MEAWW.COM / ENTERTAINMENT / MUSIC

SHINee's Taemin drops new album teaser, Internet wonders if solo comeback is connected to his 'Everybody' era

Is 'Everybody' Taemin back? Fans flip as they find striking similarities between Taemin’s latest solo comeback teaser and 2013's 'Everybody' photos both featuring a red military uniform

SHINee’s Taemin is all set to come back with his latest solo album releasing on November 9. And with the latest batch of teaser photos, Netizens are asking if Taemin is channeling his Everybody era.

The newest set of teaser photos for Taemin’s solo project ‘Never Gonna Dance Again: Act 2' shows Taemin in a red military uniform torn in places paired with white pants covered in dirty fingerprints which is strikingly similar to Taemin's 'Everybody' photos of 2009 where he sported a similar red military outfit which wasn’t torn. This left fans wondering if it is a Dystopian era version of Taemin?

More connections have surfaced as users pointed out that 'Everybody' was the last album before Taemin’s first-ever solo release 'Ace' in 2014. Fans have speculated more theories as a complex storyline for ‘Never Gonna Dance Again: Act 2'  when they discovered a photo from Ace's lead single ‘Danger’ in one of the film cards used for the latest album. Another photo of Taemin’s 2016 'Press Your Number' can be seen in 'Idea' (2020).

From the tracklist posted for the Act2, subtle hints of the album telling the story of Taemin’s career is apparent as a user pointed out connections between the latest album and the past. The tracklist features nine songs including 'IDEA', 'Heaven', 'Think Of You', 'Exclusive', 'Pansy', 'I Think It’s Love', 'Identity', 'Impressionable' and 'Be Your Enemy', the last song featuring Wendy of Red Velvet.

From the song lists, a fan has theorized, “Just connect the dots :
2 Kids = Ring Ding Dong
Idea = Good Evening
Identity = TSOL
Think Of You = Everybody (+) Pansy = flower birth 25th may so in conclucion taemin's ngda act 1 & 2 cb related with SHINee things”

Another theory suggests that in the 'Everybody' MV, SHINee members are toy soldiers but now they have broken free. But the act of getting free has wrecked Taemin, hence the torn costume.

From all the teaser photos posted so far, there are clear indications of multiple timelines or universes where Taemin is standing. Users have also wondered if the new album shows Taemin stripping away from his old identity and former self as he embraces his new identity, “unraveling the process of finding new identitu away from his former self based of PLATO???'s theory of ideas.... taemin finding his new identity as taemin away from shinee taemin? or away from solo artist taemin 2014-2020? either way .. im excited!” 

“So the reason taemin has been revisiting his past is bc his concept is based on plato theories? omg so he’s discovering his new identity by getting away from his old identities/personas?? is that why his everybody attire on here is destroyed/rugged??”

Another fan tweeted, “So 'Everybody' was the last shinee kr comeback they had before Taemin debuted as a soloist with his Ace album. I wonder if that plays a part as why this concept is being used again. Maybe the frayed and dirtiness of the uniform shows how hard he had to work to debut as a soloist” and a fan celebrated the new era saying “rise dystopian everybody era taemin.”

One commented, "mind blown of how taemin is incorporating everybody’s concept bc it was his last era before he debuted as a soloist and he’s calling this album his turning point, and everybody era represents a turning point in his life as well"

Amid the sea of new theories emerging for ACT2, Taemin stans are rejoicing every bit of the new era as a fan commented, “Since the everybody taemin teaser images for act2 is released, i’m drowning over taemin 5HINee theories~ If that really is true, my heart is super full taemin ah, you’ve worked really hard. Thank you for safe guarding SHINee and Shawols”

Another fan said, “Everybody was when SHINee won Artist of the Year Daesang & an important era for alot of us. To me, this concept says that, it has taken a lot for Taemin to reach where he is today. And even though they had reached 'the top', the journey from then to now still hasn't been easy”

Taemin’s last solo album 'Never Gonna Dance Again' Act1 was released in September 2020 featuring nine songs prior to which his third Japanese mini album 'Famous' released in August 2019.