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In May of 2015, SHINee released their long anticipated fourth full-length album in Korea. The album was titled Odd, and featured deep house title track "View." May 2015 is also when I got married! Fittingly, View is my husband's favorite SHINee song. A few months later in August, SHINee brought out their repackage, titled "Married to the Music" which was also the title of the comeback track. While View had a sort of 90s, deep house, melancholic vibe, Married to the Music was campy and upbeat. These two tracks well encompass SHINee's range up to that point. Let's take a look at the full album!
Married to the Music - The song has a nice funky bass line, and a sort of spooky vibe which suited the music video. The song reminds me of the Ghostbusters theme. There are disco influences as well, creating that retro vibe that SHINee does so well. The chorus is groovy, with classic harmony and a catchy hook, which grants the title of the song. The call and response at 2:40 is fun, adding to the upbeat drama. The brass and drums in the backtrack are notable as well.
SAVIOR - The song has a great backtrack, with a full piano sound supported by a nice, chunky bass and electronic synth. The chorus picks up with more electronic sound, and the vocals are fun and bombastic, especially impactful after the build up from the pre-chorus! I really like some of the english lyrics, like when Onew requests "Please be gentle," though the line "I've got the Savior" doesn't make much sense.
Odd Eye - Key's opening "speech" is strange, but the song picks up quickly from there, though it has an "odd vibe" for sure. Minho provides a lazy-sounding rap, which is one of my favorites from him. Key's rap is not so nonchalant sounding, but still has a sarcastic, sassy sound. He is credited with writing the rap in this song, while Jonghyun wrote the rest of the lyrics. (Talent abounds in this group!) I like the beat and the slow synthy instrumentals. The chorus of "my eyes on you" sounds like a ghostly howl from Onew. It's hypnotic. A totally unique track and very memorable.
Love Sick - This is a cute song with a heavy synth backtrack. The chorus kicks off with the lyrics, "woo, I'm love sick girl!" It sounds like one of the poppy, upbeat songs from one of their first two albums in many ways--kind of a SHINee throwback. Around 2:18, the song takes on a slow, piano forward bridge, which still fits right in with the sweet, romantic sound of the song.
View - The song is "vibey," sensual and groovy. It's the kind of song you hear and feel in your bones. Jonghyun's delivery of his lines is choppy yet smooth all at once. While the song has a sort of melancholic sound to it, it's still upbeat and makes me want to dance. It's a standout from SHINee's other title tracks to this point in their discography, with its more conceptual sound, leaning more into a sophisticated artistry rather than their more usual retro-sounding, harmonic pop stuff.
Romance - The song starts off sounding kind of basic, in my opinion. But I really enjoy the chorus, kicked off with the words "I want you girl." The "shoobedoop" scat style lines are also quite cute and memorable. The song, fittingly, has a very sweet, romantic sound, while still being upbeat and fun. Minho's casual rap is refreshing, leading into a final chorus. Taemin's adlibs of "I need you baby" in the background as the song wanes are adorable. The song ends with acapella shoobedoops, which makes it linger in my mind.
Trigger.- This song has a kind of unusual tempo, with a jazzy feeling and some choppy syllabification. Then the part of the song wherein Key encourages the listener to pull the trigger takes on a totally different, intense vibe. As that part concludes, it returns to a smooth vibe with Onew singing. The song keeps me on my toes with tonal whiplash and ends abruptly on that intense vibe.
Farewell My Love - This song reminds me of In My Room from the first album, as a slow, R&B ballad, with kind of corny instrumentation. I love how the chorus explodes with passion, though, which makes this song memorable and exciting in spite of the more somber overall tone. Around 2:45 is my favorite part, asking "where did you go?", flowing into a passionate high note, before kicking back into the dramatic chorus. While the song is similar to other less memorable ballads, I find this one to stand out.
An Ode to You - This song is beautiful, slow, sweet. When Key joins in singing, he showcases how, while his voice is rich and full, he can still pull off the soft, forlorn sound. The organic instrumental backtrack is a nice change of pace, with swelling strings, simple piano, and realistic drum beat. I think there was some restraint exercised in the composition. Minho's voice is also notable, getting some more dramatic and challenging lines and harmonizing with Key. Overall, another wonderful ballad.
Hold You - This may be my least favorite SHINee song of all time. I find Key's rap in the beginning of the song annoying and grating, and not because of his nasally tone, which he did heap on. The flow and the "ho, ho, hold you for a minute" lyrics are ugly. Minho's rap verse is equally annoying. It's not pleasant to the ear. The song is not totally irredeemable, of course. I like the verses. Taemin's voice sounds particularly nice in this song. It's the rare instance where the rap is the worst part of the song for me.
Alive - The intro is kinda of cringe, with the chant of "Life, live..." The song has an interesting hip hop feeling to it, though. I really like the line "But I'm breathing, I'm believing, and I stand, alive." I also like the flow of much of the song. The rap verse is aggressive and infectious (a turn around from the previous track, to be sure). It's a cool track, with a much harder feel than SHINee's usual sound.
Woof Woof - Key is downright entertaining. I love his voice and his shoutouts in the song. The song is upbeat, funny, with a definite swing influence. It's the kind of song that only SHINee could pull off. The brass (and fake brass) of the backtrack give the song a full sound. The song is silly and fun with many unique aspects, like the barking and whistling in the background. Their voices are cute, and enthusiastic. (It was really cute performed live, too).
Chocolate - The song is not that notable, except for the chorus, which I cannot decide if I like. "You wanna be my lady, how'd you like the baby?" The lyrics are a little iffy, but there is a sort of catchy quality to it. This song is another example of a somewhat lackluster rap verse. The funky guitar rhythm is nice, however. The title of the song doesn't feel like it matches the vibe of the song though. Chocolate is smooth; this song is kind of choppy and funky by contrast.
Black Hole - I love this song. The chorus is so upbeat and catchy. The verses are fun too. I like the flow of the song, the way the lyrics are enunciated. I like the synthetic string instrument sound with the more electronic beat. The vocals, as usual, cannot be beat. Jonghyun shows out with amazing high notes. This is a favorite of mine from the album. I only wish the song was longer.
An Encore - An amazing example of a slow, SHINee ballad. The song is piano forward, but it's not all acoustic sounding. Everyone's voices are beautiful and the chorus is incredibly moving. This is another must-see-live song. This song definitely makes me think about how much I miss Jonghyun's voice is in this world (not to be a bummer), especially during that climactic bridge.
I honestly feel like this album is all over the place in terms of mood, tone, genre, and influence. Because it's not that cohesive, it has some of my favorite and least favorite SHINee songs on it, hitting a wide range of tastes. I feel like SHINee entered an era of experimentation with this album. I recall that Key, in one interview, noted that this album marked a turning point in terms of the members' creative freedom being taking more into account. This was overall a very good thing for the group, whose talents are too big to be stifled by too much corporate oversight. SHINee's sound continued to develop after this point, solidifying their reputation as trailblazers, trendsetters, and risk-takers for years to come