As part of SM Entertainment's celebration of its 30th anniversary, group photos of their artists were released to promote the special album.

The upcoming album celebrates SM's three decades of shaping the K-pop industry and features iconic tracks reinterpreted by its artists. what makes the album more special is that junior and senior artists have reinterpreted SM's hit tracks over the years, remaking the songs to suit their unique styles and musical identities.

The latest teaser photos have garnered much attention as all of SM's artists participated in posing against the company's signature light pink color backdrop. Among the teasers, SHINee's group photo became a topic of discussion among netizens.

Netizens noticed that SHINee's group photo featured only three of the four members - Onew, Key, and Minho, with Taemin being absent.

Many fans expressed surprise as they expected all four members to take part in the celebration. However, some fans expressed disappointment with Taemin, questioning his decision to sit out of the group photo and expressing concerns about Taemin's future activities with the group.

Taemin's exclusive contract with SM Entertainment expired in March 2024. After 16 years with the company, Taemin decided not to renew his contract and signed with Big Planet Made. Since then, fans have been concerned over Taemin's participation in SHINee's group activities.

They commented:

"The photos are so pretty."

"Just until recently, I saw comments saying that Key, Minho, and Taemin as a trio were enough, but now it feels odd, haha. And yet, it’s Taemin who’s missing."

"The photo came out so beautifully, which probably makes fans even more upset..."

"Did he not even take part in the photoshoot? If he has no intention of participating, wouldn’t it be better to just leave cleanly? The three of them look so amazing together—why not stop wasting time and let them move forward as a trio?"

"But seriously, the photos turned out so stunningly that it’s even more frustrating…"

"I honestly think it’s better for them to just promote as a trio. Instead of endlessly waiting while they say things are being 'worked out,' it’s better to move on.

"SM is making it pretty clear, haha."

"The photos are great, and the accompanying messages are touching...

How hard is it to take one photo or sing one song? It’s disappointing to see fans being hurt over this. Even my bias, who left SM 20 years ago, came back to perform."

"It’s said other groups took their photos around August or September… If that’s true, they must have been negotiating all this time, but it seems nothing worked out in the end."

"I don’t understand why something so simple as taking a photo or performing together couldn’t be done. SM sure knows how to be weird in the worst ways."

"It’s the first time I’ve seen Onew looking so comfortable since 2017. Damn."

"All three of them look amazing—there’s just something so beautiful about seeing them together."

"I never thought SHINee would go through this..."

SEE ALSO: SHINee shares group photo for SM Entertainment's 30th anniversary without Taemin, sparking mixed reactions