TAEMIN EP – PHASE 1 : Soft Violence (2026)

TAEMIN EP – PHASE 1 : Soft Violence was released on Monday, August 31, 2026, at 6 PM KST, featuring the double title tracks “FLOAT” and “Gooey.”

PHASE 1 : Soft Violence introduces a new aesthetic built around contradiction, tension, and the subtle fractures hidden within familiar ideas of beauty. The album title brings together the opposing meanings of “Soft” and “Violence,” reflecting its central message that beauty can sometimes be cruel, particularly when it is shaped by other people’s expectations and perceptions.

Rather than abandoning the sensitivity and fluidity that have long defined his work, TAEMIN pushes those qualities toward sharper, more exposed expressions of himself. Moving between Sweet, Bitter, Silent, and Brutal, the album reveals both elegance and rawness as parts of the same identity. Across 11 tracks, TAEMIN explores love, desire, control, memory, identity, and liberation, making Soft Violence the first “PHASE” in a broader process of expanding the artistic world he has already built.

Track Highlights

1. FLOAT (Title Track)

“FLOAT” is a warm pop track combining garage drum rhythms with analog instrumentation and delicate vocal layering. The song captures the feeling that even a complicated everyday life can become peaceful and almost fairytale-like when shared with someone you love. TAEMIN’s restrained vocals and layered female vocals give the track a soft, intimate atmosphere, presenting the sweeter side of the album’s contrasting emotional spectrum.

2. Gooey (Title Track)

“Gooey” is a performance-focused hip-hop pop track that contrasts a classical piano sample with powerful drums and aggressive synthesizers. TAEMIN participated in writing the lyrics, using the word “Gooey” to describe the sensation of completely melting into a performance and becoming intertwined with it. The collision between elegance and threatening energy gives the track a more intense counterpart to “FLOAT,” highlighting the two opposing sides at the center of Soft Violence.

3. Let Me Be The One

“Let Me Be The One” is a new jack swing track that reinterprets retro influences through polished melodies and an upbeat rhythm. TAEMIN participated in writing the lyrics, capturing the freedom, romance, and excitement of a night shared without restraint. Its lighter energy presents pleasure and attraction in a more carefree form.

4. PERMISSION (CD Only)

“PERMISSION” develops a tense atmosphere through dark, polished production, restrained rhythms, and immersive vocals. TAEMIN participated in both the lyrics and composition, expressing a firm desire to escape other people’s standards and control and take ownership of his own life. The song frames freedom not as something granted by others, but as something claimed for oneself.

5. Sober

“Sober” is an alternative dance-pop track layering refreshing urban dance-pop rhythms with sleek, rhythmic production. TAEMIN participated in both the lyrics and composition, portraying an intoxicating attraction so powerful that waking from it feels undesirable. Rather than seeking clarity, the song embraces the desire to remain consumed by the feeling.

6. 1004

“1004” is a pop track that begins with a calm piano melody before building dramatically toward its chorus. TAEMIN participated in both the lyrics and composition, using the Korean pronunciation of “1004” (cheonsa), which also means “angel,” to compare a distant former lover to an angel. The song turns memories that refuse to disappear into a poetic expression of longing for someone who has already moved away.

7. Easy Loving You

“Easy Loving You” is a medium-tempo ballad combining a gentle waltz rhythm with warm acoustic instrumentation. The lyrics portray a guarded heart naturally beginning to open in the presence of someone special, using delicate imagery to capture the gradual transition from emotional distance to affection. TAEMIN participated in writing the Korean lyrics.

8. SKIN

“SKIN” is a hip-hop pop track led by a heavy bassline and forceful hip-hop drums that maintain tension throughout the song. Using the image of shedding old skin, the lyrics declare the freedom that comes from leaving a former identity behind and defining yourself again on your own terms. The track turns transformation into both a challenge and an act of self-assertion.

9. PARASITE

“PARASITE” is an alternative rock-influenced pop track that opens with grand cello and organ before shifting into a powerful beat during the chorus. TAEMIN participated in both the lyrics and composition, confronting the loss of self that can occur under the name of love. Rather than continuing to surrender his identity, the song channels a forceful determination to recognize what has been taken and reclaim it.

10. Frankenstein

“Frankenstein” combines lonely piano, dreamlike strings, and explosive bass to create an atmosphere that is both brutal and melancholic. Drawing from the Frankenstein motif, the song follows someone who continually changes himself in order to be loved, only to lose his identity and ultimately be left behind as a monster. TAEMIN participated in both the lyrics and composition, turning the familiar story into a tragic reflection on reshaping oneself for acceptance.

11. This Is The End

“This Is The End” is an alternative dance-pop track built around restrained piano and a beat that gradually intensifies with cinematic momentum. TAEMIN participated in both the lyrics and composition, portraying the liberation that comes from breaking away from a world that has kept him suppressed. Despite its title, the song treats the ending as a point of rebirth, declaring that once the old structure disappears, a new self-directed beginning can finally emerge.