This is SHINee! Onew, Jonghyun, Minho, Key and Taemin!

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SHINee has been active in the entertainment industry for almost 14 years and has always remained relevant. The boy band is known for their strong voices, complex choreography, and unique musical style that sets them apart from other K-pop groups!

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SHINee has been called the “Princes of K-Pop” since the beginning of their career and has continued to set trends in music, dance and fashion! We'll give you a little insight into his impressive career so you can have your say!

SHINee will always be a five-piece.

The name “SHINee” is made up of the English word “shine” and the suffix “ee”. This means that SHINee is receiving the light from her fans.

Even if you don't know the group well, you've probably heard that Kim Jonghyun took his own life on December 18, 2017. The news shocked not only Shawol's, as SHINee's fans are called, but K-Pop fans around the world in general. His band members were particularly affected, of course. The four of them make it clear again and again that SHINee will always be a five-piece, both now and in the future. In mid-2018, for example, they dedicated the song “Our Page” to Jonghyun. At the end of the music video, five microphone stands can be seen , one of which is empty. In addition, SHINee often leaves Jonghyun's position free in their old choreographies instead of changing the performance, and above all, they still talk about “five” members today. Onew, Key, Taemin and Minho asked us not to forget Jonghyun and we won't.

How it all began:

On May 25, 2008, Onew, Key, Minho and Taemin and Jonghyun officially debuted with a performance to their theme song "Replay". The album of the same name with four other songs was released three days earlier. You can even watch this first appearance on YouTube!

The youngest, Taemin, was just 14 years old at the time! The others were 16 to 18. The album reached number 8 on the Korean music charts and SHINee has already won Newcomer Awards in June and August. In August the group released their second album “The SHINee World”, which reached number 3 in the charts. The title song “Love Like Oxygen” also brought them their first win in a music show!

Since then, the members have also had their iconic nicknames, with which they have introduced themselves for years. “Bling Bling Jonghyun”, “Maknae Taemin”, “Dubu Leader Onew”, “Almighty Key” and “Flaming Charisma Minho”. These nicknames can also be heard in Minho's rap in the song "The SHINee World (doo.bop)".

Two months later a repackage album called “Amigo” was released and at the end of the year SHINee won two more rookie awards and an award for best newcomer album! Over the next two years, many more awards came and SHINee released hit songs like “Ring Ding Dong” and “Lucifer”.

In June 2011, the boy band made their debut in Japan with a Japanese version of “Replay”. It sold more than 91,000 copies in its first week and was subsequently certified Gold by the Japan Music Industry Association for selling over 100,000 copies. At the time, SHINee held the record for the best-selling Korean debut album in the Japanese Oricon charts! To this day, SHINee is one of the most popular K-pop bands in Japan!

That same year, in November 2011, SHINee became the first Korean artist to hold an independent concert in London. The tickets sold out within a few minutes! You can certainly imagine that things would continue just as successfully in the coming months and years!

SHINee continued to expand her career in Japan and can now look back on 21 Japanese albums, some of which are single albums, and 17 Korean albums. There are also a number of soundtracks and of course solo albums.

The boy band is known for their experimental sound and their ability to cover a wide range of genres. Accordingly, SHINee's discography is very colorful. Their main genre is contemporary R&B, but influences from funk rock, electronic music and rock can already be found in the third album. Deep house and techno have also found their way into the group's songs.

The last album with Jonghyun was released on February 22, 2017. 

It’s called “Five” and it’s a Japanese album. The title couldn't be more appropriate.

In fact, Jonghyun can be heard on three other albums that were released after 2017. A day after the tragic events, SM Entertainment announced that the singer had already fully recorded his new solo album and had even filmed the music video for the title song “Shinin”. At the end of January 2018, “Poet/Artist” was released both digitally and physically. The proceeds went to Jonghyun's mother, who set up a foundation called the "Shiny Foundation" in his name to support struggling young artists.

On March 26th, SHINee released the Japanese best of album “SHINee The Best From Now On”, which, in addition to the Japanese versions of SHINee's hit songs, also contains the new single “From Now On”. The band performed the single in February during their “SHINee World The Best 2018 Tour” in Japan. The song was recorded in 2017, which is why all five members can be heard on it.

Next, the first part of the three-part “The Story Of Light” album series was released in May. The third and final part, which the band released on June 25th, contains the title song “Our Page”, which, as mentioned at the beginning, is dedicated to Jonghyun, and a final song for the five members. “Lock You Down” had also been recorded in 2017 and had finally found its way onto an album.

military service

In December 2018, Onew began mandatory military service; Key and Minho followed his example in the first half of 2019. Taemin was traveling solo during the time, waiting for his group to return. Onew was released in July 2020 and the other two returned in September and November. To the delight of fans, SM Entertainment then announced a new album on January 6, 2021; the first in two and a half years! “Don’t Call Me” was released at the end of February, followed by the repackage album “Atlantis” in April. On May 23rd, SHINee presented the Japanese single “Superstar”. It was basically a parting gift, because six days later Taemin began his military service.

So fans have to wait again until SHINee is complete again. Taemin is expected to return in November. Since May last year, Key has released a new album, Onew starred in a musical and Minho presented his first official solo single “Heartbreak”, among other things. Most recently, like all other artists from SM Entertainment, the three were also involved in the agency's new winter album “2021 Winter SMTOWN: SMCU Express”. We are looking forward to a new year with the band and hopefully one or two solo albums until Taemin comes back! In fact, there is something very specific that fans have been eagerly waiting for since last year: Leader Onew's second solo album! In April, SHINee unveiled a 2021 schedule. According to him, Onew was supposed to make a comeback in November, but that didn't happen. Key’s solo album also came out later than originally planned, so it’s probably just a matter of time. We can't wait!

Fashion

SHINee not only regularly tops the charts with their music, but has also repeatedly set fashion trends. For example, after the release of the album “Romeo” in May 2009, the “SHINee trend” spread to the streets. People started wearing colorful skinny jeans and high top shoes like the guys in their music video for the title song Juliette. SHINee was even awarded the title of “Best Style Icon” at the Style Icon Awards.

SHINee has experimented with her fashion as much as her music over the years. Key in particular has a keen interest in fashion and was given the chance to work on the band's stage outfits after he asked. SHINee later also wore Key’s designs at concerts. The white suits he created with military-looking decorations, which he and the other members wore at a concert in 2015, are particularly legendary. Because of the success of Key's work, he was even appointed fashion director under SHINee's agency SM Entertainment!

Since we're already a bit into it, we'll now introduce you to the individual members and their solo activities:

Onew

Onew is the leader of SHINee, partly because he is the oldest. Two years after his debut, Onew starred in a musical for the first time. (Brothers were Brave) Also in 2010 he appeared on the theater stage a second time for “Rock of Ages” and this time he played the main role! After that, musical fans had to wait a long time for his return. It was only in 2019 that he accepted roles in the two military dramas “Shinheung Militariy Acadyemy” (leading role) and “Return: The Promise of the Day” as part of his military service. In the latter, he starred alongside EXO's Xiumin and D.O! Onew was last seen as the male lead in “Midnight Sun” in 2021.

Of course, the talented singer is not only active in musicals! He has been hosting music and radio shows since 2010 and has also sung a few soundtracks over the years. Among other things, “In Your Eyes” for “To the Beautiful You” with SHINee’s Minho in the lead role! In 2016, Onew also starred in a K-drama. The title “Descendants of the Sun” will probably mean something even to those who watch few dramas, because the series was a huge success! Onew received the “Newcomer Scene Stealer” award for his role as a young doctor. It was his first and only role so far. We can only hope that he will appear in a drama again in the future!

On December 5, 2018, Onew, who is known for his unusual and beautiful voice, finally released his first solo album “Voice”! A few days later he began his military service. Since his return in mid-2020, he has appeared in a musical and two variety shows. Among other things, in the show “Sea of ​​Hope”, in which he and other stars sing and cook for guests.

Hopefully his second solo album will come next!

Key

As mentioned, Key has a keen interest in fashion. He is known for it. to be well dressed; but even though he follows trends, he usually makes something entirely his own out of it. But unusual outfits are not all that the all-rounder has to offer! His fans also know him to be very open and cheeky; He always has a good answer ready and often gossips affectionately about his bandmates.

Key made his musical debut in 2012 in “Catch Me If You Can”. Afterwards he was seen on the theater stage several times, most recently in 2016 in “Save the Green Planet!”.

In the same year, his first K-drama “Drinking Solo” aired after previously only making guest appearances in television series. He starred in a drama again in 2017. Key even received the “Best New Actor” award for his role as a hacker in “The Guardians”!

This is his last series role so far, because in 2018 he concentrated on his musical solo debut with his first album “Face” in November. The singer wrote four of the 10 songs himself. Just a month later, his first Japanese album “Hologram” was released and on March 4, 2019, Key released “I Wanna Be”, a repackage of “Face”. On the same day he began his military service as a member of the military band, which ended one and a half years later, on September 24, 2020.

Since November, Key has been seen again as a cast member in the variety show “Amazing Saturday”, just like before the military, because he is still entertaining and funny! In September 2021, he released his third Korean solo album “Bad Love”. The title song of the same name earned him his first win as a solo artist on a music show.

As you can see, he is always looking for new challenges and mastering them. He is a real all-rounder and we are sure that we will see him again in a series and perhaps on the theater stage in the future!

Minho

Minho is a talented rapper who has been writing almost all of his own raps since SHINee's debut. He also enjoys sports and is known for being very ambitious. He puts his all into even the smallest games because he wants to win, regardless of whether there is a prize or not! In 2019, he became a regular cast member of the variety show "Let's Go! Dream Team", in which he demonstrated his athletic skills in countless games. Since September 2021, Minho even has his own radio show called "Best Choice", in which he mainly reports on sports News .

Even during his military service in 2019/2020, he doesn't do things by halves. He applied for the Marine Corps, one of the tougher branches in the military, and was later recognized as a “model Marine,” among other things. Among other things, because he refused to be released early. Because of Corona, he could have left 20 days earlier, which many others understandably did.

Apart from that, he is active solo but primarily as an actor and has played more roles in K-dramas than the other members of SHINee. Minho made his acting debut in the 2010 film “Pianist”. Two years later he played a brilliant hacker, the main role in the series “Salamander Guru and The Shadows”. By 2019, Minho had starred in four more films and five series. Among other things, he played a high jumper (the lead role) in “To the Beautiful You” and a spirited fighter in the historical series “Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth”.

Minho has hardly released his own music so far. In 2019, his single “I’m Home” was released as part of SM Station, a digital project from SM Entertainment. Minho only made his official solo debut on December 21st, 2021 with the single “Heartbreak”. Hopefully this is a sign that we'll hear a solo album from him soon. He's the only one from SHINee who hasn't released one yet.

Did you know that Minho was the only K-pop star to be included in Vogue's "Sexiest Man Alive" list in 2017?

Taemin

Taemin is the maknae, the youngest of SHINee, who, as mentioned at the beginning, debuted in SHINee at just 14! He is also known as “Evil Maknae” because he is not sweet and innocent, but rather cheeky and quick-witted. The term was not coined by him, but is always used by fans for maknae who, like him, are the cheekier ones in the band.

In SHINee, Taemin now has the biggest solo musical career. He was also the first of the group to debut solo with his first album “ACE” in 2014. The second solo album “Press It” was released in February 2016, before the singer made his Japanese solo debut with the album “Sayonara Hitori” in June 2016.

Taemin can now look back on 9 Korean and 4 Japanese albums. He released five of his albums in the almost 2 years (2019/20) that his bandmates were in the military. His song “Move” from the album of the same name, which was released in 2017, is particularly well known. The song spread because of its distinctive choreography, which Taemin helped develop. Fans and stars imitated the movements. This trend has even been dubbed “Move Disease.” For the performance, Taemin received the award for Best Solo Dance Performance at the Mnet Asian Music Awards. In general, Taemin is known as one of the best dancers in K-Pop who also breaks gender stereotypes with his choreos.

In August 2019, SHINee's maknae debuted for a third time! He is a member of the project group SuperM, which also includes EXO's Kai & Baekhyun, NCT 127's Mark & ​​Taeyeong and WayV's Lucas and Ten. The group has released two albums and several singles to date.

In April 2021, Taemin began his military service, which will end in November this year.

Jonghyun

Jonghyun was and is an incredibly talented singer and songwriter who was completely dedicated to music. He was the second member of SHINee, after Taemin, to make his solo debut in 2015 with the album “Base”, which topped the Billboard Charts and the Gaon Album Charts! That same year, “The Story Op.1” was released, a collection of songs he recorded during his radio show “MBC Blue Night”. Jonghyun wrote songs for the show based on the stories his listeners sent him. In May 2016, the singer presented his third album “She Is” and almost a year later, in April 2017, his second compilation album “The Story Op.2”.

Jonghyun has written and composed all of the songs from all of his albums himself or at least participated in them. He has received a lot of praise and recognition for his talent. In fact, Jonghyun has been writing lyrics for SHINee's songs since 2009 and later for other artists as well. He has written and composed, among others, “Playboy” by EXO, “No More” by Lim Kim, “Gloomy Clock” by IU, “Breathe” by Lee Hi and “Already” by his bandmate Taemin.

In 2015, Jonghyun even published a book - Skeleton Flower: Things That Have Been Released and Set Free - talking about songwriting and his inspiration.

As mentioned before, his fifth and final album “Poet/Artist” was released at the end of January 2018, which he completed before his death in December 2017.

Bonus

The titles of each SHINee member's first solo album are coordinated with each other. The fun started when Jonghyun admitted that he based the logo and title of his debut album “Base” on Taemin’s “Ace”. Taemin had jokingly accused him of copying him. Jonghyun wanted to express that SHINee belongs together, even when the members are alone. Even though he didn't live to see it himself, the others continued the "plagiarism", as SHINee fans would laughingly say. Key called his first album “Face” and Onew his “Voice”.

It's not just the titles of the albums that sound similar; the physical editions also have the same format and design. If you didn't know better, you'd probably assume they were all by the same artist. And that's how it should be.

Now all that's missing is a solo album from Minho, which will definitely join this series. How about “Choice”?