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In 2018, SHINee returned as a four member group with their sixth full-length album in celebration of their tenth anniversary. The album comprised three mini-albums released across May and June. The sixteen track Story of Light epilogue was subsequently released that September, which was their final group release prior to the enlistment of Onew, Key, and Minho. This meant that it needed to tide shawols over for two years.
So, did it accomplish that task?
All Day All Night - The song begins with tranquil bird chirps, but then jumps into a fast-paced groove. "Baby you're my type of world" is a strange lyric, but otherwise the English lyrics are passable. I like the chime-like instrumentation and the choppy staccato of the enunciation of the words. The song seems like something that would be great to run or swim to, with high energy.
Countless - I love the plunky string instrumentation and the sweet, soft, peaceful vocals of the song. It's upbeat but gentle at the same time. There's a nostalgia and wistfulness to the sound. The chorus demonstrates that SHINee can still create a full harmony with only four members. Taemin holds a beautiful long note before the final chorus, showing off the full vocal capability of the group. The vocalized sound effects toward the end of the song are a highlight.
Good Evening - This song is reminiscent of the sensual vibes present in View. It's of the deep house genre, tapping into melancholy, but with a rhythm that still has the listener wanting to dance. It sounds artistic. Taemin's high note before the rap is dizzying. The chorus is high-pitched and ethereal. The song is very cool.
Chemistry - This track also has a sort of somber mood, but there's something about the backtrack that sounds tropical. The chorus is gorgeous, with a full, powerful harmony. It's bombastic and hearty. Minho's voice suits the song particularly. Onew's voice glides easily over even the most robust notes. The bridge changes tone, shifting a bit more organic with a piano motif. Minho fades back in with a rap, a unique effect. The song switches up the rhythm a few times, but remains cohesive. The song feels like a science experiment in the best way, which suits the song's title.
Electric - I love the chant of "electric" over the really cool, groovy backtrack. Minho's filtered rap is very cool. The rest of the instrumental has a sort of retro, chime sound that's a bit hard to describe. The producing on the song is really notable. SHINee's vocals are, of course, impressive as is typical of them, but the composition is what really stands out to me.
Who Waits For Love - Another somber song with an incredibly sad, yet catchy, chorus, repeating the title of the song. The instrumental utilizes a sort of organic sound of a guitar string being stroked to great effect. I love the rap verses. Key captures the sound of heartbreak well. The vocals are stunning and almost haunting. I hate to use an adjective as bland as "interesting," but this song is truly intriguing, the kind that sticks to your heart after you're done listening to it.
Our Page - This song is difficult for shawols to listen to, I think. The song carries that sort of sad feeling. It's a love song of sorts, a tribute, a memorial all rolled into one. Even without knowing the meaning of the lyrics, you can feel that. The song itself is beautiful, with vocals that sound introspective and nostalgic in the verses and passionate in the chorus. The instrumental is pretty and powerful all at once. Onew has a very impactful long note about 3/4 of the way through, and Taemin and Key both have very soulful adlibs. The whoas that end the song are a great finish.
I Say - This song I don't feel as familiar with. It sounds like a typical SHINee ballad, with simple piano instrumentation. I love the English lyrics, "I say 'I love you.' Tell me everything!" The vocals are so passionate, the harmonies are beautiful as usual. Taemin is straight up showing off in this track, stepping up to the plate, proving that he's really become more than "just" the dancer.
Retro - There's something funny about Key's opening line about a girl getting him feeling "all emotional." I like the opening raps from Minho and Key, with a glib, casual feeling. I like the chorus with refrain of "emotional-motional-mo-motional." Key references Barbie and Ken in some of his rap lyrics. The song, appropriately, has a bit of a retro feel, with a funky bass line.
Drive - The song has a nice, simple electric guitar motif, which provides a sort of beat. I like the producing on this one as well with cool sound effects. I think the track is good even apart from SHINee's vocals, which are great as always. The song feels like it's kind of short, but it ends on a nice acapella note.
I Want You - This song's genre has been described as "tropical house." This was my favorite of the title tracks from this era. I found it upbeat and cheerful, with fun marimba-like instrumentals and catchy lyrics. The refrains of "oh na na na" and "I want you!" stick in my head like glue.
Undercover - The instrumental is cool, with a sound effect like a mallet hitting a blocks of wood, some plonky percussive sound. The bridge is cool, with the sounds of dripping, running water. I love Onew's high falsetto notes in the following verse. The choruses are powerful, ending on the word "undercover," reminding me what song I'm listening to.
JUMP - The song is sensual, retro, funky. I love the heavy bassline. The echoing harmony of the chorus is really distinctive. The beat is simple but effective. The vocals really carry the song; Onew's voice really suits it. The only part I dislike is the "got me got me jump" part. But it's followed by the coolest part of the song: the echoing vocals with no backtrack. The song does end sort of abruptly.
Tonight - The song opens with thes sound of a sort of distant piano. Onew begins singing, his voice soothing. Taemin joins next, with beautiful high notes. Key sings next before diving into the lovely chorus. The harmonies on the words "tonight, tonight, tonight" send chills down my spine. Minho then delivers one of my favorite "slow" raps. I love the line, "don't be sad, life is like that." Taemin delivers some powerful belts in the final fourth of the song.
You & I - The song begins with subtle synth and Key providing some gentle vocals with his deep, full voice. Each of the members joins in. Minho sings a few beautiful lines, his voice suiting the slow, meek vibe of the song. The song is really pretty and soothing. There is a beautiful chorus of "oohs" in the background. Key sings some really cool notes, flicking his voice up into some higher notes with flair. The song sounds a little haunting, but overall, it's incredibly beautiful.
Lock You Down - This track is kind of the odd one out on the album, in my opinion. It's upbeat, unlike the majority of the tracks which are sort of somber and sad. This song is the final SHINee song recorded with all five members, featuring the vocals of the deceased Jonghyun prior to his passing. Onew's falsetto is incredible and world-healing. I particularly love his delivery of the words "run, run, run." The harmonies on the words "I gotta lock you down" are iconic! Jonghyun gives us one of his classic high notes. The song is fast and fun. I'm glad this is the last song we have with Jonghyun.
This album demonstrated that SHINee, with only four members, was still a complete group. Hearing Jonghyun's voice on the last track does remind me how much I miss him, though. I think the mixing, composition, and arranging on this album is the best work that SHINee's team had ever done, but SHINee proved their voices couldn't be overshadowed with cool instrumentals. It's a strong album with some of my favorite SHINee tracks on it. It did an excellent job of paying tribute to Jonghyun while still looking forward to a bright future. It gave shawols hope during a difficult time, even as SHINee was about to go on a long hiatus.
After Onew, Key, and Minho returned from their military enlistment, SHINee World was waiting with bated breath for their return as a group. In February of 2021, they staged their comeback with their 7th studio album, Don't Call Me. In April, their repackage, Atlantis, was released. After over two long years of waiting, it was finally time to hear SHINee perform together as a group again.
Would it be worth the wait?
Atlantis - The guitar instrumental opening sounds fun with an air of mystery. Taemin and Key open the song, before the song builds drama with Onew's verse. The chorus has a fun, energetic vibe. The vocals are strong and forceful while maintaining an air of whimsy. The song captures well the mystique of the mythical Atlantis with dramatic vocal flair.
CODE - The song is like a bridge between track one and three, with enough of a classic SHINee feel to feel familiar while still sounding experimental and "hard." "Let's crack the code!" is a catchy lyric. I love the electronic chime instrumental. Onew's falsetto is hypnotic: "We're lost in the rain, so let's run away." I'm convinced! The song is mysterious in an almost foreboding way, especially in the bridge. Taemin's final belt in that portion of the song is a great example of that feeling.
Don't Call Me - This song goes hard, with a heavy beat and rhythmic chant of "Don't Call Me." Some said that this song doesn't have a very SHINee-like sound, since it kind of leans more into the hip hop genre. But I think the harmonies in the chorus are emblematic of SHINee's distinct sound. (Besides, nothing is more SHINee-like than experimenting and trying new things)! The melodramatic bridge, with Taemin's powerful belt, going into a piano breakdown is something that SHINee totally owns! It's a total thrill from start to finish.
Area - Minho is credited with writing the lyrics to this song, which definitely makes it a special track. The song is mellow. It sounds like something you'd listen to in the rain. I love the crooning oooos around 2/3 of the way through the song, followed by some Taemin falsetto.
Heart Attack - This song has a nice, retro bass line. The group performed this live at some music shows, and the choreo reminded me of Michael Jackson. The chorus is infectious. I love Minho's line "heart goes pit-a-pat." The song is cute, and is perhaps the most "dancey" song on the album.
Marry You - This song is considered the final in a trilogy, starting with Replay and Love Sick. The song is obviously hopelessly romantic in tone. The bass line is rich and full, giving the song a nice soft groove. The tinkling keys in the song mingle nicely with SHINee's harmonies on the chorus. Taemin's performance in the bridge is sugary sweet. The mid-tempo R&B song is perfect to sing along with, the lyrics "I wanna marry you, right here right now" dripping easily from the lips.
Days and Years - This song is soft, sweet, and dripping with nostalgia. Onew's adorable falsetto captures my heart. Key leads into the chorus with a beautiful harmony behind him. Minho's voice suits the meek feeling of the song. The chorus is very catchy with the refrain of "loving you for days and years". The little rest between the words "and" and "years" is so impactful, giving the song a fun flow. The "aaahhs" in the background are also infectious. Key and Minho's rap verse sound like they're speaking directly to the listener. This song was my favorite of the three new tracks on the repackage (Atlantis, Area, and Days and Years). Taemin's outro is absolutely lovely. The song borders on perfect, in my opinion.
I Really Want You - The electric guitar in the intro is very fun, creating an upbeat rhythm. The chorus captures that classic, retro SHINee sound. It seems like it would fit in well in a Disney movie from the early 90s, with a big show tune kind of feeling. The lyric "I really want you, ooo babe," is so cute sounding. The flow of the rap verse is a little off, but the rest of the song is great. The chunky bass, the trumpet, and that electric guitar create a wonderful instrumental.
Kiss Kiss - BASS, BASS, BASS. It's so heavy, full, and prominent. It gives the song a deep, soulful feeling. "I just wanna kiss, kiss your lips," the song says. Gosh, it's so sensual sounding, but it remains fun. The kiss sound effect is a nice touch. It's impossible not to dance to this track. Onew's falsetto and adlibs in the outro are irresistible.
Attention - I'll admit, on my first several listens of the album, I didn't really properly appreciate this track. I didn't care for the backtrack and the whispered, high pitched harmony of the chorus wasn't really appealing to me. But there are points that I like, such as the whistling lines and Onew's verses. His voice really suits the song, with its easy flow. SHINee performed this in the Beyond Live concert and I enjoyed it much more, since they gave it such a cutesy vibe in that rendition. The song is also very easy to dance to.
Body Rhythm - This is first song of SHINee's that I would identify as being reggae inspired. It definitely has an island vibe. The song is super sexy. It demands that anyone listening attempt to perform a full body roll. "Won't you follow my body rhythm? Come and follow my body rhythm." I cannot deny the request!
Kind - This pop ballad is absolutely stunning, and as it is the only "slow" song on the album, it really stands out. The effect used on the vocals, creating a sort of crackling static, is super cool! The song is sweet, echoing in a way that feels penetrating. The song expresses gratitude, and even not knowing any Korean, I can feel that emotion through the vocal performance alone. The harmonies are beautiful. The song feels "big" and important, from the instrumentals to the vocals. It's a poignant note to end the album on.
My feeling is that the 7th album is truly the culmination of all of SHINee's talent and experience. The production value is exceptional. It's truly a "no skip" album. And yes, it was worth the wait!
As I publish this blog post, the final hours of SHINee's 15th anniversary are waning (in my time zone, anyway. The day has already passed in Korea). Taemin has returned from his military enlistment and we're finally starting to see the four members reunited and creating content once again. There are fan meetings scheduled, pop up shops popping up, and billboards being erected, teasing their return to the music scene next month in June. It's an exciting time to be a SHINee fan, but then again it always has been. If this trip through SHINee's Korean discography has taught me anything, it's that SHINee is a group defined by quality and consistency, even while pushing the envelope. They're a group you can rely on for amazing performances. You can count on SHINee evolving, yet staying true to who they are as a musical group. I'm looking forward to everything that is to come!