''Eternal'' is the fifth Korean extended play (EP) by South Korean singer Taemin. It was released on August 19, 2024, through BPM Entertainment. It contains seven songs, including the two lead singles, "Sexy in the Air" and "Horizon". The EP also marks his tenth anniversary as a soloist.

Background

Taemin's solo contract with his agency, SM Entertainment, expired in March 2024. He signed a new contract with BPM Entertainment for his solo promotions. At a fan meeting in July, he revealed that he was planning to release his fifth EP the following month, his first release since switching agencies, and embark on a world tour. On July 29, BPM confirmed that he would release the EP, titled ''Eternal'', on August 19, coming ten months after his previous EP, '' Guilty''. It would mark the tenth anniversary of his solo debut. According to his agency, the title was intended to represent that Taemin would remain the same even in the midst of change. For the first time in his career, Taemin produced the EP himself, participating in every part of the production process, from planning, to songwriting, to music video production.

Composition

The EP contains seven songs of various genres. Opening track "G.O.A.T" is a hip hop song. Lead single "Sexy in the Air" features sharp electric guitar sounds, and expresses a strong sense of identity and desire for change. The other single, "Horizon", incorporates

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and

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...

. It is an upbeat song with a "dynamic" melody and lyrics about breaking the mould. "The Unknown Sea" has an acoustic sound and "lyrical emotion", "Crush" and "Say Less" belong to the

electropop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...

genre, and "Deja Vu" evokes a "dreamy" mood.

Release and promotion

Ahead of the EP's release, Taemin uploaded various promotional materials to his social media accounts, including trailers, concept images and teaser videos. On August 13, he released an album preview video, featuring the album's track list and snippets of each song. Taemin hosted a listening session for fans on August 16 at CGV Yongsan in Seoul. He will hold an exhibition from August 22 to September 1 at Informal Square in Seongsu-dong. On August 31, he will embark on his first world tour, Ephemeral Gaze, beginning with shows at the Inspire Arena in

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Track listing

References

{{Taemin 2024 EPs Korean-language EPs Taemin EPs