Former SHINee member Taemin made history on April 11 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, becoming the first Korean male solo artist to perform on a solo stage at the iconic event and debuting six brand new, previously unreleased songs during his 50-minute set.
Taemin, 32, took to the stage at Mojave in Indio, California, at 7.30pm local time, accompanied by a live band and a full complement of dancers. The audience was greeted with an introductory video before launching into her set, opening with “Sexy in the Air,” followed by “WANT,” a 2017 release.
A large backdrop reading “Taeminella” lit up the stage as the artist greeted the crowd, saying, “Hello, Coachella! My name is Taemin and I’m excited to see you all here,” according to Forbes.
During the show, Taemin performed new live renditions of fan favorites, including “MOVE,” “Guilty,” “Advice,” and “IDEA.” She also performed “Heaven,” a beloved 2020 track, before sitting down at the grand piano she’d brought onstage to preview one of her new songs, a moment that highlighted her vocal range.
The new tracks attracted a lot of attention online, with fans speculating that one song’s lyrics, which included the lines, “You’re wasting my money and flexing my name, you’re a fucking parasite,” appeared to reference his split from his former label, Big Planet Made Entertainment. Taemin parted ways with the agency in February 2026 amid reported disputes over settlement payments, Allkpop reported.
While his band performed a freestyle interlude during a costume change, Taemin returned to close the show with three more new songs, including one described as reminiscent of his SHINee roots and a piano-driven ballad. Before concluding, he asked the audience: “Do you like my new songs?” suggesting an upcoming official release.
There was a minor glitch during the online live stream, with the feed dropping out for about eight seconds during “IDEA” and audio issues that lasted about a minute. Fans watching remotely expressed disappointment with the glitch, but praised the overall performance.
Taemin now has a contract with Galaxy Corporation, the AI entertainment technology company that also represents G-Dragon. He was previously under SM Entertainment for much of his career before briefly signing with Big Planet Made Entertainment in 2024.
A few weeks before Coachella, he released “Long Way Home”, his first English-language single, on March 27. The song, a pop and R&B number co-written with Ben Parris and Coreylon Lindsay-Keay, was also performed before the festival at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, as per Chosun.
