a taemin-appreciating loveletter on XLOV going viral with “1&only” right now as a genderless concept group which i absolutely love! have you seen how incredible they are? at a first glance i could already feel that they can shake things up, make a difference and enter a new, exciting cultural trajectory. and that was just the first watch. it gets even better from there! XLOV just leaves you wanting more immediately: the outfits, the dance, the sets, the beat, and so many killing choreo parts it’s ridiculous. what - or who - led to this beautiful culmination of art, kpop history-wise? i think we all know.
i wish i could thank taemin and shinee every day as due to their pervasive influence, kpop (think hyunjin, jimin, chungha, kai, haechan and more mentioning taemin’s impact on them) is so ahead of the curve and a female or neutral gaze on things is pretty much established, breaking the mold is celebrated, both a rarity. a group like this, then, is long overdue. to me, someone as courageous as XLOV (as a group comprised of otherwise often conflicting nations on top of that, uniting japanese, chinese, korean and taiwanese members as a statement) is what we’ve been waiting for. XLOV says, why not, what’s stopping everyone else? utopia is possible! they simply came to drop jaws without any compromise and delivered.
XLOV doesn’t have a “shinee” signature nor do they need it (nor can shinee be truly, fully copied ever), nevertheless i see what inspired them to go all out. taemin has never tried to pander to an existing status quo, much less emulating a stereotype-laden ‘straight’ or ‘gay’ pre-made mainstream formula, which i think is astounding at his scale of impact, in this politically challenging age. i think that art directors showcase an increasing feel for it, and we can slowly create a safe space where idols can come out or break free from oppressive standards like XLOV, even against the escalating odds of korean society and whatever backlash is there. taemin shows: you can prevail.
he has always taken an androgynous, bi-friendly, fluid, whatever you want to call it aesthetic for granted. that’s how ‘idols from the future’ like seonghwa, g-dragon or felix are created and i love it - it proves how the radicalizing shift in masculine norms over the last decade is not a thing of absolutes (think about CL vice versa, who has always had a successful alpha woman concept) and encourages everyone to do their thing outright. so i was giddily happy to see ppl discussing and protecting XLOV everywhere with their amazing sensual visuals and THAT incredible choreo. it’s a must-watch for pride month and beyond if you love unisex as a concept in kpop.
