“I believe people start to feel mesmerized the moment you break the little taboos that surround them,” Taemin, one of the most versatile artists in K-pop and a member of boy band SHINee, says.

And mesmerize he did. In his latest and fourth EP “Guilty,” Taemin played with the boundaries of sexiness and sexuality as he portrayed the image of adolescence through the adult gaze, in a way that makes the audience feel just slightly guilty, but not so much as to feel like they could never watch the music video again.

“I think that the certain facial expressions that I make or my movements can feel like a twist that may come across as a surprise to people,” Taemin told reporters in a press conference held Monday afternoon in eastern Seoul prior to the release of the album at 6 p.m.

“In a way, I wanted to play a tug-of-war with people through ‘Guilty’ by pushing them to the limits of where they would feel dizzy, in a way. I thought that if I could do it just right, then I could appeal to people in a different way as a person.”

“Guilty” is the title of the SHINee member’s new album and its lead dance track, a dark and dramatic synth pop that sings of a selfish man’s love that he knows is hurting his beloved but he still forces onto the other, nonetheless.

The music video of “Guilty” is self-descriptive: Taemin features as one of many young boys who are trapped in a violent cycle that forces them to hurt each other, leading Taemin to turn insane and surrender to his dark side.

Images of pure, young boys enjoying a day out at a stream suddenly turn into an eerie scene of boys clad in what seem like school uniforms, facing each other as if partaking in some sort of religious rite. The quick turn of events and contradicting images of sunshine, guns and young boys create a sense of uncanny spookiness that could easily put off the audience, but is eased by Taemin’s artistry.

A key dance move, in which Taemin reaches under and through his T-shirt, showing off his abs, is one of the highlights of song, which Taemin described as an intentional effort to push his limits and show something that only he could do.

“Showing your inner flesh can be both embarrassing to do and to watch,” he said.

“For me, it was risky because I knew that some people could find it disturbing. But at the same time, I hoped that some people would think that I look stylish. It could have been too much if I over did it, even just a little, but I think I was able to push it just enough to the point where only I could take it.”

“Guilty” comes as the SHINee member’s first EP in almost two and a half years, following the release of his third EP "Advice" in 2021. The new album has six tracks including the lead and title track "Guilty," followed by B-side tracks of diverse genres: “The Rizzness,” “Blue,” “She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not,” “Not Over You” and “Night Away.”

Taemin debuted in 2008 as a member of boy band SHINee, known for hit songs "Ring Ding Dong" (2009), "Lucifer" (2010) and more. The band recently celebrated its 15th anniversary with a concert in June.

Taemin started his solo career in 2014 and has released hit dance tracks such as "Danger" (2014), "Move" (2017) and "Criminal" (2020). He has since been known for his unique image of fusing femininity with masculinity in songs that are darker, slower and sexier than what SHINee is known for.

With “Guilty,” Taemin aimed to break the cliché image that people have of him — while also adding another cliché to his identity.

“I believe myself to be playing a certain character when I’m on stage, just as actors play a certain character in a film or a drama series,” he said. “I’ve tried quite conceptual themes with my music so far, but with ‘Guilty,’ I wanted to make it seem like ‘Taemin really lived this moment.’ So in a way, it’s a lot more dramatic and cinematic, but also very natural and casual at the same time.”

Having stayed with the same band and agency since day one of his career, Taemin has spent half of his 30 years of life as part of SHINee and as a K-pop artist. Nevertheless, he is considered one of the most prolific artists whose career as both a soloist and bandmate has proven successful.

Pushing through all those years without a major hiccup wasn’t easy, but he found his reason to carry on from the very fact that he had been able to pursue his career for a such a long time.

“I feel grateful that I’ve been able to do this for 15 years now,” Taemin said. “I just feel so grateful to be able to be here in the K-pop idol scene and be loved. Winning an award or becoming No. 1 is meaningful, but to have fans who love me and people who listen to my songs is meaning just in itself.

“This year has been a year that has allowed me to look back on who I am and realize that people hold me in high regard,” he added. “The members, the way I lean on them and how they lean on me, the meaning of having fans that love us, loving them back, growing together and the people who watched me grow — all these things felt close to me this year.”

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]