“Among the big companies, there are those that have very distinct characteristics, right? Like YG or SM or JYP. In Korea, these companies already have a distinct style of music or certain image, which is good, but for me, that is something that the artist doesn’t own – it’s the company that is the main agent. It’s like you are becoming an artist who follows the path set by the company,” he says.
“Honestly, if I were to continue doing [the company’s music] for a long time, they set a high value on youth – beauty is extremely important. I’m not saying this in a bad way, but if I think about my future when I’m in my 30s and my 40s, would it be of any importance [to me]? I certainly don’t think so. I realised that I’ll need to pave my own path moving forward. And now is the time when I can try taking on that kind of challenge.”
~ Taemin for NME Magazine
SHINee's Taemin opens up to NME about why he needed to broaden his horizons for ‘Eternal’, his first release since leaving SM Entertainment.
