[interview] Taemin, Man of the Year by GQ
https://jujutaem.wordpress.com/2015/01/11/interview-taemin-man-of-the-year-by-gq/
Do you like winter?
I like winter very much.
Why?
I have lots of memories in winter. Most of memorable things in my life occurred in winter. They are very warm memories. But I can’t tell you here what they are.
Hmm. Is Taemin before a camera much different from real Taemin?
Different, but it’s hard to say which is real me. I think entertainer Taemin’s side comes out in front of a camera, but it is also part of me. There are things I can say in front of a camera and things I can’t. At any rate, I need to put my thoughts in order and convey a message in front of a camera, don’t I?
I actually brought 50 questions, but want to go random now. Choose any from 1 through 50. Let’s start there.
Then, number 17.
#17. Where did your fatal stare toward the camera come from in your Danger performance? Is it due to the eye-makeup?
Haha. The camera is placed far away in a concert, so I make bigger moves with more energy, but in a music show I move thinking the camera is placed a lot closer. As close as in this interview? Then, it comes out. I am amazed myself to see such a thing come out from inside of me, and I think that’s the kind of feel I like. It could be funny for me to say this myself, but anyway as I’m monitoring, I see myself getting a bit more matured, like deeper? compared to before.
What is there inside of Taemin?
The public might have guessed I would try a bright feel since I’m a cute concept usually. But the staff rather found and pulled out the real me inside, my feeling that I’d like to give vent to my know-how or energy I’ve stacked up doing concerts. Since I’m an entertainer I can’t express it freely. When I’m angry, I can’t express it. The intensity of Danger performances helped me relieve stress. I worked it off.
You prepared so solidly I could feel your determined spirit.
When I started dreaming of becoming a singer, the image I had in mind was of standing by myself on stage. I’m really glad and happy to be a SHINee but at one corner of my heart I had a desire to do it alone. I thought my company’d give me a chance when I’m qualified through steady practice.
Where do you think SM’s trust in Taemin came from?
I had lots of talks with choreographer Shim Jaewon hyung, Hwang Sanghoon hyung, and director hyungs. About my worries or future direction. Hyungs always know what I want. Maybe it showed even though I didn’t say it. They said I should make the company want to give a push if I really want it. Like if you dance and sing like Michael Jackson, the company will do with you whatever it is. I think hyungs played the role of a bridge well.
Now with it put behind you, is there anything you regret?
Danger is a sophisticated song with the beauty of restraint but also in a low range of note. I wondered at first if it’d be OK to make it a title song because it’s the kind of song you get shaky singing live. I was very sensitive in selecting songs. Now looking back, I think its color wasn’t bad.
Although the team makes the project and frame, it is you alone that expresses it on stage. It is Taemin that makes Taemin’s stage special.
I wanted to show my artist side more when I’m performing on stage. To do so, I think the most important is to be immersed in the song. For it is a matter of how much I’m immersed and how much people are absorbed in watching it. I tend to get distracted when watching a drama. But on stage I get to really concentrate well. Evil performance in our concert is such a case. It even takes a while until I calm down after finishing the song. It’s like I’m out of my mind at that moment.
It’s innate in some parts.
I thought I have no talent for singing or dance. You know people have their own colors. I think I got my unique color from my parents.
I can hear in this album your vocal with more power. I even feel like I want to hear your voice without instruments in Ace.
When I began training in SM I couldn’t sing because I was going through voice transformation at that time. Maybe it’s because I felt I was behind others that I practiced more. Ah, I even experienced it. What is it called? Ah, getting the note[*trans note: a Korean phrase for reaching a certain scale of notes]! Huhu. Then my vocal grew stronger little by little.
You got the note in the restroom?
Haha. No. SHINee’s songs are in high key, so you need a wide range of voice to master it. Practicing to raise my voice scale while playing the piano, I can make a high note suddenly one day. I feel oh now I can make it, then the next day I can’t. Repeating it, my vocal range got wider.
Frankly, don’t you sometimes think ‘it’s me this year’ when you are alone?
Yes. As a soloist. A bit. Huhuhu. My promotion time wasn’t long, but I was glad I could feel that I left a good impression in such a short time.
Are you this calm even when you hear negative comments?
No. I’m not very rational. When I get to hear a negative comment, I get totally out of my mind. I get stressed out. Still I think it makes me lash myself and try to improve.
You are a 22 year old living a hard life.
Hmm. I sometimes get emotional and think, let’s see how you’d say later. Huhu.
Still you are doing better than what you imagined in childhood you’d be like at 22?
Yes, I think so. When I was little, I only imagined about my dancing and singing ability, but now I see my current style and refined looks I didn’t imagine at that time. I’d like to show more bursting-out energy later.
Isn’t it tiring to prove yourself constantly?
The sense of accomplishment is that big. I think I live by the joy.
What do you think of being called a hard-working type?
Hmm. It’s all right. At any rate, when people get to see how I suffered, the hardship can get eased. The kind of appreciation I want and wish is not something big. If people can say a word from the bottom of their hearts when they find a side of me different from a hard-working type, then I’d like it very much.
What are you doing when you don’t practice, when you are not working hard for something?
Everyone wonders about it, but I hope they do nothing but wondering. Because they’d be disappointed if they find it out. Nothing much, really.
Do you have anything you fell for suddenly these days?
Billiards. I tried it belatedly, and it’s fun. My friends and I do simple things. We don’t drink and do workout a lot. We hang out childishly as my peers do usually.
Is there anything you want to have crazily?
Nothing much. I’m not possessive. A little peculiar in that respect. I’m not interested in collecting or buying things either.
No appetite either?
Ah, I have it a little. These days, I’m into seafood. I used to really like meat, but it’s changed. My dad likes seafood, so maybe I get to resemble him.
What words do you use most these days?
At any rate, now, I use these words a lot. I’m often at a loss for words, so I always use them as I put words into order.
What words do you get to hear most?
Take care of your things. I recently lost and found even the wallet Key hyung gave me. Ah, Minho hyung tells me to treat hyungs better. He himself doesn’t. Huhuhu. We’re kidding.
If you can wind time forward or backward fast, what year old do you want to be?
One year old.
What?
I want to do it better as I start anew. I think I could do better once I’ve done it.
You don’t want to change this kind of personality, do you?
I like my personality. No, I won’t change it. But I have a friend who is happy in everything, and I sometimes get envious of him. Haha.
[source: GQ Korea December 2014 http://navercast.naver.com/magazine_contents.nhn?rid=1102&contents_id=77185 | trans by juju]
