As K-pop group Shinee make comeback in 2023, 15 years after debut, Onew teases new album concept, Taemin says fans ‘keep us in their hearts’
- Shinee are expected to put out their eighth full-length album before the end of June, and Onew hints it will signal a new chapter in the K-pop group’s career
- The act promoted themselves as a band of youths and won the hearts of female fans who were, for the most part, older than the members at the time of their debut
By Dong Sun-hwa
2023 marks the 15th anniversary of boy group Shinee, one of the biggest names in the K-pop industry and an act that have always been ahead of their time.
“It may sound obvious, but it feels surreal to celebrate the 15th anniversary of our debut,” member Minho said in an interview through the band’s agency, SM Entertainment. “I am happy and thankful that my dream, which I first had when I was a high school student, keeps on going.”
Taemin added: “Our fans seem to be very loyal. Many of them have witnessed our growth, so I think they keep us in their hearts like their school memories.”
Shinee debuted on May 25, 2008 as a quintet – Onew, Jonghyun, Key, Minho and Taemin – with the EP Replay. The lead single, “Replay”, is called “Noona You’re So Pretty” in Korean.
Noona is a Korean word used by a male to address a female who is older, but of a similar generation, to him.
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Their first full-length album, The Shinee World, hit shelves three months after their debut. Fronted by lead track “Love Like Oxygen”, the album won Newcomer Album of the Year at the 23rd Golden Disc Awards, a major music awards ceremony in Korea.
Since then, the group have dropped a string of hits, including “Ring Ding Dong” in 2009.
Well-known for its repetitive refrain, “Ring Ding Dong” took streaming charts by storm at home and abroad. It used to be “banned” in high schools as it would get stuck in the heads of students taking their university entrance exams and distract them.
The group dropped “Lucifer” in 2010 and “Sherlock (Clue+Note)” in 2012. The latter is known for its challenging choreography crafted by internationally acclaimed choreographer Tony Testa.
“Sherlock” is a mash-up of two tracks, “Clue” and “Note”, and is often thought to be K-pop’s first hybrid remix. The attempt to fuse the new jack swing and hip-hop elements of “Clue” and the vocal-driven character of “Note” was hugely successful, and Rolling Stone magazine named it one of the great boy band songs of all time in 2015 and in 2020.
In 2015, Shinee staged their first solo concert at the Tokyo Dome, the biggest baseball stadium in Japan’s capital city. After the show, they continued to experiment with their sound, releasing “View” – considered K-pop’s first venture into deep house.
Thanks to these feats, Shinee have become one of the few K-pop acts that are both commercially and artistically successful.
Soon after its release, Taemin began his military service, which ended on April 4, 2023.
Shinee are expected to put out their eighth full-length album by the end of June 2023, marking the 15th anniversary of their debut. They held a special event with fans in Seoul on May 27 and May 28.
Onew has hinted that the coming album will signal a new chapter in Shinee’s career, adding that the pursuit of difference is the defining characteristic of Shinee.
Key said: “We will not rest on our laurels and continue to proceed.”
