Shinee’s back: K-pop boy band return after two years with an online showcase and new album in the pipeline
SHINee #SHINee
This weekend marks the return of Shinee after a break of almost two years.
The K-pop boy band, who stylise their name as “SHINee”, set the K-pop world abuzz on Wednesday with the news that they would be making their return at the end of this month with a special event, “The Ringtone: SHINee is Back”.
Set to take place online on January 31, the event will look back at the band’s career and introduce some new music. The event will serve as a preview of the upcoming new album, although the release date is still unknown.
Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China.
The last time the K-pop world heard new music from Shinee was The Story of Light album series in mid-2018, and a final single that September, after which three members of the group – Onew, Minho, and Key – started their national service in South Korea’s military.
In the K-pop industry, boy bands have historically disbanded before their members enter the military, but groups now increasingly rotate members in and out, staying active with various joint or solo releases, which is the route Shinee took.
During that time, Taemin focused on his solo career and took part in SuperM, a roster-wide boy band featuring artists signed to SM Entertainment, which represents Shinee. The three other Shinee members also launched several of their own projects, including Key releasing a solo EP and Minho sharing a single, while Onew recently launched a YouTube channel after leaving the military in July.
D.O. of Exo marks return to public life with cover of That’s Okay
“Yes yes we’re back”, Key posted on Instagram, sharing a picture of the four men. Later on Wednesday, Taemin posted a picture to Shinee’s social media accounts, showing their feet together as another nod to their return after an extended career hiatus.
“The Ringtone: SHINee is Back” event marks the start of a new era for the act: typically after K-pop artists enlist in the military, a group loses its public recognition and identity. But Shinee have long been considered one of the most artistically distinct K-pop boy bands, introducing various musical trends to the industry and regularly seeing hits in South Korea.
Still, Shinee have had their ups and downs since making their debut in 2008 with hit single Replay (Noona Neomu Yeppeo), most notably the death of member Jonghyun in 2017, to whom the group dedicated their 2018 single Our Page.
But the group have always recovered from their setbacks, innovating and continuing to push forward during every era of their career, never forgetting their past, but growing from it. Their 2013 single Sherlock opened with the phrase “Shinee’s back”, and over the years it has come to represent their resilience and diligence.
The broadcast, which is free to watch worldwide, will examine the legacy of Shinee’s past and also look towards the future, launching an era of releases ahead of Taemin’s military service, which is likely to take place in the next year or two.
Since they went on hiatus, the Shinee members have continually reassured fans that they’d return, and in recent months have randomly slipped hints — dubbed “spoilers” among K-pop fans – into live-streams and videos.
Regardless of how they reinvent Shinee this time around, one thing is clear: Shinee is back.
More Articles from SCMP
Young man’s death sheds light on life of China’s poor, and prompts an outpouring of sympathy – and questions
Philippines’ corruption rating under Duterte holds at same level: bad
China’s service sector recovery takes another hit as new coronavirus outbreaks cast pall over Lunar New Year consumption, travel
Hong Kong primary school teacher driven to suicide by actions of principal, coroner rules
Animal trap that snares dog on Hong Kong hillside sparks police investigation
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.
Copyright (c) 2021. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.