In Coachella’s humid Mojave tent, TAEMIN emerges for his Saturday (April 11) evening performance from a fleshy, spherical cage. It’s more than just aesthetic set dressing — speaking later with Billboard, the singer explains that the prop represents a poignant line from Herman Hesse’s Demian about a bird that cracks free from its egg: before you can really live, you first have to deconstruct the only world you’ve ever known. 

The 32-year-old knows a little something about that kind of leap of faith. Introduced in 2008 as part of K-pop five-piece SHINee, TAEMIN’s (then still developing) voice barely appeared on their debut single, “Replay,” yet through a potent combination of unrivaled dance skills and trailblazing creative vision, he grew to become one of K-pop’s most sought-after soloists. After 16 years operating under the tutelage of legacy management company SM Entertainment, the singer opted not to renew his solo contract in 2024, instead signing with smaller label BPM Entertainment. (He moved again to Galaxy Corporation, home to fellow K-pop veteran and 2026 Coachella performer G-Dragon, just one month ago.)

Given the recency of that label shift, it seems like a miracle TAEMIN’s festival set came together at all, let alone nearly as well as it did. As always, the perfectionist has a few notes ahead of weekend two. But from an outside perspective, the show convincingly asserted his status as an artist among idols, from the elaborate staging and lighting cues to how he throws himself into every move with full-bodied commitment to the craft.

In addition to old favorites “WANT,” “Advice,” “IDEA” and “MOVE” — the choreographed restraint for which was so innovative that it unleashed a rash of imitators upon release in 2017 — TAEMIN debuted six tracks from an upcoming project: “Permission,” “Parasite,” “Frankenstein,” “Let Me Be the One,” “Sober” and “1004.”

Even within a stifling industry, TAEMIN has long defined himself and his trajectory on his own terms. Now, following his historic stint as the first Korean male K-pop soloist to perform at Coachella — and first K-pop soloist with a dedicated display at the Grammy Museum — the “idol’s idol” is ready to take the next step.

“Although I’m not caught up in results, I want my team and I to accomplish something tangible together,” he tells Billboard, pointing to future tours and awards as his more immediate goals. But there’s one lofty aspiration the singer has set his sights on for further down the line: “I want to be someone who’s mentioned when people think about art.”

He breaks down the creative behind his 50-minute Coachella set — and what it meant to be one of two second-generation K-pop acts performing over the weekend — below.

Billboard: How are you feeling after your Coachella debut? 

Taemin: I was very nervous, but now that weekend one is done and the videos people took are showing up on my feed, I’m less anxious. For this second weekend, I think I will have more fun and hopefully make up for my shortcomings.

What was the preparation process like? When did you start making the setlist? 

I started planning the setlist last year, but the details were filled in around January, mostly February. Truthfully, I was set to perform at Coachella early on. So, any time I was running or exercising since then, I would listen to my music and envision a good way to perform each song. 

Tell me the story of the set design, especially the beginning, where you emerge from that egg-like structure.

There’s a verse in Demian: “The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world.” I was really inspired by that, so I made it part of the concept for the performance and for my album. Something about always pushing and breaking the mold, despite it being an unknown world, resonated with me.

The staging for “Parasite” was also really amazing. What inspired that?

I feel like when I was younger, I was more at peace. But now, there’s a lot of pressure and there are more times when I am facing hatred and negativity. I wanted to portray this artistically through my music. I’m pained that there is so much hate in the world. It makes me sad, and I made this song to portray my genuine feelings. I took a lot of time to think about this, so it’s nice to hear that the song is being enjoyed.

One of the biggest reactions from the crowd was for “MOVE.” How do you feel about the response to that song, now that it’s been almost a decade since its release?

Honestly, it’s an iconic song and one that people think of when they think of me. So I thought I should definitely perform it — but since it’s an older song, I’ve performed it a lot. [This time], I was thinking I should redevelop it in some way. There’s this sexiness that comes from the restraint in the motions, so I hoped to upgrade the song while preserving that vibe.

The live arrangement of “IDEA” is also a fan favorite. Would you ever consider recording that version?

I never thought about it. I’ve always heard people say that if the music is too much, it’s tiring for the ears. Personally, I like being a bit more extreme. So the tempered version is the one that gets recorded, while the performance is more reflective of the style I want.

But hearing you say this, if the opportunity arises, I think it’d be a good idea to record the live version of this song and some of the other ones.

What made you want to play the piano during this set?

I performed a lot of new tracks this time. The recorded version will be calmer — again, I wanted to go all out for the live performance.

Going from “Frankenstein” to “Advice” to “Idea”… I am someone who thinks that developing an emotional journey is really important — not just across the entire performance but within each section. I wondered how to show something people hadn’t seen before, which is how the piano came to be. I wanted to start in a smaller moment, so as the show went on, things would escalate and then explode at the finale. 

Tell me about “1004,” the set’s closer.

As a date, it’s October 4th [the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi]. In Korean, 1,004 also sounds like angel.

I am Catholic, and my baptismal name is Francesco, so there’s a personal element to this. I wanted to imagine fans seeing me, how they see me from their perspective, and that’s where the song came from. 

I thought it was a nice note to end on — there’s some choreography, but it puts more emphasis on your vocals and how much you’ve grown as a singer.

I actually just wanted to start the overall performance really strong. It wasn’t necessarily so that I could feature more vocals at the end.

At the beginning of the performance, I thought that everyone — including the audience — might be a bit anxious. So with the beginning of the set, I wanted to release that tension and change it to a more enjoyable mood.

But it’s nice to hear you say that about my vocals. [Laughs]

How did you feel the performance went? I saw you rated yourself a 5/10.

I wasn’t able to fully rehearse because I didn’t have time. There were some technical defects with the lighting — with “Parasite,” for example, it wasn’t the performance I had pictured, so I felt regretful.

That’s why I gave it a 5, and I want to try to get as close to a 10 as possible. Since I’m less nervous this weekend, I think I will do better. 

What would you change about “Parasite” for next weekend?

The performance features projections of philosophical words and quotes that I felt inspired by. But because the audience couldn’t see them, I wasn’t able to get the full message across.

The words come down while there is also thunder, lightning and rain effects. I wanted the words to portray hatred coming down and lifting back up at the end of the song, but I am sad that people weren’t able to see that.

Who were the quotes from?

I don’t know the names very well. [To his team] Can I check my phone?

It doesn’t say who the speaker is, but there are things like “capitalism makes people into props” and “we are in jail performing freedom.” “The moment we stop thinking, evil slowly begins to grow,” and “people are born free, but wherever we go, we are still in shackles.”

Why is that a message you wanted to convey? 

It’s different depending on the culture, but in Korea, it’s hard for singers and idols to speak their truth. Everything needs to be packaged and delivered carefully — that’s how to avoid misunderstandings and misinterpretations. I thought that using these quotes would be a more approachable way to portray my thoughts. So I borrowed the words.

I saw you watched Justin Bieber’s headlining set, which, to me, seemed like a reflection on growing up in the spotlight and having all these online artifacts to look back on. Since you’re the same age as him, and similarly became famous in your early teens, did that resonate with you?

As I watched [the performance], I felt like I would be reacting to it differently than anyone else. I really saw myself reflected. Of course, the language and the country are different, but I also look back at my younger self through videos. I can’t say anything, but I watch on the sidelines.

I think Justin Bieber likely felt those similar emotions and portrayed them on stage. I just really want to root for him. I thought that it must’ve been so hard. All that attention, as grateful as you are for it, was probably really difficult for one person to shoulder. And despite this, through good music, he has continued to inspire. I want to thank him for that. 

BIGBANG also performed over the weekend. How did it feel to see second-generation K-pop so well represented at Coachella?

It feels good. There’s so much that we can relate to each other about. There aren’t many people — even around me — who can really understand and sympathize with this experience and those times. We survived, and steadily, we made it here.

Back in 2008, the American market felt so distant. We’re the generation of dreams coming true. I’m grateful that we can celebrate these joys and successes together. 

After your set, I saw people make comparisons between your performance style and Michael Jackson’s. And, coincidentally, your Grammy Museum exhibit is right next to his.

I dreamed of becoming a musician like him. I was very influenced by him — you follow what you like, and it becomes part of you. There are times when I [deliberately] pay homage to Michael Jackson, but even at times when I don’t intend to, there are similarities because he’s a part of me.

As a fan, it’s really touching to hear people say that I’m like him or to even be in such close proximity at the museum exhibit. What fan is as successful as me? To have our stage outfits be displayed together feels like a dream.

The exhibit is called “TAEMIN: Performer. Artist. Icon.” What do each of those titles mean to you?

It feels like one thing. Music is expression. I try to convey my emotions through music and, visually, through performance. It’s one of the fundamentals that I strive to achieve, and a characteristic of the artists that I admire.

What are you trying to express now?

I’ve done a lot of abstract and ambiguous concepts, using my music to build them out and share them as a story or fiction. Now, I am trying to convey who I am and what I feel more tangibly through my music. 

What do you hope your legacy as an artist will be?

Whether it’s an artist like David Bowie or with fashion, art is something you experience with all five senses. I want to be someone who’s mentioned when people think about art. Even when they taste something, I want people to think about me — to say this, this feeling, is like Taemin. I want to be that kind of sensational and iconic artist while I’m alive.

Additional translation provided by Gene Kim.