Life in Pearl Aqua: A Decade’s Journey with SHINee
SHINee - the one who receives the light
A reflective piece by ebbony&lune through the pearl aqua lens of SHINee’s discography.
May 25, 2020 - this date marks the 12th anniversary of popular K-pop boy group, SHINee. It also serves as a reminder of my decade-long citizenship in the SHINee World (Shawol) - their fandom - and the growth of my identity throughout these transformative years. Times of grief and loss, powerful friendship, new beginnings, and nostalgic returns within this fandom mirror (to some extent) the chapters in my own life. SHINee was not my first boy group stan, but it has been one of the most impactful not only for the emotional rollercoaster ride we were all a part of, but also the beautiful little nuggets of wisdom and encouragement that got me through challenging times throughout high school.
I hate to admit that I fell out of the fandom ever so slightly during their later (most recent) years, but with the group’s full return on the horizon, I think it’s about time I go back to this home/personal sanctuary I have created for myself for the past 10 years.
Welcome to the SHINee World; I’m back!
The Early Years
SHINee debuted on May 25, 2008 as a 5-member Korean boy group, managed by conglomerate entertainment company, SM Entertainment. At the time, the members included Onew, Jonghyun, Key, Minho, and Taemin. I first discovered them when I watched the 2010 Dream Concert, where they performed their new hit ‘Ring Ding Dong’. I remember myself thinking that their song, concept and outfits were weird, but also entertaining the thought that I would probably eventually stan them because I stan their senior labelmates BoA, TVXQ, Super Junior, and Girls’ Generation. I was NOT expecting to become a loyal Shawol.
These early years (almost) mirrored my high school freshman year - a new chapter in my story of navigating and creating my own identity. I was growing to know SHINee as I was growing to know myself.
💎 💎 💎 💎 💎
Replay (2008)
Favourite track: Replay
Still considered one of the best debut tracks in the industry, IMO. At this point in time, I was completely unaware of K-pop’s existence. It’s worthwhile to note that SHINee started off from the bottom (remember, this was a time where technology was not as easily accessible as it is today), handing out lollipops on the street to promote themselves.
Amigo
아.미.고 (2008)
Favourite track: Romantic
I purchased my first SHINee albums when I was visiting Taiwan: 2009 Year Of Us, Lucifer, and Amigo. I don’t remember how I actually got into the fandom - I think it was through watching their ‘Hello’ M/V, which had just been released at that time. Maybe it was an impulse purchase. All I know is that this album was on REPLAY (😜😜) for a long time, and truly kick-started my newfound identity as a K-pop fan.
Romeo (2009)
Favourite track: Juliette
Not my favourite album (EP) of theirs, TBH. This was kind of an in-between/transitional phase where they weren’t rookies, but also not hugely popular. They (and the company + songwriters) were still in the process of discovering their unique sound and concept. Around this time, I was just getting introduced to K-pop, so my attention was on the more popular groups of the time (i.e. Big Bang, Wonder Girls, Super Junior, and Girls’ Generation).
2009, Year Of Us (2009)
Favourite track: JoJo
2009 REALLY was the year of SHINee. Their newest single at the time - ‘Ring Ding Dong’ - really took off, bringing the boys into the spotlight a little over a year following their debut. The lyrics were so influential that they have been recently featured in a special exhibition at The National Hangeul Museum, titled “Korean Pop Lyrics — Melodies of Life” (currently closed due to COVID-19).
Lucifer (2010)
Favourite track: Hello (from the repackage album)
I became a Shawol around the ‘Lucifer’/’Hello’ era, so this album has a some sentimental value to me. This album marked another important milestone for SHINee, as they showcased a new and more mature sound (stemming from their previous EP). Additionally, the intricate and unique choreography for ‘Lucifer’ was influential in paving the way for more robust dances.
SHINee 2011 Calendar
Not discography, but the fact that I purchased something that WASN’T CDs or DVDs really showed that I was dedicated to stanning this group. I used to put my SHINee calendars on my bedside so I could wake up seeing their shining, smiling faces. Yep, I know… this was most definitely a young fangirl thing to do. Older, more mature me would probably want to save the money for something else more practical.
Juliette (Japanese Single) (2011)
Favourite track: Kiss Kiss Kiss
Another young fangirl thing I did was purchase this 2-track album just because I liked the song above. And because it came with a DVD. And because Taemin looked amazing with his new, more mature brown/red hair look (I was/still am a HUGE fan of his). Prior to ‘Juliette’, SHINee had released a Japanese version of ‘Replay’, which marked the beginning of their BOOMING success in Japan.
The First (Japanese Album) (2011)
Favourite track: To Your Heart
And what did I say about booming success? This was their first (as the album title states, obviously) of five full-length Japanese albums, which included Japanese versions of some of their more popular tracks, as well as brand-new ones. Apparently, the industry started getting more creative with their album packaging around this time as well (we all know how PACKED with goodies some of the K-pop albums are nowadays).
The Middle Years (AKA Peak Fangirl)
2012 SHINee Diary
This was around the time when I was REALLY into SHINee, and probably marked my peak fangirl years. I remember ordering this agenda + photo postcards + calendar set, having it arrive while I was on vacation, and immediately cracking it open as soon as I got back. To this date, the only thing written in it is my birthday… it was too precious to use! So it’s just sitting on my shelf as a collector’s item.
SHINee World in Japan - DVD (2012)
SO. MANY. GOODIES. And I got lucky with my Taemin pencil board! The SHINee dollars are replicas from my favourite act of the concert, ‘Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree’, a comedic sketch & English performance featuring Angel Onew, Criminal Minho, Policeman Key, Entertainer Jonghyun (honestly, I’m not sure what his character was) and Lady Love Interest Taemin. Yes, you read that correctly.
The First Concert Album: SHINee World (2012)
Favourite track: Stand By Me
This was another album I would listen to on repeat because it was basically an anthology of their songs up until that point and was easier than album-hopping. You know I’m a loyal and true fangirl when I listen to live concert albums. And purchase the concert DVD and photobook.
The First Concert: SHINee World - DVD + Photobook (2012)
When a Shawol cannot attend a concert in real life, she tries to recreate the concert as best as she can with a concert album, DVD, and a photobook as the cherry on top. I actually did get a chance to see SHINee on stage twice at the SMTOWN concerts in Madison Square Garden (2011, New York) and Honda Centre (2012, Los Angeles). The only thing I’m missing from my concert arsenal is their official lightstick (‘Shating Star’).
Sherlock (2012)
Favourite track: Honesty
I skipped buying the physical album for this because the concept (and therefore the album covers & photos) weirded me out… The title track ‘Sherlock’ was something that the composers and producers were experimenting with: a mash-up of two other album tracks, ‘Clue’ and ‘Note’. Separately, the tracks aren’t much - they honestly felt like incomplete half-tracks - but together they create something pretty great. To me it represented the symbiosis of life.
Dream Girl - The Misconceptions Of You (2013)
Favourite track: Dream Girl
The “Misconceptions” era was SUCH A GREAT ERA! Taemin started garnering more attention for not only his dance skills, but also his capability as a singer (and look where that’s gotten him now). The whole concept of this two-part album was about ideals - the ideal lover, the ideal self, the ideal life, etc. My thinking and perceptions of the world were starting to mature at this point in time, where I started developing an ideal reality for myself in terms of my goals and ambitions for the future.
Why So Serious? - The Misconceptions Of Me (2013)
Favourite track: Sleepless Night
I had mixed feelings when Jonghyun wasn’t in the ‘Why So Serious?’ M/V. I was ecstatic that Taemin got more lines and the chance to display his newfound vocal skills, but something felt off not seeing OT5 nor hearing Jjong’s voice. Little did Shawols know this would be the future of SHINee 4 years later…
The Misconceptions of Us (2013)
Favourite track: Selene 6.23
The compilation album/repackage of the above two albums. I also didn’t get the physical copy for this one because it was essentially the two albums put inside a box with some new goodies… I didn’t have that much money to spare. Something noteworthy is that the lyrics of ‘Selene 6.23’ was penned by Jonghyun, for international Shawols who are distant from SHINee physically but are still supporting them and close to their hearts.
Boys Meet U (Japanese Album) (2013)
Favourite tracks: Run With Me, 君がいる世界 (Kimi ga Iru Sekai / The World Where You Exist), Keeping love again, Fire
This is my favourite SHINee album, so I couldn’t choose a favourite. All the power ballads & FIRE singles. That’s all I have to say about this one.
Everybody (2013)
Favourite track: Everybody
This album came with a little cartoon SHINee bookmark; I got Minho, but I don’t remember where I put him… he’s hiding somewhere in my bookshelves. 2013 definitely was SHINee’s year - I mean, just look at all these album releases! ‘Everybody’ was the most futuristic/sci-fi concept for the boys, and the M/V’s choreography still remains one of the most unique ones I’ve seen: the lifts, Minho’s “cheers” expression, SHINee airplane, and all the sequences (especially the “wind-up” one)!
The Later Years
I’m Your Boy (Japanese Album) (2014)
Favourite track: Colors of the season
The later years marked my slow-sailing away from SHINee - still following their releases, but not as invested as I used to be. It was probably because my studies took precedence and my social life was blossoming compared to when I first got on the ship. It wasn’t just SHINee either, I pretty much stopped listening to k-pop as a whole. In late 2019, I watched SHINee’s live performance of ‘Colors of the season’ as the opener for their ‘SHINee World The Best 2018’ tour in Japan, just 2 months after Jonghyun’s passing. Cue the waterworks.
Odd (2015)
Favourite track: An Encore
I promise I did purchase the physical album… I just don’t remember where I put it (it wasn’t with my other SHINee albums, for some reason). This album marked another change in SHINee’s musical style, being more experimental and using a combination of retro and newer sounds. It’s hard to explain, but the change was quite evident for Shawols. During this time, I was going through some exploratory changes as well with university life and all. I’ve been listening to ‘Married To The Music’ now more than before - it’s reminiscent to the ‘Dream Girl’ and ‘Why So Serious?’ era.
DxDxD (Japanese Album) (2016)
Favourite track: Moon Drop
Of all the SHINee albums, I listened to this one the least because: a) I didn’t purchase the physical copy, and b) it wasn’t available on Spotify at the time. I’m not really familiar with any of the songs, to be honest.
1 of 1 (2016)
Favourite track: 1 of 1
1 of 1 is a BOP, and nobody can tell me otherwise. SHINee really channeled the retro vibes in this album (I mean, if a limited cassette edition doesn’t scream retro, I don’t know what does). The repackage song ‘Tell Me What To Do’ is also equally as good! Shawols can really hear how the boys (should really be calling them men now) have matured in their techniques and sound. I remember ordering this album while I was away for university, then opening the package when I was home for break, and hugging it because I missed having SHINee in my life.
Five (Japanese ALbum) (2017)
Favourite track: Winter Wonderland
Another great Japanese album that I was unfamiliar with… note to self: I really need to listen to these newer SHINee albums more! ‘Winter Wonderland’ was the only song I knew from this album (excluding the Japanese version of ‘1 of 1’). They sang ‘Diamond Sky’ at the ‘SHINee World The Best 2018’ concert, and when Minho screamed to the sky “Jonghyun hyung!”… it broke everyone. It was supposed to be a joyful song, but paired with videos of Jonghyun, his voice, and the members’ reactions, it became a really heartbreaking song. Bling Bling Jonghyun = the diamond in the sky. This was the last full album that SHINee released with Jonghyun before his untimely death.
Source: Unknown
The Story of Light + Epilogue (2018)
Favourite track: Our Page
This album is full of amazing tracks, but just doesn’t feel right at all without Jonghyun’s vocals. I tried to follow this comeback closely, but would always be brought to tears… I couldn’t listen to or watch any old SHINee tracks because I was still grieving. It’s interesting that this album was being released in waves while I was completing my Music Therapy internship in palliative care, where I was constantly surrounded by grief and loss, but also by peace. I hope that this album gave Onew, Key, Minho, and Taemin the closure and peace they needed after all the sadness. They were able to convey their final messages to Jonghyun through the lyrics they penned themselves, with a beautiful and sentimental tribute M/V to top it off. Side note: their title tracks for this album feature yet another sound for the group with some deep house vibes.
Compilation Album: SHINee The Best From Now On (Japanese) (2018)
The title track of this compilation album, ‘From Now On’, is a greatly sentimental one for Shawols as it is the final SHINee song to feature Jonghyun, and the first release after his death. The remaining four members performed this track as an encore stage for their ‘SHINee World The Best 2018’ tour as a tribute to their fallen comrade. Until this day, I cannot summon the courage nor the strength to watch the performance in its entirety, let alone the concert. It’s probably the most heart-wrenching thing for a Shawol…
To wrap things up…
‘Replay’ debut stage - SBS Inkigayo, May 25, 2008
Most recent performance of ’Replay’ - SHINee World The Best 2018
It’s been 12 years since SHINee graced this world with their presence as a k-pop group, and 10 years since I entered the fandom. Many of my transformative years were walked alongside SHINee and their own journeys as a group and as individuals. They’re supposed to be making their much-anticipated comeback sometime in the latter half of the year after Onew, Key and Minho are discharged from the military. But before then, Shawols will be blessed with a Taemin comeback - he’ll certainly be busy this year with both these comebacks AND with a SuperM comeback! His positive attitude and work ethic still makes him one of my two favourite k-pop artists.
SHINee will forever be OT5.
Cover photo credits: @seoninjoo
