On July 24 TAEMIN announced his solo comeback PHASE 1 : Soft Violence, scheduled for August 31, 2026.

The announcement was accompanied by an image of an ant climbing sugar cubes, and follows a teaser titled “This is” released on TAEMIN’s YouTube channel two days prior. The video is equally cryptic, as a camera positioned along the floor shuffles unsteadily towards TAEMIN, who lies on the ground in a cinema with a strange light emitting from his ear. Alongside this new image, it can be assumed that the perspective is that of an ant. Both are dark with a strange, grainy atmosphere, offering hints about the tone of this project.

Several hours after the news of new music, TAEMIN offered fans a second teaser – this time for his 2026-27 TAEMIN World Tour [LiMiNaL]. The black-and-white image depicts TAEMIN tearing through a paper background, only the top half of his face visible. It adds to the intrigue already spurred by the unique capitalization of the tour’s name and the meaning of “liminal,” an ambiguous or transitional state.

Galaxy Corporation, TAEMIN’s agency, described the choice as implying that “TAEMIN will fully express the process of change and evolution on stage as a ‘true artist’ who builds his own unique artistic area beyond simply a K-pop artist.” This indicates an international focus for the artist, moving beyond the sphere of K-pop, and explains his numerous festival appearances over the past few months; Coachella in the U.S., BST Hyde Park in the UK, and K-Expo Inkigayo in France.

No dates or locations have been revealed, with more information “COMING SOON.” However, fans can be assured by confirmation from Galaxy Corporation that this tour will be “large scale” and “allow TAEMIN to meet fans across the globe.”

PHASE 1 : Soft Violence will be TAEMIN’s first album since the release of ETERNAL in August 2024. In that time, he has unveiled a series of singles including “Veil,” “Long Way Home,” and “Permission.” “Permission,” unveiled during TAEMIN’s Coachella performance and released in May 2026, performed especially well internationally, landing at number five on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart and breaching the Top 5 on iTunes K-pop charts in the U.S. and UK.

2026 has been a busy year for TAEMIN so far, between two singles, his Coachella performance, and appearances in Europe. It’s about to get even busier, as promotions continue ahead of PHASE 1 : Soft Violence next month, and questions over when to expect further phases.