Client: NME (2019)READ IN FULL
His 11 years in the spotlight, ongoing success and enigmatic stage presence are the reasons the latest idol groups – some with members older or the same age as Taemin but with less than half his experience, and even a few who weren’t yet in primary school when he debuted – gaze at him on South Korea’s weekly televised music shows with a mix of respect and starstruck awe.
“I’m really grateful for those [junior artists] who see me in that way,” Taemin tells NME.
Unfeasibly grounded, quick to smile, Taemin, despite the sensual stage persona and having coming out of his self-confessed introverted shell over the years, retains a certain, endearing, reticence. “I also don’t want to let anyone down. Just like they have, I’ve always had others that I respected and admired, and the fact that I could become that person for someone is a dream for me.”
Taylor Glasby 