How Taemin slayed three generations of Korean music, from Shinee to his solo debut to SuperM, the ‘Avengers of K-pop’

Jul 20 , 2021

Three generations of Taemin. Photos: Handout, @SHINee/ Twitter

After 13 years of continuous activity in K-pop groups and as a solo artist, Taemin bid fans an emotional temporary farewell when he enlisted for his military duties on May 31. Supportive fans sent him off with warm wishes and love.

Shinee’s Taemin in a shoot for his third mini-album, “Advice”. Photo: @shinee/Instagram

But his absence didn’t stop them from getting excited when his agency, SM Entertainment, released his special performance Just Me and You on July 18, his 28th birthday, this past weekend.

Despite being in the industry for over a decade, Taemin still remains one of the most important and relevant idols of K-pop. His artistic impact has led to the nickname “Idol’s Idol”.

This is how he slayed not one, not two, but three generations of K-pop music.

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Second generation: Shinee

Taemin debuted as part of the boy band Shinee. Photo: @bumkeyk/Instagram

Taemin debuted as part of the boy band Shinee in 2008. An experimental and contemporary music group, they broke record after record with their ever-evolving music, stunning visuals and complex dance choreography. And the member who stood basking in the glory of those dance moves was none other than Taemin.

A still from Shinee’s music video for Don’t Call Me. Photo: @lm_____ltm/Instagram

His sweet-faced persona and energy combined with his out-of-the-world dancing skills established him as a valuable member of the team. He was known as Shinee’s “dance machine”, bringing their choreography to another level.

Shinee’s Taemin in a shot for the group’s repackage of its 7th album, “Don’t Call Me”. Photo: @shinee/Instagram

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Third generation: solo debut

Although Shinee remain as impactful as ever today, Taemin took an extra step and debuted as a solo artist in 2014. He released his album “Ace”, which was the opposite of the light-hearted, bright Shinee style concept.

As a solo artist, Taemin created a distinctive persona that was instantly recognisable due to his intricate style of dancing, androgynous fashion and heavy make-up. He broke K-pop stereotypes with the release of his second album “Move”, including female and male dancers doing complicated choreography that blurred masculine and feminine roles at the same time – a concept that was apparently alien to the Korean music industry until then.

“Move” quickly went viral online, with plenty of dance and music covers released by fans and celebrities alike. The phenomenon was called the “Move disease”, and showcased Taemin’s power as a trendsetter.

Several of Taemin’s songs and albums featured in the top 10 of Billboard’s global charts. His latest song Advice reached No 1 on iTunes charts in 41 countries, and conquered the domestic charts as well. With this, it isn’t surprising that he is known to be one of the most successful solo artists in K-pop history.

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Fourth generation: SuperM

A SuperM group photo with Taemin at the centre. Photo: @smtown/Instagram

Dubbed the “Avengers of K-pop”, SuperM is an powerhouse idol group that could even rival BTS.

Taemin in SuperM. Photo: @superm/Instagram

Taemin’s roles in the group are as main dancer, main vocalist and “centre”. He is also the face of SuperM. While Exo’s Baekhyun is the group’s leader, Taemin is the one with the most industry experience among the members, and is known to assist the group in achieving their best.

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Shinee

Taemin is the face and most experienced member of SuperM, an idol supergroup that could rival BTS, although Exo’s Baekhyun is the leader
He might be doing his military service, but fans were still excited over his Just Me and You birthday performance released on July 18