should react to the dance practice 😆😆😆😆
Boa is the one saying “killing me softly”
FINALLY I’ve been waiting for this reaction 😭 more Taemin reaction 🥺🙏🏽
Christina is gorgeous!
king that is it
All of the shinee members have their solo work alongside their group releases. But Taemin being the first to have a solo debut have the largest solo discography followed by Jonghyun who has released 5 albums. The shinee members were serving in the military these past couple of years which is why you only see Taemin promoting but they’ve announced a group comeback for 2021.
Criminal was act 1 and idea is act 2, I believe. Thank you for reacting to taemin idea, I’ve been waiting for this
Your reactions are the best😂👏🏾
React to dance practice of IDEA too, it's incredible and amazing look for it
*Taemin saved the kpop*
Both of the dance practice for criminal and idea are the best I have ever seen. Really as great as the mv's you should check them out. Thank you
The woman's voice in the song is from the singer BoA she is a solo artist of SM
Omg... Christine has absolutely perfect Nubian bone structure, like Brandi. And Ed is the most attractive black man ive ever seen. Yall are the most attractive couple in the react game right now.
Taemin and Kai have put me in a very vulnerable position 🥲🥲
Yes, I also noticed the same "not hearing every thing in the music" issue in your earlier videos. It's good that you guys wear headphones now. I always use a Bose Bluetooth speaker whenever I watch MVs. I'm kind of an audiophile; so I want good audio!
(Also, I notice that the audio in the little MV, in each reaction video, sounds better too.)
As far as vocals taemin under my skin mv or heaven live heavily vocals in these ones.
Every time I hear that BOA phrase “Killing Me Softly”, it always reminds me of the kdrama “Melting Me Softly” which is should memorizing show with actor #JiChangWook I haven’t finished watching it yet.
Ohh my God I really love your reaction .this music video is a definition,of perfection. Thank you .please share his music he really need people to see the amazing work he does. he's music is so so good 👍
❤❤❤
Love you guys reaction y’all make me smile 💕💕BTW it’s Taemin Kai Jimin lol in that order 💃🏾💃🏾 Ijs 🤗🤗🧐
Queen BoA did the 'killing me softly' part pls react to her recent comeback called Better
thanks for the reaction❤️ Taemin is amazing
I love your reactions!! I hope yall can react to more Taemin and SHINee content! Their live performances are amazing!! 💙
Thanks for your reaction and please react to Want by Taemin
Nah fr tho this song really do hit lmao I was dead waiting for this reaction to lmao I love y’all reactions all the time my favorite you tubers honestly
My favourite Single Artist is Baekyhun
You need to do a reaction video to Idea dance practice. It’s amazing!
yall should definitely watch Taemin's live performance of "Black Rose" (there isn't an MV for it) ft. Kid Milli. It's on SHINee's account!
That's BoA singing backing vocals.
The voice singing the killin me softly part is none other than the Queen of kpop Boa. And Kai is taemin bff and both Kai and taemin are close friends with Jimin. You should react to taemin live performance of pretty boy ft. Kai! Awesome performance! Or watch the two bff in SuperM
There is only one Lee Taemin - just a pure legend! I too would like a collab with Kai and Jimin and also Taeyang (SF9) ❤ thanks for the reaction. Stay safe.
REALLY REALLY PLEASE, REACT TO HEAVEN STAGE TO TAEMIN, PLEEEAAAASEE
I'm obsessed with Heaven
The "killing me softly" part is no other than fellow SM artist BOA aka the OG Queen of Kpop. She also just had a comeback ruclips.net/video/fOxl2OIOVII/видео.html
Definitely watch the dance practice, there's so much amazing choreo that this MV didn't show!
"killing me softly" is done by the female solo artist *BoA* who's also under SM ent. She's legendary & has been in the industry for ~20 years I believe. She was also like Taemin in the sense that debuted/started out really young. Check her out if you haven't yet. She's fantastic. Since you know Taemin, maybe you can start with *BoA's Only One* where Taemin was one of the featured solo male dancer in the choreo along with many others like Yunho (TVXQ), Eunhyuk (Super Junior), Sehun & Lay (Exo), etc. (mostly cuz Idk much about artists/new artists outside of SM & don't wanna give the wrong info. Someone help me out here 🙏).
one of the big 3 kings of korea ^^ lee taemin the legend
the killing me softly parts are made by queen Boa by the way
taemin kai and jimin are friends by the way
BTW the way hes pronouncing "idea" is not supposed to sound like english. He's using the greek pronunciation. This song is in part influenced by Plato's Allegory of The Cavern.
You need to watch the dance practice for IDEA
Now please Taemin MAMA stage. Please!!!!!!
Next reaction to Taemin MaMa 2020
React to taemin intro+criminal live on kbs song festival
PLEASE REACT TO TAEMIN MAMA 2020 PERFROMANCE. ILY BESTIES 💘
PLEEEAASSEEE react a Closer - Oh My Girl, the vocals on this song are impeccable and the girls are very talented, sure you will like❤️
react to taemin - want
Not me liking yall's video before I even watch it teehee
Plz react to stayc like this performance mv
Please react to Taemin MAMA 2020
소향(Sohyang) - 'I have nothing' cover Reaction pls~~
I can't wait to see your reaction to victon 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Did y’all react to “ love Killa” by Monsta x if you didn’t then can you check it out
can you pls react to super junior’s ‘burn the floor’ performance video? it’s one of their recent songs in their upcoming ‘the renaissance’ album! u won't be disappointed :))
I'm stopping this for a sec bc I am calling it that they are going to lose it on the last chorus. Ok I'll see if I'm right.
React to YUJU I'M IN THE MOOD FOR DANCING Please
You guys should also check out BoA and TVXQ they're Kpop Legends
BoA recently had a comeback a couple weeks ago and also If you wanna hear vocals then I really recommend TVXQ
Before U Go: ruclips.net/video/KLBIy6t-X-A/видео.html
React to cry for me by twice mama
I-DE-A, it’s Greek.
Guys plz react to Kai`s solo performance (Confession) fan cam.
That`s so coooooool.smt like Taemin`s Idea
Will you guys be reacting to *90's Love by NCT U* ? Ive been waiting! You guys are going to love it. NCT taking it back to 90s hip hop!
Pleaseeeeeeeeee react to Monsta x Love killa 🙏❤️😍
Can you react to TXT 20cm live performance pls? Hope you can do it someday :)
Please react to Jennie Kim The Ace of blackpink by Jennie Supremacy
Can you please react to NCT 2020 resonance
Please react to jay park Aquaman,Joah,V OR Me like yuh
PLs reac to izone o sole mio with lyricssss
Yess plssss
Please react to Jennie Kim the ace of blackpink
Pls react to Twice Cry for Me Mama performance 💜
Can you please react to SUPER JUNIOR
-sorry sorry Answer
-Lo Siento
-mamacita
-2ya2yao
PLEASE react to super junior...if you want more for their videos search "super junior track"
Pls react to izone o sole mio plss