My SHINee World 1st to 15th Interview — Minho -> Taemin
Minho: if you could go back to (pick when) your debut day; debuting on 3rd grade middle school or when you already an adult?
Taemin : honestly i think it’d be when i become adult only if i can debut with my members (as it is). Because the things we went through… looking back at them now, it was difficult time for me and the members. (if debut when adult) we can hang around, and the things we could experience around that age like school field trip or becoming class president i think i can even became the 1st rank in whole school.
I don’t respect SM very often since they’re normally full of so much shit, but I can at least say I’m pleased that they decided not to be capitalistic, money-hungry bastards by forcing SHINee to make a repackage for Hard while Onew is on hiatus. I’d be fine if Hard never got a repackage if it means we won’t have to listen to an album composed of only songs recorded by Key, Minho, and Taemin
Partly for the prolific volume of projects artists release each year and partly for the fluid definition of an album (running anywhere from three to 13 tracks), an annual ranking of K-pop albums is never easy. As South Korea continues to extend its global musical influence, certain projects transcend hit-song compilations, presenting larger visions and conceptual narratives.
In 2023, stars like V, WOODZ and ONEW used their latest solo projects to share the music that inspires them at their core as artists and let listeners settle into sonic worlds they’ve developed.
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First Place: Onew, Circle The First Album
While it’s somewhat criminal to think that 15 years after ONEW’s debut with SHINee in 2008 we only just received his first full Korean album, the singer-songwriter himself would say that now was the perfect time for Circle. A musical journey unlike anything released this year, ONEW shared that he had attempted to record the album’s title track before dropping his Dice EP in early 2022, but felt it wasn’t at the level of perfection it deserved and held onto the song. ONEW then involved himself in every aspect of Circle‘s production process, from meticulous mixing and mastering to tuning, beats, recording and mastering, attesting to the singer-songwriter’s dedication to artistic expression.
The single “O (Circle)” opens the album with an intriguing blend of electronica and strings, while its gospel-tinged chorus emphasizes lyrics about the circular nature of life and how memories, feelings and dreams are all fleeting. The 10 tracks on Circle develop unique transformations from start to finish: the breezy melodies in “Cough” are paired with loneliness-themed lyrics and a melancholy instrumental breakdown, while “Rain on Me” starts with aggressive acoustic guitar strumming before transitioning into an atmospheric, percussive ballad. Sweet surprises abound, too: ONEW scats on the jazz-rap hybrid “Caramel” and gives a glimpse into his indie-rock side on “Parachute.”
The album’s effortless flow is anchored by ONEW’s famously solid yet understated vocals. As Circle concludes with the tender piano ballad “Always” which addresses themes of loyalty and resilience, the listener wonders if it’s an allegory for ONEW’s public journey through health challenges, including vocal cord surgery. Even without any writing credits on Circle, ONEW’s presence is undeniably felt in this seamless collection that boasts an emotional depth brought on by 15 years in the game. That’s the kind of introspection you can’t rush or doctor through A&R but need to cycle through and arrive at when the moment is right. From scheduling this album’s release to the messages on the final track, time is definitely on ONEW’s side to deliver such a project. — J.B.
Choreographer Kany about working with SHINee
"As a SHINee fan, I was so honored and so blessed to work with every SHINee member. As you guys know, I’ve already worked with KEY on Gasoline so I had a first approach to work with Key, but I had the honor to work with the other members."
"TAEMIN is one of my favorite K-pop artist.
I think he’s just one of a kind, he’s really a legend he’s making. He has that very easy way to execute and to understand right away the essence and the textures. He would literally work and repeat on the steps until he gets it, until it’s his own. I was just blown away the way he was like *snaps fingers* going that fast."
"MINHO is always the champion. I call him the champion.
I remember the first day, I actually asked him “Should we change or adapt it?”, he was like “No no no, Kany, that's fine, we can do it and we're going to kill it”. I love the fact that he will, he's never giving up until he gets it. On the shoot, he was just so amazing, I could feel the flame on him and the charisma that he has is just amazing."
"ONEW, our leader. I love Onew, oh my God.
He always have that positive spirit, always going through it. As I said, even if it was not like their style, but he was just here, I remember he was like “Let me just practice on my own” then come into it and the next day, he literally gets it, that was his strength.
And that's what I love about SHINee. It's just about the consistency of that."
"And last but not least my amazing KEY. KEY is a star.
I think he has a certain easiness of my style personally, that he would gets and he would literally do it better than me whenever I see him on his body which is amazing."