Taemin’s “Phase 1: Soft Violence” Reveals an Artist in Transition

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If one word could sum up this phase of Taemin’s career, it would be “liminal,” which is also the name of his upcoming global arena tour. Taemin’s latest album Phase 1: Soft Violence is his second since leaving SM Entertainment, and his first under Galaxy Corp. The album, primarily in English, coincides with his efforts to enter global markets by performing at Coachella and planning his first large-scale tours in the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. However, rather than adapting his sound fully to international trends, Taemin uses the project to explore new genres and textures and deepen his songwriting.

For better or worse, the album also feels like Taemin’s attempt to expand beyond the carefully constructed artistic identity he spent years curating from within SM’s A&R system. Throughout his SM career, Taemin released polished, densely layered music. By comparison, Phase 1: Soft Violence can sometimes feel relatively sparse, yet that is not inherently a weakness. Title track “Float,” for example, focuses the production on its UK garage beats and a repeated synth arpeggio. The song foregrounds Taemin’s airy falsetto, creating the floating sensation suggested in the title. “Float” is minimalistic for a Taemin title track, yet sometimes it is those songs that have the most replay value. 

Taemin’s selection of dual title tracks highlights his interest in his evolution rather than harnessing his signature dark, theatrical sound. Other tracks, such as the hypnotic dark pop track “Parasite,” may have more overtly illustrated his “soft violence” concept. “Float,” however, presents a lighter side to Taemin, while “Gooey” is an intense hip hop track with glitchy sound effects. Released as a performance video, “Gooey” provides Taemin an opportunity to show off his formidable dancing skills. 

Overall, the album spans multiple genres, which demonstrates Taemin’s versatility. “Let Me Be the One,” for example, is Taemin’s foray into New Jack Swing, with his lower register gliding over the funky beats and rhythmic percussion. The genre gives Taemin an opportunity to lean into groove, which shows particularly well in performance. That’s not to say his more intense side is not present: “Skin” draws from industrial music, using deep bass and distorted synths to create a far more unsettling feeling.

Taemin’s versatility extends to the use of his voice. In “1004,” he belts out soaring, emotive vocals, while the chorus of “Easy Loving You” pushes his upper register even further, reaching pitches higher than those in “Float.” “Gooey” takes a completely different approach, with Taemin leaning into talk-singing that gives the track a rhythmic quality. In another direction, in “Skin” he delivers his lines in an elongated, breathy whisper, heightening the song’s unsettling atmosphere. These contrasting approaches show how well Taemin can adapt his vocal style to suit each song.

However, the diversity of sounds on Phase 1: Soft Violence does not yield a cohesive listening experience. The track sequencing, particularly in the first half, does not consistently create the flow and progression that often mark a well-constructed album. For instance, the hazy, guitar-driven ballad “Easy Loving You” has a lilting, bluesy rhythm, but is followed by the industrial distortions of “Skin.” Without smoother transitions, the project can feel more like a collection of disparate explorations than a fully realized narrative. 

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This fractured arrangement does seem intentional, to an extent. The album opts more for thematic than sonic cohesion, delving into different relationship dynamics from infatuation to obsession and codependency to independence. “Sober” likens a lover to a drug, claiming, “Need you in my system daily.” The last third of the album depicts how unhealthy attachment leads to a loss of self. For instance, the swelling, orchestral “Parasite” likens a partner to both a bloodsucker and a puppeteer, who “just wanted all the status, not my love.” Meanwhile, the heart wrenching ballad “Frankenstein” takes the perspective of the Creature from Mary Shelley’s novel, lamenting:

> So I-I-I-I
> Changеd who I was all for your heart
> Replaced mysеlf with broken parts
> But you left me to be the monster

In a twist on the Frankenstein story, the Creature transforms himself in order to please his creator. As with many songs in the back half of the album, Taemin effectively utilizes imagery and symbolism to convey the harm from toxic relationships. 

However, the most compelling aspect of Phase 1: Soft Violence may be its emphasis on transformation, particularly in the sequence of tracks from “Skin” to “This is the End.” The theme comes through in the album’s visual language as well. The concept photos and trailer lean into body horror, with disturbing imagery like Taemin’s skin fusing to itself and to objects. “Skin” best captures his eerie atmosphere, creating friction in Taemin’s breathy vocals over deep bass, snare, and a haunting synth loop. The synth motif matches well with the song’s lyrics, which depict Taemin shedding his skin to emerge in a new form. Such transformation may be grotesque, but necessary for growth.

The cinematic closer “This is the End” expands on this theme, vowing that Taemin will “rise from the ashes.” The lyrics call back to the puppeteer metaphor from “Parasite,” asserting that he will free himself from the puppet strings. The song alternates between distorted layers of vocals and Taemin’s clear voice over sweeping instrumentation. In doing so, “This is the End” dramatizes his liberation and rebirth. The outro returns to the distortion, except with Taemin’s promise, “Take me off the hinges, I’m about to make noise.” After this line, the song ends abruptly, creating a cliffhanger for a Phase 2 album. 

Perhaps it is best not to think of Phase 1: Soft Violence as an album examining only romantic relationships. One could easily interpret songs like “Parasite,” “Permission,” (included on the CD-only version), and “This is the End” as commentaries on experiences within the idol industry: the feeling of being controlled, the pressure to change oneself to meet others’ expectations, and the desire to seek independence. Read through this lens, Taemin’s album concept feels less like an exploration of relationships than a reckoning with the forces that shaped him.

Ultimately, Taemin’s artistic reinvention in Phase 1: Soft Violence is ambitious but not yet complete. Taemin is experimenting with genres, vocal textures, and modes of expression, and his album reflects that, in both exciting and messy ways. At the threshold of expanding onto a global stage, Taemin is still discovering who he can become as an artist.

(YouTube. Lyrica via Genius [1][2][3][4]. Images via Galaxy Corporation).