TW: mention and discussion of cultural appropriation, racism, and the n-word. Deeper discussion in a separate post.

Here are my credentials (one last time): uh…none? I can name about three SHINHWA songs off of the top of my head, which is slightly embarrassing. I know of course about their incredible legacy, but similarly to BTS, I’ve been a k-pop fan for half a decade now so I figured it’s time to get to know such an important group better.

(Part One)(Part Two)(Part Three)

Album #12: The Classic

This Love picks up where Venus left off, taking a very SHINHWA drive and combining it with a very early-2010’s-Katy-Perry-Party-Rock EDM beat and high pitched piano that creates a marriage in the middle of 1st and 2nd gen k-pop that was super interesting for me to see. It’s not the most unique track, certainly, but I did enjoy it.

From the album, The Classic, I enjoyed the smooth harmonizing in both Guy Who Knows and While Smiling and the dance floor beat of Hurricane, but my hidden gem was absolutely the alt-rock driven That’s Right (that high note especially!).

Album #13: WE

Sniper follows Venus and This Love to an extent, though seems more rooted in their earlier work than mid-2010’s synths with its harder-hitting, grungier EDM. It’s more like 2002 SHINHWA has been given a glossy makeover, basically, which I’m not against. I like the unique whistling hook here, and the building tension of its pre-choruses really makes the song feel unique, though I wish there was more of a payoff. 

Memory is a special track released for SHINHWA’s 17th anniversary in 2015, and thank the heavens, it’s pretty good quality. It’s not that out of the ordinary for an inspirational ballad: it’s got the inspirational strings, the great harmonizing, the building vocals, the BTS footage from concerts and their lifelong friendships, and even a bunch of shots of an ocean. And you know what? It totally worked! I’m a complete sap and I adored it; I wanted to run off into the sunset on a road trip with my best friend immediately.

From the album WE, I loved the classical flourishes in Alright (my hidden gem!), but I also enjoyed the whistling hook of Sniper, the soaring vocals in Don’t Cry, and the gentleness of Never Give Up. There’s a reason I’m mentioning harmonizing and vocals so much: SHINHWA’s voices work so well together, in a way I’ve only really seen in SNSD, Red Velvet, SHINee, and Exo. Say what you will about SM (and I will), but they’re great at choosing vocals.

Album #14: Unchanging

Orange follows in what’s become a tradition with SHINHWA’s music videos, just being them behind the scenes singing and having fun, and honestly, I love that for them. Though I still have my gripes about the rap not being necessary, the song is honestly too sweet and fluffy for me to dislike it, and I especially love the last chorus with its hand-clapping percussion and gentle harmonizing. Though the album’s called “Unchanging”, SHINHWA in these later songs, this one in particular, seems a world away from the angry, angsty, slur-saying group that we started with. It would be hard for me to even believe that it’s the same people if I hadn’t witnessed the change for myself over almost a month of listening to their music. 

Touch is the first of SHINHWA’s music videos and songs that I would identify as feeling like k-pop from the second that it began; while it keeps their EDM background, dramatic strings, and their very specific voices, the synths layered on top, anti-drop chorus, and toned-down production definitely bring it forward into the 2010’s. This isn’t one of my favorites of theirs, since I’m not usually a fan of anti-drops and this chorus doesn’t really change my mind, but I do like the rest of the song. 

From the album, Unchanging, I enjoyed the springy energy of the too-short We and the rising warmth of Like A Star, and swingy energy of Bye Bye Bye, but the excellent driving beat under the chorus and whistling hook of Super Power made it my hidden gem. 

Single #1: All Your Dreams (2018)

All Your Dreams (the 2018 version) had me excited from the second I heard the lovely beginning strings of Bach Invention No.4, and when the guitar came in, I knew I’d like it. It’s certainly a revamped and improved version of their old music, absolutely more polished but without losing the theatricality and strength that defined their beginning. It feels like a second try in more ways than one on what’s their 20th anniversary, taking the good of the past and leaving the bad behind, and I’m very happy to hear it. And see it, for that matter; they remade the music video shot-for-shot too, in what feels like an homage done with love.

EP #1: Heart

Kiss Me Like That, like Touch, feels like modern k-pop, albeit with a pared-back and gentle acoustic instrumental more reminiscent of Orange. In a way, I was both surprised and not by how explicit the English verses are, but they’re forty. They should live their lives. Either way, I enjoyed the inclusion of the brass samples and how they add texture to the last verses, though the song is a little too plain for me in general. 

From the EP, Heart, I enjoyed Yoon Mirae’s feature in In The Air, the sunny, summery guitar in Level, and the album (and my time with SHINHWA) ends with the gentle yet passionate Don’t Leave Me, which fades out into nothing.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this! I didn’t know what to expect when I began this deep dive, but it wasn’t to actually enjoy the greater part of their discography. I absolutely have criticisms—the appropriation, overuse of AAVE, and slurs chief among them—but I’ve gained a lot of respect for SHINHWA. I feel a little bit of pride that they’ve existed so long, and I hope that they continue breaking records and being together for as long as it makes them happy. 

It’s difficult to pick so few after hearing over two hundred, but my Top 5 songs were Perfect Man, Yo!, Memory, How Do I Say, and Venus, with On The Road, Mistake, and All Your Dreams (2018) as honorable mentions. SHINHWA gets an 8.5 out of 10 from me, incredibly solid with genuine respect, but I feel like I can’t rate them any higher, both for my own lack of a lot of emotional connection and because I can’t get past the issues from the beginning, even if they were years ago.

Alright, so, phew, finally done! Next week, we’ll finally be back to our regularly scheduled programming with a one-week girl group. (Hallelujah).

(Part One)(Part Two)(Part Three)