Taemin Reveals SHINee Almost Disbanded in 2018: 'But We Chose Not to Give Up
In an interview, Taemin confessed that while SHINee almost disbanded in 2018, he was grateful they didn't. What happened at that time?
On August 20, ELLE Korea's digital edition, "ELLE D Edition" revealed SHINee Taemin as its cover for its September 2024 issue.
The soloist, who graced the fashion magazine with his stunning visuals also showed off his mental & emotional intelligence by giving eloquent and sensible answers during the interview.
Among the snippets from his interview shared among fans, what caught the majority of Shawols' attention was when the male icon revealed that 2018 was one of the hardest yet proudest moments in his life since he debuted in 2008.
In particular, after reigning for a decade as "Prince of K-pop" and one of the "best 2nd-gen groups," Taemin shared that they considered parting ways six years ago.
He narrated:
"(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."
ALSO READ: SHINee Taemin Shares Thoughts on MC Role For 'Road To Kingdom,' Comeback In Magazine Interview
Taemin continued:
"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."
The "Move" hitmaker didn't specify what happened in 2018 that made them consider parting ways, but Shawols reminisced and emphasized that it was a year full of worries and tears for them as well.
Back in August 2017, their leader Onew faced false rumors about sexually harrassing a female at a club while intoxicated. He was investigated by the police even after the accuser dropped the case on the same day, but he was eventually dismissed in April 2018.
At the time, the whole music industry was still mourning after his co-member Jonghyun took his life in December 2017, while he was being investigated.
On top of this, the members also heralded the military hiatus of Onew, Key, and Minho, carrying the concern of losing their fans and popularity before they can return as a full group in 2021.
However, they showed their stronger loyalty and love for SHINee despite adversities after announcing in May 2018 that they renewed their contract as a whole group with SM and made a comeback in the same month with its 6th mini-album, "The Story of Light" series.
READ MORE: SHINee Taemin Reveals Why He Accepted MC Role for 'Road to Kingdom': 'Because I Am...'
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Written by Eunice Dela Cruz
