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On February 23, Taemin brought his Ephemeral Gaze World Tour to the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. It was the final night of the continental U.S. leg of the tour, and both Taemin and his fans were ready to send it off with class! Not only was it the K-Pop veteran’s very first solo tour in America, but it was also his first full-length arena show in the States. Fans from all corners of the country gathered in Inglewood to be part of the occasion and cheer on the “idol of idols,” creating an unforgettable night for everyone.
Shortly after signing a contract with the Korean entertainment company Big Planet Made, Taemin announced the first series of dates of the Ephemeral Gaze tour. After a successful run in Asia, North American dates were announced, with shows selling out almost instantly. The title “Ephemeral Gaze” refers to a gaze that doesn’t last very long, and despite a constant change of scenery, the subject remains the same. This is representative of Taemin’s continued dedication to remaining his authentic self, no matter the environment he is placed in.
As fans filed into the hazy arena, turquoise lights began to illuminate the interior of the venue. Fans proudly waved their SHINee and Taemin lightsticks while enjoying the pre-show playlist comprised of songs from all throughout Taemin’s solo career. Due to the seating configuration, the interior of the venue felt larger than normal. The stage was tucked away on one side of the arena, with seats extending all the way to the rear of the floor. The seating risers in the very back of the floor that are typically present at shows at the arena had been removed, and a large perimeter for a camera took their place. Three large screens lined the stage, with rows of lighting fixtures hanging directly above. There were no additional screens above both sides of the stage, leaving fans with no option but to direct their focus in one singular direction the whole night – Taemin’s.
For his grand entrance, the screen in the center of the stage slowly rose, revealing Taemin standing on a small staircase with his arms extended into the air. Dressed in all black with a signature choker style shirt, Taemin was surrounded by his backup dancer troupe, who joined him in quickly walking to the front of the stage. Taemin fell to his knees and began to take the audience on a journey with “Deja Vu,” a mesmerizing track from his latest mini album ETERNAL.
Whether you’ve been a long time fan of Taemin and SHINee or you’re barely getting acquainted with the music, it’s hard to deny that he’s quite a dramatic dancer! As he proceeded to perform “Guilty” and “Advice,” Taemin used his entire body (fingers, hands, wrists, arms, legs, ankles, waist… you name it) to tell stories of pain and pleasure through dance. He’s known for twisting and swaying all of his limbs from side to side effortlessly. His sudden, precise movements are breathtaking, and seeing them in person was a spectacle in itself.
During his first ment of the evening, Taemin greeted the crowd and shared his excitement about finally being able to give LA a full show in an arena. “This is like a dream for me,” he said.
Taemin’s previous visit to LA was in the summer of 2024, where he participated in the concert portion of KCON at the Crypto.com Arena. He performed just a handful of songs, but he knew that his fans were ready for a full-length show.
“Last time I was here in LA, I mentioned that I wanted to be back for a world tour,” Taemin said. “I’m so happy that it became a reality! It took 16 years to get to this point.”
Before continuing with the next act, Taemin also lent a message of support to the greater LA community, which is still recovering from January’s devastating wildfires.
“I know so many people have been affected by the many fires in LA,” he said. “I was also very worried when I saw the news. I will cheer for everyone to recover soon.”
Taemin then went on to perform “Goodbye,” “IDEA,” and “Heaven,” with all three songs featuring a noticeable bass boost that one could feel creep through the speakers on the sides of the stage. He was surrounded by his dancers for “IDEA,” but towards the end of “Heaven,” it was just Taemin himself. He slowly paced to the edge of the stage, and spun into a dramatic pose. He turned to face the staircase on stage, and after walking up the stairs, he extended his arms out into a T formation, spun once again, and fell back off the stairs. The crowd cheered loudly after this exit, and I was at the edge of my seat anticipating what would come next.
Of course, Taemin hasn’t earned the title of being an “ace” by only being an accomplished dancer. For a few songs, Taemin scaled back on the intense choreography to allow the audience to focus almost exclusively on his golden vocals. A small table and chair were placed on the stage before he began to sing “I’m Crying.” The backing music was in a different key than the original recording of the song, making the overall performance feel a lot more cinematic. It felt as though I was watching a scene from a K-drama unfold right before my own eyes. His voice glazed over the track, and his high notes in the song packed a true emotional punch.
Some of Taemin’s songs are truly full of hype, and after a few ballads and slower paced songs, it was great to feel the energy levels jump right back up. With “G.O.A.T,” “The Rizzness” and “Sexy In The Air” being played back to back, it was a continuous rush of excitement. Fans joined Taemin in screaming the repeated “oh yeah!” chants that make up the ending of “Sexy In The Air.” In the ment that followed, Taemin commanded the crowd to continue the chant in a call and response style. He was visibly jubilant, and went on to say, “I feel like it’s a lot more fun when I’m performing in this big venue.”
It’s a tradition at K-Pop concerts to have a lengthy encore period that focuses on fans showing love for their artist – whether it be through a sing-along, different fan banners being shown on the screen, or even a dance battle. For the LA stop of the Ephemeral Gaze tour, the encore kicked off with a sing-along of “2 KIDS.” Lyrics for the song in English and Korean appeared on the middle screen on stage. Taemin then returned quickly to perform “Danger” while wearing a white and green tour jersey.
As he got ready to pose for a crowd photo, audience members began to lift up banners that were distributed prior to the show’s start. Southern California SHINee fan club Diamond Sky Cafe designed and coordinated this project, ensuring every fan in the arena had a banner to hold up during the photo op. Each banner said “In the city of stars, Taemin shines the brightest.” Taemin read the text and said it was “so romantic!”
There was an additional surprise prepared for Taemin, just for the LA show. A 6 minute fan video, also assembled by the Diamond Sky Cafe team, was aired to the entire arena. Taemin sat on the stage and watched a montage of supportive messages from fans all over the country, congratulating him on a successful tour. At the conclusion of the video, the message “How lucky are we?” appeared on the screen. Overwhelmed with emotion, Taemin turned to the audience and did a deep bow.
“I’m really thankful for this event you guys made for me,” he said. “I can see that you guys have been with me through so much.”
Taemin also reassured the crowd that this was just the beginning, and that he’ll return soon with an even better performance. “Thank you for waiting for me for such a long time and cheering me on,” he said.
As the show came to an end, I began to process the fact that every person in attendance at the show, myself included, really did play a role in making Taemin’s dream of headlining his own arena show a reality. Hearing him continuously express his gratitude throughout the night for the support was just as much of an honor as it was to be in his presence. This was a no frills show, and despite the lack of fancy pyrotechnics, CO2 cryo jets, or highly elaborate sets on stage, Taemin was able to create a highly engaging performance with just himself and his dancers. He is his own most valuable asset, and for this reason, he will continue to inspire his peers and millions of fans around the world for years to come.
2024·25 TAEMIN WORLD TOUR [Ephemeral Gaze] resumes in Helsinki, Finland on March 4.
Thumbnail photo: SHINee lightstick with cheering banner from concert, created by @diamondskycafe.
