''Guilty'' is the fourth Korean

extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...

(EP) by South Korean singer

Taemin Lee Tae-min (; born July 18, 1993), better known mononymously as Taemin, is a South Korean singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor. He debuted as a member of the South Korean boy band Shinee in May 2008 and the supergroup SuperM in 2019, both un ...

. It was released on October 30, 2023, through

SM Entertainment SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency established in 1995 by Lee Soo-man. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies and has been responsible for fostering and popularizing the car ...

. The EP is Taemin's first release since being discharged from

military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer military, volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Few nations, such ...

. It consists of six songs, including the lead single, "Guilty".

Background

Taemin's third Korean EP, '' Advice'', was released in May 2021, shortly prior to his mandatory enlistment in the South Korean military. He completed his military service in April 2023. On October 10,

confirmed that Taemin would release his fourth EP later that month, bringing his two-year hiatus to an end. In an interview with ''Luxury'' magazine, Taemin said that he took inspiration for the EP from

Georges Bataille Georges Albert Maurice Victor Bataille (; ; 10 September 1897 – 8 July 1962) was a French philosopher and intellectual working in philosophy, literature, sociology, anthropology, and history of art. His writing, which included essays, novels, ...

's 1957 book ''L'Erotisme''. He stated that it would reflect on past chapters of his career, and described it as "an album where I walk on a tightrope to see how far I can go".

Composition

The EP contains six songs of various genres. Lead single "Guilty" describes a selfish love that hurts others, incorporating strings and "dynamic" synths. "The Rizzness" is a

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

track with 808 bass kick, strong synth bass, organ and electric guitar

tremolo In music, ''tremolo'' (), or ''tremolando'' (), is a trembling effect. There are multiple types of tremolo: a rapid repetition of a note, an alternation between two different notes, or a variation in volume. Tremolos may be either ''measured'' ...

sounds. The song implores those who are easily swayed by the words of others to listen to their own voices. "She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not" is a hip hop-based song that compares the moment love ends to the wilting of flower petals. It utilises guitar riffs and retro synth sounds to create a lonely atmosphere.

Alternative pop Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

song "Not Over You" features "dreamy" chords, rhythmic drums and emotional vocals. It is about being unable to accept a break-up, and expresses feelings of suffering and longing. "Night Away" uses a soft guitar melody and synths to evoke warmth. The lyrics describe happy moments with a lover. Finally, "Blue" contains a hopeful message, likening the realisation of long-awaited dreams to blue light.

Release and promotion

''Guilty'' was announced on October 10, 2023, through the release of a teaser image showing a person's feet stood next to a white T-shirt strewn across the floor. Pre-orders began the same day. On October 13, Taemin uploaded a "photo dump" to social media, depicting scenery such as deserts, swimming pools and streets. He released a variety of online promotional content, including mood clips, teaser images and trailers. Newspaper sheets containing the album artwork were distributed throughout Seoul from October 25 to October 27. Taemin hosted a livestream through various social media platforms on October 30 to count down to the album's release. He held a concert titled

Metamorph In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shapeshifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through unnatural means. The idea of shapeshifting is found in the oldest forms of totemism and shamanism, as well as the oldest existen ...

at the Inspire Arena in

Incheon Incheon is a city located in northwestern South Korea, bordering Seoul and Gyeonggi Province to the east. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Incheon was home to just 4,700 people when it became an international port in 1883. As of February 2020, ...

in December.

Critical reception

Track listing

Personnel

* Taemin – vocals, background vocals * Deez – vocal directing (track 1) * Kriz – background vocals (track 1) * Kole – background vocals (track 1) * Park In-yeong – strings arrangement (track 1), string recording directing (track 1), strings conducting (track 1) * Moon Jeong-jae – string recording directing (track 1) * SM Classics Town Orchestra – strings (track 1) * Jeong Yu-ra – recording, digital editing (tracks 1–2, 5), mixing (track 5) * Jeong Gi-hong – recording (track 1) * Choi Da-in – recording (track 1) * Lee Chan-mi – recording (track 1) * Kim Cheol-sun – mixing (track 1) * Rick Bridges – vocal directing (track 2) * Manifest – background vocals (track 2) * Landon Sears – background vocals (track 2) * Lee Min-gyu – digital editing (track 2), recording (tracks 3, 6) * Jeong Eui-seok – mixing (track 2) * Maxx Song – vocal directing (track 3) * Oiaisle – background vocals (tracks 3, 6) * Junny – background vocals (tracks 3, 6) * Lee Ji-hong – digital editing (track 3) * An Chang-gyu – digital editing (track 3) * Woo Min-jeong – digital editing (tracks 3, 6) * Gu Jong-pil – mixing (tracks 3–4), Dolby Atmos mixing * 4bout – vocal directing (track 4) * No Min-ji – recording (track 4), digital editing (tracks 4, 6) * minGtion – vocal directing (track 5) * Breland – background vocals (track 5) * Kim Jin-hwan – vocal directing (track 6) * Will Jay – background vocals (track 6) * Lucas Szulansky – background vocals (track 6) * Kang Eun-ji – recording (track 6) * Nam Gung-jin – mixing (track 6) * Kwon Nam-woo – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Accolades

Release history

References

{{Taemin 2023 EPs Korean-language EPs Taemin EPs SM Entertainment EPs Kakao Entertainment EPs