The cute superstar Taemin made his solo debut in Japan.
He boasts the overwhelmingly No.1 dance sense in the world of competition.
Interview with Taemin, an artist who has been favored by God. Oku-Shibuya is located right next to the Yoyogi National Stadium, which is familiar to SHINee’s performances.
Taemin: “I knew it was close to Shibuya but it’s my first time walking around, so it’s fun”.
He saw a poodle while taking a walk and said “It’s cute” and looking up at the sky, he noticed that “The air is clear and I feel good~” and while walking, Taemin’s angelic smile wouldn’t fade.
Taemin: “Tokyo is the most comfortable place I have ever visited in a foreign country. The air is clean and I like the feeling of being able to see far away. I feel healthier whenever I come to Tokyo”.
He made his debut at 14, has been active in Japan for 5 years, and has performed twice in Tokyo Dome. Taemin, who has already topped the list as a solo singer in Korea, will finally make his solo debut in Japan this summer.
‘Sayonara Hitori’ is a dance number that combines beauty and strength, which is his synonym.
Taemin: “I tried a different style from other singers while showing my mature self”.
The choreography is done by the up-and-coming Koharu Sugawara.
Taemin: “Actually, there was another candidate song (for the title), but the timing was right, so I decided on it in a hurry. Choreographies often expresses the content of the lyrics, but I carefully followed Koharu’s advice that ‘acting and expressions are more important than perfect balance’”.
He longed for Michael Jackson when he was younger. He started dancing on his own with the window of his room as a mirror, and was auditioned when he was in 6th grade at his mother’s recommendation. There is an episode where Taemin demonstrates his natural dancing skills and passes the audition. In the MV, the performance of ‘Sayonara Hitori’, which he dances on the surface of the water with a delicate body like glass work and resonates with his vocals, is a solitary world that he could have created because he was loved by the god of art.
Taemin: “Of course, the pressure of solo activities is there. But the process of making it while worrying is fun, and I can do it with the feeling that I should enjoy it positively as much as possible, instead of accumulating pressure and putting up with it like before”. Taemin is a star who shines brighter than anyone else on the stage, and sometimes gives off a hard to approach aura. On the other hand, he is a boy full of affinity. He calls himself “introverted since he was little” but at the interview location, he greeted the staffs with a smile. He laughed a lot during the interview, and after speaking in Korean for the interview, he worries about the interpreter, saying: “Was it (what he said) too long? I’m sorry!”
Taemin: “My introverted personality remains as a basic part of my life but I think I’ve gradually become more diplomatic as I live in my social life. Am I kind? It’s true that this is often said so. But that’s thanks to my acting skills (laughs)”.
The most fun part of his private life is: “When I meet up with my friends. I’m into billiards these days, so I’m happy to play billiards with them”.
As for love: “I usually feel like I want to fall in love about 50%. I’ve been very busy lately so this percentage may decrease but… Hm, are you surprised that it’s a lot (such a high percentage)? I’m a human being too, ahaha!” - he said, honestly.
Taemin: “My ideal woman is a cute, slender like a Barbie doll, sexy, gentle personality, and a person who embraces everything! I don’t think there is such a woman in the world, but I’m happy just to imagine her (laughs)” - it’s also lovely how he says this innocently.
Taemin’s ideal Tokyo date course is cute after all.
Taemin: “I’m sleepy in the morning, so we should meet each other after lunch (laughs). We meet at the park, take a walk while chatting, and go to a cafe first. After talking about various things while having some coffee and cake, we go shopping in a quiet place like Oku-Shibuya. It seems fun to go shopping with women, and I will choose clothes that suit her and give her as a gift. For dinner, we eat meat in a nice restaurant and in the end I’ll take her home. However, since I’m actually the type of person to do things in the heat of the moment, it might be better to have her make a plan and we follow it (laughs)”.
He is the youngest member in SHINee to receive the love of the four members. Because of his lovely and innocent appearance, his fans often call him “angel” and “fairy”. Walking with his golden hair fluttering, looking like an angel who landed in Shibuya, and the photographer can’t stop saying: “Cute!”
Taemin: “I’m glad to be told that! Cute and sexy are both important in terms of attracting performance (laughs). It’s a professional spirit. Ahaha!”
Speaking of professional spirit, this mini-album shows his singing in perfect Japanese, which is the result of his hard work for his activities in Japan. Even while on the interview location, when he hears a new word such as “hashira” (“pillar”, “collumn”), he often repeats it quietly on the spot.
Taemin: “Once I get into something, I’m the type to be always into this something. What I do every day now is exercise. It’s essential to maintain my best condition as a singer. I gain weight easily and it shows from my face, so I’m careful about what to eat and avoid to eat sweets. It’s also important to take a good rest and get in shape during the preparation period. I usually drink alcohol, but I don’t drink it before a concert”.
What you are looking forward to after your stoic life is a solo live tour?
Taemin: “Just like SHINee stepped up with a Hall and Arena tour to reach the Dome, my dream is to perform solo in front of many fans someday”. After the interview, he asked the staff: “Can I take this home?”, holding a small yogurt. “Of course!”, the staff answered with a smile. Holding the yogurt, he followed to the next site. The superstar the world loves is hardworking, pure and invincibly cute.
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Credits: ‘Hanako’ magazine No.1115 August 2016
Scans: 贝贝no貝貝
JPN - ENG translation: @DiamondTaem