SHINee, known by many different nicknames such as “The Princes of K-pop” were founded in the heyday of the 2nd generation, in 2008, with five members: Key, Taemin, Onew, Minho, and Jonghyun, the last of whom, if you know anything about k-pop, you’ll know took his own life in 2017. SHINee now promotes as a four piece, but is still always five, in our hearts and theirs.

Here are my credentials: Put simply, I’m a ShaWol, absolutely, and have been since 2020. But more deeply, finding SHINee was really the final step that made me the k-pop fan (and blogger) that I am today. I was a casual fan already, through first Blackpink and then Red Velvet, but SHINee was the first group I full-on stanned. I love all the members individually, Jonghyun especially, but together? They may just be my favorite k-pop group of all time. So why am I doing this? Well, I’ve already done all of their solo careers. But also this will be the 50th group I cover, and seeing as we’re coming right up to their 16th anniversary, it felt like the perfect moment. So, let’s do this!

(Part Two) (Part Three)

Album #1: The SHINee World / Amigo

Replay was SHINee’s debut, and has that indescribable 2nd generation k-pop smooth R & B sound. It already has many of what would be the hallmarks of their work: sharp dancing, vintage inspiration, great voices, and even greater harmonizing. I’m glad I waited for this review, because after my SHINHWA deep dive I can see how this song is a bridge in between SHINHWA’s more R & B / hip-hop focused sound and the k-pop we know today. It strikes me, watching this, how young they look. I mean, Taemin was fourteen! I’m years older now than all of them were, and I still feel like a child. I don’t know how they did it, and I don’t know how idols still do.

Love Like Oxygen is much more like the SHINee I know, with a sharper sound, a more pulsing beat, and more of a chance for their vocals to shine. I didn’t realize it as much while hearing Replay, but I can’t believe how strong they already were. That breakdown at the end after the bridge and the slow fade-out is so nonsensically 80’s, I love it. This video reminds me of how basic k-pop MVs were back then; this is basically a choreography video with a few shots of their faces in different outfits.

I have a confession to make: despite being a ShaWol, I’ve never sat down and watched the Amigo music video. I know, I know, they’ll revoke my stan card. I assume that this is meant to be the sexier, more “mature” counterpart to Replay and Love Like Oxygen, a la Girl’s Generation’s Oh and Run Devil Run, but between the iffy camera quality and the fact that they’re, you know, teenagers, it falls a little flat. I do like the calls of “Amigo!” during the chorus, but besides that, I don’t think that this one’s for me.

From the first album, Amigo, I enjoyed the choppy chorus of Forever or Never, the gently swaying R & B of Romantic, and the sunny guitar in Best Place. I have to say, though, I was really not a fan of the uncomfortable AAVE they were doing in Love Should Go On. My hidden gem was absolutely Y Si Fuera Ella. It says something about Jonghyun’s incredible talent that he could make a cover this captivating, but it’s just so good! It’s moving, powerful, and still true to the original, despite being in another language. Really, it’s one of the best covers I’ve ever seen.

EP #1: Romeo

Juliette is really the start of SHINee finding their stride, and finding the sound that would define them for the first part of their career. Its hook is smoother (as is its dancing), the chorus and the verses feel more connected, and I think that this was Jonghyun’s first time writing one of their titles. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a bit messy in places, and doesn’t have as much of its own identity as they would find later, but it’s pretty good. Kudos, Jonghyun-ah, you got me singing along.

From the EP, Romeo, I enjoyed the great harmonizing in Hit Me, the fast-paced, handclap-led beat of Señorita, and the lovely strings of emotive ballad Please, Don’t Go.

EP #2: 2009, Year Of Us

How can I even describe the insanity that is Ring Ding Dong? Its styling is horrendous, it entirely overdoes it on the autotune, it’s irritatingly catchy, it makes absolutely no sense…and I love it wholeheartedly. I feel like that’s everyone’s progression with this song, honestly. The first time you hear it, you’ll hate it. And then it’ll get stuck in your head and never leave you alone. And then you’ll wake up one day to Jonghyun scream-singing “Babayyyyyyyy” and realize that you love it. Ah, the life of a k-pop fan.

From the EP, 2009, Year Of Us, I enjoyed the choppy R & B combined with the smooth vocals in Y.O.U., and the disco groove of JoJo (my hidden gem).

Album #2: Hello

Lucifer has always been a favorite of mine, hence why I chose it to be the name I use on the blog for privacy reasons, Lou. It takes the pulsing beat, incredibly catchy hook, and dance-floor ready sound from Ring Ding Dong, while leaving the abject silliness behind (mostly, because what on God’s Green Earth were those haircuts? How were they all so bad? Who called the Partridge Family and told them to put on leather pants?). Anyway, I really like this one, and it’s no surprise that many people consider it the best of their early singles run.

Hello is another music video I’d never watched in its entirety, which is kind of surprising since I’ve watched their performances of this. It’s synthy and confident, like much of their work, but its smooth, subdued sound and lyrics about love are like a more polished version of Replay, which works quite well. I wonder how different k-pop history would be if this was their debut track, and I wonder why it wasn’t as popular as Replay was.

From the album, Hello, I enjoyed the almost nursery-rhyme-like a capella hook of Up & Down, the fun-loving beat and chants of Ay-yo (one of my hidden gems), all of their voices but Jonghyun’s especially in the dramatic Obsession, and the fast-paced, anime-worthy Ready Or Not. My favorite hidden gem, though, was Quasimodo. It’s a tall order to not only make a ballad interesting but to also make your audience emotionally invested and have incredible vocals? It’s one of the best ballads I’ve ever heard, and the excellent slow burn gets me every time.

EP #3: Sherlock

Barring a few Japanese releases, Sherlock (Clue + Note) was SHINee’s first release in a little while, which is likely why it starts with the iconic “SHINee’s BACK!” Besides being known for having such interesting and complex choreography, it also goes all-in on its mystery-solving theme, from the lyrics to its aesthetic, which makes it unique for its time. The song itself has such a great build-up and payoff that it’s impossible to not get invested in it. Plus, it was great to see Jessica from SNSD make a cameo here.

From the EP, Sherlock, I enjoyed the flute and string flourishes of Alarm Clock, the delightfully dramatic rock ballad The Reason (my hidden gem!), and the stomping dance-floor beat of Stranger. Also, it was interesting to see Clue and Note separately, and see how Sherlock really brought together the best of both worlds. Cue Miley Cyrus.

That’s where we’ll leave off for this time, so I’ll see you soon for Part Two! Tschüss!

(Part Two) (Part Three)