Baby Cheese

SHINee (샤이니) is a K-pop boy group which debuted on the 25th of May 2008, under the agency SM Entertainment. The group consists of five members: Onew, Key, Minho, Taemin, and Jonghyun. Dubbed "The Princes of K-Pop", they are one of the most influential groups in the Korean music industry, considered to be one of the best live vocal groups and being well known for their highly synchronized and complex dance routines. They are true all-rounders and trendsetters in their industry.

Arguably the most well known of them all is their maknae and main dancer, Lee Taemin (이태민), who debuted with the band at just 14 years old, and subsequently debuted as a soloist and as part of the supergroup SuperM, being the only idol to debut in 3 different generations. Known by the media as "the idol's idol", he is one of the best, if not the best, dancer in K-pop.

His music touches on themes of religion, faith, love, lust, and grief. He plays around with concepts of gender roles, often showing an androgynous side that has become one of his signatures. He is well known for his deeply complex and intricate choreographies, which he performs as simply and effortlessly as breathing, earning him several accolades and the praise of an entire industry. It's impossible to list out all the idols that have cited him as an inspiration for their own careers in the limited space of this bio.

Make no mistake, he is one of the most humble and hardworking men in the entire industry. His artistic vision is unmatched, and his commitment to both his fans and his group have earned him the love of so many people around the world, including me.

I became a fan of Taemin (or a Taemint, Jjakgoong, TAEMate, or whichever name you like...) in 2012, in the second grade, after a friend showed me SHINee's song Hello. I was hooked instantly. My friend told me I had to pick a favorite member, and watching their reality show Hello Baby, I kept being drawn to Taemin, the "baby" of the group. I chose him, obviously.

My first SHINee comeback was that same year, when they came out with their fourth EP, Sherlock. I was starstruck, watching this sweet boy I had fallen in love with play so effortlessly with gender presentation. I didn't know men could look like that. I wondered if I could look like him, too.

I credit Taemin with giving me the courage to even think about my own gender identity. By 2014, when he debuted as a soloist, the idea was taking shape in my mind- "I have to be him," I thought, watching him closely in the music video for Danger, as he danced decked out in glittery suits, mesh shirts, facial piercings, and heavy-handed eye makeup. In 2015, I came out as transmasc.

I broadened my K-pop horizons more, listening to other boy groups, some girl groups, some soloists. Even though I tried, no one ever came close to SHINee. No one ever came close to Taemin, "my Taeminnie", as I called him way back in the second grade.

I cheered him on through his Japanese debut, TV appearances, his comebacks as a soloist. I grieved alongside him when Jonghyun passed away. I cried tears of bittersweet joy when SHINee came back with a trilogy of albums to honor him. I watched with careful optimism as he debuted with SuperM. I waited, patiently, as he enlisted in military service. I supported him as he announced his departure from SM Entertainment, and I am still supporting him now as he has joined BPM Entertainment.

I'm not exaggerating when I say I have grown up alongside Taemin. I'm not joking when I say I credit him with making me who I am. He gave me the courage to be myself. I will be eternally proud to call myself a fan of his.