During an interview, Taemin revealed that SHINee came close to disbanding in 2018 but he expressed gratitude that they ultimately did not. What transpired during that period?
On August 20, “ELLE D Edition,”the digital edition of ELLE Korea, announced that SHINee Taemin will be featured on the cover of its September 2024 issue.
The soloist, who impressed on the pages of the fashion magazine with his striking looks, also demonstrated his intelligence and emotional depth by delivering eloquent and sensible responses during the interview.
Among the excerpts from his interview that were circulating among fans, the statement that caught the most attention from Shawols was the male icon’s disclosure that 2018 was both a difficult and rewarding year for him, as it marked his 10th year since debuting in 2008.
Despite being known as the “Prince of K-pop”and one of the top second-generation groups for a decade, Taemin revealed that the thought of disbanding crossed their minds six years ago.
He recounted:
“(The proudest moment I have) is the path that I have walked with my members. We’ve really been through so much that if you ask me to do it again right from the start, I won’t have the confidence to do so.
Amid our discussion of disbandment in 2018, we have really run together this far, and (we) chose not to give up. And it’s such a good thing that we kept going.”
Taemin proceeded:
“I’m so grateful that I can live this life because it seems like so many people gave us love and support, with a sense of kinship.”
Despite not specifying the exact reason, the “Move”singer alluded to a difficult 2018 that caused them to contemplate going their separate ways. Fans, known as Shawols, reflected on the year and stressed that it was filled with anxiety and sadness for them as well.
In August 2017, their leader Onew was falsely accused of sexually harassing a woman while under the influence at a club. Despite the accuser dropping the case on the same day, the police still investigated the matter. However, in April 2018, he was cleared of all charges and the case was dismissed.
Despite the ongoing investigation into his co-member Jonghyun’s death in December 2017, the music industry was still deeply grieving at the time.
In addition, the members expressed their support for Onew, Key, and Minho’s military break, acknowledging the potential risk of losing fans and popularity during their absence before their anticipated return as a complete group in 2021.
Despite facing adversities, their love and loyalty for SHINee was evident when they announced in May 2018 that they had renewed their contract as a group with SM, and subsequently made a comeback with their 6th mini-album, “The Story of Light”series, in the same month.
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