Inframe News – SHINee’s Minho is preparing to return with his second solo mini album, Make it hot, scheduled for release on September 7, 2026. The album will contain six tracks covering different stages of love, separation and moving on from past memories. Minho began revealing more details about the project through a series of teasers this week.
One of the biggest talking points from the new release is Minho’s collaboration with Belle of KISS OF LIFE. Belle features on the track Liquid, which combines synth melodies with a rhythmic bass line and a pop-dance sound. The song focuses on the moment when two people become deeply connected.
Liquid is not the album’s title track, but it is one of the songs drawing attention ahead of the release. The track pairs Minho’s steady vocal style with Belle’s distinctive tone. Their combination gives the song a different vocal dynamic from Minho’s previous solo releases.
The title track is also called Make it hot and opens the six-song mini album. It is described as a pop-dance track built around synth sounds and rhythmic bass. The song portrays an intense relationship and the emotional connection between two people.
Another track, Ending Scene, moves in a different musical direction with a medium-tempo R&B arrangement. The song features guitar riffs, percussion and synth elements while telling the story of two people deciding to end a familiar relationship. Minho’s restrained vocals are used to reflect the quieter emotions surrounding the breakup.
The album also includes Love Me Now, an Afro-house-based dance track with a strong rhythmic groove. Its story focuses on the period after a breakup, when someone chooses to let go of memories from a past relationship. The track presents that stage through a more polished dance sound.
Make it hot follows several previous collaborations from Minho’s solo career. He has worked with artists including aespa’s Ningning on Because Of You, RIIZE’s Sohee on FIREWORKS, Gemini on Runaway and Lim Kim on Waterfall. His collaboration with Belle adds another K-pop artist to that list.
The visual campaign for the album has also started ahead of the release. A teaser image shared through SHINee’s official social media on August 27 showed Minho against an island and sunset backdrop. The warm scenery matches the album’s themes of romance, separation and memories.
Make it hot will be Minho’s second solo mini album following Chase, which marked his solo debut in 2022. His first full-length solo album, Call Back, arrived in 2024, followed by the digital single TEMPO in December 2025. The new mini album therefore becomes his latest solo project after those releases.
SM Entertainment has scheduled Make it hot for release on September 7 at 6 p.m. KST through major music platforms. The physical album is also being prepared in multiple versions, including the Hot Island version. The six-track release will bring together the title track, the Belle collaboration Liquid, Ending Scene, Love Me Now and three additional songs.
