Taemin: the idol’s idol

It’s rare to still be peaking 17 years into your music career, but K-pop star Taemin continues to ride the crescendo of his stardom almost two decades in. He started off in the incredibly influential second-generation K-pop group SHINee, which produced the iconic track ‘Sherlock (Clue + Note)’. Since debuting as a solo artist in July 2016, Taemin has enjoyed incredible success in his own right, while remaining part of SHINee, who are still active to this day. Not content with carving out two concurrent career paths, he was also picked to join SuperM, a supergroup that combined elite members of various K-pop boy groups from the SM Entertainment stable.

Now, Lee Taemin, who hails from Seoul, is set to continue making history when he becomes the first K-pop male soloist to perform at this year’s Coachella music festival. When he sits down to talk with Rolling Stone UK, he has just finished his solo concert at the Dolby Live at Park MGM in Vegas (it sold out in 10 minutes), and is still in California, working on new music.

As a solo artist, Taemin is known as a K-pop “Concept King”: he fully immerses himself in every level of his music, and his performances are renowned for his emotive, smooth and sultry style. Fans took to his sensual 2017 album Move, uplifting it into a cultural phenomenon that became credited for breaking gender norms in K-pop. More recent songs such as the synth-wave 2020 track ‘Criminal’ and 2021’s ‘Advice’, in which he plays classical music on a grand piano, showcase his versatility as a performer. His new album, coming this spring, is expected to continue drawing from his vault of talent.

“For the sound, I wanted to blend the different colours that each producer brings with my own vocal tone,” says Taemin. “I tend to write about the emotions I’ve been feeling lately – love, various issues and my overall state of mind.”

It can be difficult to get K-pop idols to divulge personal opinions on their peers. They often deploy diplomatic deflection or generic press-release replies when faced with the topic in interviews, due to not wanting to offend or single out any particular artist. Gaining any insight into the idol ecosystem and friendship dynamics is therefore challenging. Information is often sleuthed and siphoned off by fan bases through crumbs gleaned from grainy photos and moments of rawness that might slip from an idol’s lips during live broadcasts on their social platforms. What is interesting is how this does not seem to apply with Taemin. Other K-pop idols are so forthcoming with admiration for him that he has been labelled by Korean media as “the idol’s idol”. Stars from the biggest hitters – such as BTS, SEVENTEEN, TWICE, EXO, Red Velvet, TXT and NCT – have all broken from the partisan position and mentioned Taemin in interviews, and how they look up to him as an artist, stating that he is the reason they wanted to become an idol.

“It’s an honour and it makes me want to be an even better role model,” he says of the accolades from his peers. “I hope to continue being a musician who inspires many people.”

Taemin, of course, has his own inspiration: “Michael Jackson. He has had the greatest influence on me in every aspect and performance alike.” The King of Pop’s influence on the “idol’s idol” is very much evident when you watch him perform. Known as SHINee’s “Dance Machine” (another superlative designated to him by the industry), Taemin possesses an aura when he performs that channels Jackson as he lands fluid and precise movements, hitting high notes without missing a breath.

The parallels with Taemin and his idol extend past their smooth performance style. Like Jackson, Taemin had to mature and evolve under the intense scrutiny of the public eye. He debuted in 2008 at the age of 14 but managed to navigate the storm of being in the spotlight.

“There were definitely many hardships that were tough for someone so young,” he says, “but it was my choice, and I don’t regret it at all. If anything, I’d like to go back and comfort my younger self, who didn’t yet know how to deal with people. Those experiences are what made me stronger and more mature today.” It’s a measured and grown-up approach to his development.

If he could give his younger self some advice when starting out, what would he say? “Believe in yourself more than anyone else’s words.” Taemin has applied this mantra to many parts of his life. Whether he is problem-solving or looking for comfort, he often tries to find the answer within himself. “Like the saying: ‘What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger,’ [helped me through] things like jealousy, resentment and negativity; [it] actually made me more resilient.”

Whether he’s part of SHINee, SuperM, or making his way as a solo artist, Taemin seems to have taken every different dynamic in its stride, valuing each experience. “The people were different [in SuperM], and each team had its own goals, so their charms were very distinct. Through SuperM, I was lucky to meet more fans in the US and Europe, and through SHINee, I was able to document my personal growth, which I’m very grateful for.”

Through all the iterations of his career, it’s time spent with bandmates in his original group SHINee that he holds most dear. He has a resolute answer when asked for his most prominent memory from his career. “2017–2018 are the years I remember most vividly. 2017 was the last year SHINee was together as five, so it’s incredibly precious to me, an unforgettable time I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.”

In December 2017, fellow SHINee member Jonghyun tragically passed away, his death declared a probable suicide after he was found by his sister in his Seoul apartment. It was an unspeakably hard time for the tight-knit group. The members often broke down in tears when they returned to the stage without their band member and performed a tribute, ‘From Now On’, leaving an empty microphone spot in the middle with a single red rose for Jonghyun.  

“2018 felt like a new beginning, which was scary in many ways, but thanks to the people around me and our fans, who became my support, I was able to move forward, and those moments remain etched in my memory,” says Taemin.

Coming from a group and going solo and then becoming a K-pop idol can be a daunting journey. For any artist, venturing out on your own, unsure if your magic formula in a group will translate to solo success requires a lot of resolve and belief, regardless of talent. It is an adjustment. “As a solo artist, I feel much more pressure, but I like being fully responsible for what I choose to do. In a group, my mind feels more at ease, but it can be challenging to align everyone’s opinions.”

The experience has only added resilience and introspection, which he says helps with problem-solving. “These days, I tend to handle things on my own. Some-times sharing concerns can become a weakness,” he says.

As a solo artist, he has been able to take greater control of his sound and creative trajectory, which is still bearing fruit, including the history-making performance at Coachella. Of the event, he says, “It’s a huge honour and, more than anything, it feels like a dream come true. At the same time, I worry that I might get nervous because I really want to do well.”

He is meticulously planning the performance with a wealth of material. “I chose the setlist during my morning runs,” he says. “Afterward, I discussed it with the people around me and exchanged opinions. To stay objective, I try to respect others’ input rather than relying solely on my own.”

Across his expansive discography, Taemin has his personal favourites, of course. ‘Guilty’ is his top solo track, and from SHINee it’s the eponymous lead song from their seventh album Don’t Call Me. Performing live adds another element to his sonic preferences. For stage performance, it’s “a song called ‘Rise’”, he says. “It feels like I’m pouring out all of my emotions, which is incredibly cathartic. Also, my performance of ‘Why So Serious’ at a recent SHINee concert stands out the most.”

The US is becoming a familiar stomping ground for the K-pop idol. “The weather in LA is great, so I feel good wherever I go,” he says. “This time, I really enjoyed being there while attending songwriting camps and dance classes.”

He has also relished exploring Las Vegas, “I remember going to see shows in the past, but because of jet-lag and my schedule, I didn’t really have time to enjoy it,” he says. “This time, I was able to experience the city a bit more – trying different foods, seeing my image on billboards, and feeling the unique charm of Las Vegas, which was really nice.”

Despite Taemin’s full-throttle career, he hasn’t become jaded by the process of being a pop star; rather he is constantly evolving, forever refining his skills. When I ask him if he thought he would be where he was today when he started out, he replies, “I imagined it many times, but I couldn’t have imagined just how meaningful and valuable it would be. Winning a grand prize, performing on big stages, I had many dreams. As I achieved them one by one, I realised that true fulfilment comes from sharing those moments with the staff who worked alongside me, celebrating and connecting together.”

In the year ahead, Taemin has that record-breaking festival appearance and is releasing new music, but beyond those his goal is to become “not the artist Taemin as he has been so far, but the new Taemin who will be written from here on.”

Our exclusive interview with Taemin will feature inside the April/May 2026 issue of Rolling Stone UK. Copies will be able to pre-order here from 9am GMT on Wednesday, March 11.

Photographer : Bookiee, KANG HWAYEONG (Assistant), JEONG SEOYUN (Assistant)
Hair: KIM MIN YOUNG, KIM GYU RI (Assistant)
Styling: MOON HYUNG WOOK, HAN SEUNG AH (Assistant)
Makeup: HYUN YUN SU