SHINee Taemin Explains Reason for Leaving SM Entertainment: 'So I Wanted To...'

In an exclusive interview with Newsen, SHINee Taemin briefly mentioned the reason he decided to leave SM Entertainment.

On April 24, the K-media outlet released an article that contains the interview with the "Prince of K-pop." Here, he explained his intention to change label, and talked about his desire to focus on being a soloist while still actively promoting as SHINee.

SHINee Taemin Reveals Why He Left SM Entertainment

In 2008, Lee Taemin debuted as the main dancer of SHINee, a group launched by SM Entertainment. He worked with the label for about 16 years, but recently, he shocked the entertainment scene with the news that he's leaving SM to sign an exclusive contract with Big Planet Made (BPM).

Along with him, SHINee's leader Onew also transferred to his new nest, Griffin, sparking concerns about the group's future.

ALSO READ: SHINee Taemin Breaks Silence About Departure From SM Entertainment

While there are numerous speculations about why he left the company, Taemin briefly explained through Newsen, saying:

"I wanted to be Taemin, the unchanging artist no matter where I am, so I wanted to take on a new challenge in a new place. I will work hard to show a good side of me."

Taemin Differentiates Himself Between Being SHINee Member, Solo Artist

In 2008, Taemin received a lot of love for SHINee's hit tracks such as "Replay," "Ring Ding Dong," "Sherlock," "Dream Girl," and more. Despite their music leaning towards the experimental genre, SHINee's unique color and sound became one of the factors that contributed to their popularity.

In 2014, Lee Taemin then debuted as a solo artist, and successfully established his name with his hits, "MOVE," "Criminal," "Guilty" and more, which showed off a completely different genre from his group.

Regarding his achievements as a solo artist and as a SHINee member, he differentiated his two roles as an artist and explained:

"SHINee Taemin focuses on being 'together' by gathering opinions with the other members.

Meanwhile, as a solo artist, Taemin is in the process of incorporating all directions that I want to go in, from various performances to songs."

SHINee Taemin Future Activities

Earlier on April 10, the "WANT" singer attended the 2024 ASEA ceremony held in Japan where he received two trophies for "ASEA THE BEST PERFORMANCE" and "ASEA THE BEST CONCEPTUAL ARTIST."

During the interview with the media, Taemin conveyed his grateful heart to fans and attested them with more activities in the future.

"I am grateful to have been able to receive love for such a long time, and I will show a good performance as always. I am truly grateful for giving me such a valuable award.

Moving forward, I will continue to strive to become an artist who can better inspire and influence so that I can repay the support and love from my fans."

This coming May 24 to 26, SHINee, the group to which Taemin belongs will mark the 16th anniversary of their debut with its concert, "SHINee WORLD VI [PERFECT ILLUMINATION: SHINee'S BACK]."

The 3-day encore concert will be held at Inspire Arena in Incheon and meet Shawols from all over the world.

READ MORE: Lee Mujin Expresses Desire to Collab With THIS SHINee Member: 'He's the Only Person...'

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Written by Eunice Dela Cruz