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New TAEMIN

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In recent years, the SHINee star, who will perform at Coachella 2026, has found his own artistic and mental balance. Now it’s time for a new evolution.

In 2005, at 12 years old, while walking at sunset with his mother, after having auditioned at SM Entertainment, he realized that his life would never be the same. That road linking Seongdong district with the more eclectic Gangnam is a vivid memory in Lee’s mind, who would shortly come to debut as one of the five members of SHINee.

It’s rare for an artist of TAEMIN’s caliber, The Idols’ Idol, to freely open up during an interview. Instead, his eyes light up in front of the camera when he recalls his days as a trainee, the constant training, the skipped meals and the daily walks at 4 AM to go back to the dorm with his band’s members (and friends). “I was so determined because I wanted to succeed and I wanted to survive at all costs. Now I look around me more. To my younger self I would say that being an artist doesn’t mean only to train, perform and sing,” he says. Without any fear to face delicate themes like mental health, of which he takes care by taking to the letter the Latin aphorism by Giovenale, Mens sana in corpore sano [a healthy mind in a healthy body].

Today, TAEMIN is getting ready to cross another bridge in his artistic and personal life. After having sold out his Las Vegas show in January, the South Korean artist will perform as a soloist at Coachella for the first time. An opportunity that excites and worries him at the same time: “I’ve come to understand that communicating with the audience is fundamental. It’s a key factor, especially when many people still don’t know you.” In April, he will perform on stage new songs too, written between South Korea and the US, and which have been a long time in the works.

A central role, obviously, will be taken by dance, his main passion. “I was a very introverted kid, and dance helped me express myself with my body. It basically woke me up.” It’s for this reason too that every song highlights a different version of him, as the fruit of his work with the various choreographers from whom he absorbed nuance and color—among these, he has revealed Kasper will contribute to one of his yet unreleased songs—while always remaining recognizable. Each time, it’s a new TAEMIN.

How are you preparing for your debut at Coachella Festival?

I’m very hyped at the moment. I’m going over every single detail. I’m working on the setlist, I’m practicing the new songs, but I’m also curating all aspects of the show planning. From the stage elements to the design, and I’m also looking for the perfect dancers for each choreography.

What’s the most complicated part?

I often ask myself whether I’m not repeating myself or showing something too similar [to past work]. I always want to offer something new, a distinctive point that people can remember and imitate. At the same time, though, it must represent me, it must respect my identity and it must be something that the public expects from me. The most difficult part is to find a balance between these two tendencies. It’s very demanding.

What fascinates you and what worries you the most on a stage like Coachella?

I think that among the audience at Coachella, not many will know me well. So I’m constantly asking myself what is the right way to convincingly show the kind of artist that I am. The live audience reaction is very important. At the same time, many will watch the show on streaming, in fact in terms of numbers they will be the majority. I can’t look over that aspect either. My wish is to prepare the best possible performance, that may be appreciated both from the live audience and from the online one. Even if all of this makes me a little nervous, the more I think about it the more I want to prepare in the best way.

You performed many times in the US. What did you gain from all these experiences?

One thing I understood is that communicating with the audience is fundamental. It’s a key factor. In the US, for example in Las Vegas, the audience were very focused on watching and listening to the performance. This time, though, I’d like to create some moments where the fans can have fun with me, not just watch me.

What are the differences between performing on stage as a group and as a soloist?

There’s a greater pressure when I’m alone on stage. How can I explain it? Everyone’s eyes are focused on me and I have to clearly convey what I want to show. It’s stressing and I get very nervous, but the catharsis of a successful performance is immense. When you perform as a group, on the other hand, it’s fun to feel the chemistry with the other members. You dance and lock eyes with the others, you move side by side. I think it’s very reassuring, and also a form of support. You also feel a certain joy in being on stage and sharing those emotions. Like animals living in a pack, in a group too there comes to be a sense of stability and comfort.

You said you’re composing new music. How is it going and what should we expect?

I’ve been meeting and collaborating with many producers and composers. I wrote some songs in South Korea, then I moved to the US to work on other songs while meeting many more new people. So much so that right now I have a huge amount of songs. In America, I noticed that authors focus more on personal history. They want to understand what you feel and what you want to convey. This process intrigued me because it led me to write songs where I talk about my experiences, my thoughts and emotions. I’m in a phase right now where I have to choose which direction to take and which songs will get published first. In the next album, you will surely see new shades of and a different TAEMIN.

You always tried to cross boundaries through dance, by exploring masculinity, femininity and all their shades. How did dance help you know yourself through the years?

I always let myself be inspired by the choreographers with whom I worked. I recall Sugawara Koharu, with whom I worked on MOVE, Ian Eastwood who choreographed my soloist debut song Danger, and Kasper, who I’m working with on a new song. By knowing different artists, I absorbed their colors and with time they all fused with my own. Generally, though, I don’t try to define my way of dancing, and neither do I take genre/gender [can be either or both in Italian] in consideration. I simply dance, and it’s other people who say, “This is TAEMIN’s style.” I just express myself, and let the audience interpret.

Do you remember your first encounter with dance?

I was probably ten years old and I was shocked by Smooth Criminal by MIchael Jackson. I remember I used to try and try the famous “lean” move in the playground by leaning on the swing. I think that was the first time I replicated a choreography. I was a very introverted kid, and dance helped me express myself with my body. It basically woke me up.

Was there ever a specific moment in your childhood when you thought, “Okay, dancing and showbiz are my future?”

It was after my first audition. I was twelve and I remember walking home with my mother, we were crossing the Seongsu bridge in Seoul at sunset. The weather was beautiful and it felt almost magical. I thought, “Yes, I will become a singer.” In that exact moment, I clearly felt that my life was taking a clear direction.

You debuted two years later as SHINee’s maknae. What do you remember about that time?

I remember the colored skinny jeans (laughs), and the dorm. There’s a particular story that I remember. It was January, and we were going to debut in May, so at that time we used to practice until dawn. One night, at 4 or 5 in the morning, we got back to our dorm which was maybe a 15-minute walk from there. We realized we had left the keys in the practice room. It was terribly cold and we were forced to turn back. I cherish those difficult moments we shared and overcame together with the other members.

How much have you changed since then?

As a trainee I was very fierce and I always tried to give my all. I skipped meals and didn’t eat because I believed that I was wasting time instead of practicing. I was so determined because I wanted to succeed and I wanted to survive at all costs. Even after debuting, I didn’t abandon this type of training and for some time I lived like that. Now I still want to have a degree of acknowledgement, but I also look around me more. I care more about the people I work with, about my staff. I like to share the little moments as well as the successes with them.

How do you take care of your mental health?

Once everyone told me, “Talk with the people closest to you, share your thoughts and your worries.” I thought it was good, but now I draw some boundaries because people can use that as a weakness. For example, if I decide to share my happiness, some can feel envious. So today I try to keep my thoughts to myself and I focus on my free time. It’s scientifically proved that physical activity is beneficial to mental health. Walking or running doesn’t just engage muscles, but it also helps the brain recover.

Do you think the K-pop industry has improved in terms of paying more attention to the mental health of artists as opposed to the past?

While there is no significant lack in the system or in the mental care for artists, I think that the nature of the job itself—requiring constant interaction with multiple people—inevitably leads to moments of psychological distress. There are many artists who start working and encounter psychological attacks, negative comments and falsehoods. These are all things you want to explain and share, but you often risk making things worse and getting more frustrated as a result. I hope we can create a culture where artists feel free to express themselves with sincerity and to communicate more openly.

When you started out, did you imagine that K-pop would reach this level of global popularity?

I didn’t really think in terms of K-pop and its global success. I remember listening to Bon Jovi and Metallica. I saw them perform in front of huge audiences and I wanted to be able to one day draw such huge crowds as those famous foreign bands.

Today you're named the idols' idol, what's your relationship with your popularity?

It’s an honor to be recognized on the street, but to me real fame means being respected in my field. Being someone who’s recognized for their value and who can be considered a model for others. To me, this is the real meaning of success.

If you had the chance to talk with your childhood self, what would you tell him today?

First, I’d tell him to be sure and to trust what he believes. It’s good to listen to other people, but without letting it confuse you or discourage you. Just think of the training system. Every company has its own method, but this doesn’t mean that if you are told your dancing style is wrong, then that’s the absolute truth. As a kid, sometimes I stopped and thought long before expressing an opinion, I thought to myself, “Can I really ask this thing?” That’s not good. So I would tell him not to hesitate in being honest and in expressing himself. And there’s another thing about my debut.

Which is?

When you debut so young, you immediately enter the world of adults. Sometimes I still ask myself if maybe I lack something because I didn’t have a normal childhood. You know, running around with friends, playing soccer or basketball with them, going out to eat together. And maybe those experiences could have helped me and changed me. So, to little TAEMIN I would say that being an artist doesn’t mean only to train, perform and sing. I would tell him, “Just wait a moment.”

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