Taemin is a South Korean singer, dancer, and actor best known for being a member of the popular boy band Shinee. He was born on July 18, 1993, in Seoul, South Korea, as Lee Tae-min before adopting his now-famous mononym. Ever since he was young, the aspiring singer had been already set for stardom. Taemin started training with SM Entertainment and debuted at the tender age of 14 years old.
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Taemin was able to taste fame as he rose to the charts with Shinee. As they dominated the entertainment scene, the singer was dubbed the “Idol’s Idol” because of the acclaim he received from his peers. In addition to performing, Taemin dabbled in acting. He took on roles in television shows such as the MBC comedy “Tae Hee, Hye Kyo, Ji Hyun”.
In May 2014, Taemin debuted as a solo artist after working for six years with Shinee. His first extended play “Ace” was met with positive ratings and climbed to number one on South Korea’s Gaon Album Chart. After two years, the singer released his first studio album “Press It” consisting of songs co-produced by Bruno Mars. The album also peaked at number one on the charts, paving the way for his Japanese debut EP “Sayonara Hitori”.
As a veteran in the K-pop industry, it’s an understatement to say that Taemin is loved by his fans. With projects being released as recently as 2020, the pop star is still enjoying his evolving fame. However, with this popularity comes a wide array of rumors about his private life and especially his sexuality. So, is Taemin gay? Let’s find out the truth below.
VOTE: What is Taemin’s Sexuality?
Taemin’s Sexuality and Relationships
When it comes to his personal life, Taemin is extremely tight-lipped, so much so that viewers have speculated that the singer has no dating experience at all. However, the Shinee star debunked the rumors when he admitted that he had dated around before he entered SM Entertainment. Unfortunately, Taemin doesn’t talk about his relationships since his fans prefer not to hear about them. The extremity of parasocial relationships isn’t uncommon in the industry.
In April 2013, Taemin joined the variety show “We Got Married” where he was partnered up with Apink’s Son Na-eun. In the show, the couple pretended to get married and had plenty of adventures together. Due to the chemistry between the pair, plenty of viewers assumed that they were going out in real life. Unfortunately for the fans, Taemin and Na-eun turned out to be just really good friends.
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To the rest of the K-pop scene, Taemin is known for his androgynous fashion and genderless performances. Because of these creative choices, rumors have surfaced regarding the singer’s sexuality. Some theories claim that Taemin is actually gay, but these talks have no evidence to back them up. On the contrary, it’s possible that the singer was making an attempt to stand out from other male idols with his choreography.
In an interview with Billboard in 2017, Taemin talked about gender stereotypes and pushing the boundaries of K-pop with his hit single, “Move.” The singer claimed that he wanted to set a dance that mixed both masculine and feminine movements.
I wanted to go beyond what K-pop typically is perceived as, and through ‘MOVE’ I was able to show a concept that’s more edgy, more powerful. Not only that, but regardless of the gender, I believe that all of the audience will be able to enjoy and listen to this as something different from most of what’s coming out in K-pop.”
Taemin to Billboard, 2017
Although the singer is aware of the gay speculations, he has never addressed these matters directly.
Is Taemin Gay?
No, Taemin is not gay. The singer is best known for his combination of masculine and feminine moves in his choreography and his androgynous fashion. But when it comes to his sexuality, it’s still a big question mark. For the time being, fans assume that the Shinee star is straight.