SHINee Is Back — And It's Been 'A Long Time Coming'

By Ashlee Mitchell


Key, Minho, Taemin, and Onew sit with each other, makeup-free, laughing, sipping on drinks, vibing, and typically enjoying each other’s organization. It’s about 2 p.M. In Seoul, and the guys have needless to say been busy with consecutive interviews, nevertheless that doesn’t deter from the positivity they radiate on a Zoom call. One could mistake them for brothers alternatively opposed to the iconic second-generation K-pop moguls they are, nevertheless that relatability in spite of their superstardom makes them SHINee.


The K-pop landscape looked very different whenever they debuted under SM Entertainment in 2008. SHINee entered the scene with the timeless “Replay,” a R&B jam where the fresh-faced men sang about impressing an older woman. This debut secured their place as trendsetters in Korea, inspiring what media dubbed the “SHINee Trend” (skinny jeans, high top sneakers, etc.) And earning a devoted fan base that’s steadily grown over the last 13 years.


Released today (February 22), their seventh album, Don’t Call Me, is a nine-track effort spanning hip-hop, R&B, EDM, dance, and reggae. It’s their first comeback since 2018’s The Story of Light, plus it feels like a grand return. “We’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” Key tells MTV News in English. “At the starting of the recording it was awkward yet it feels so organic right now. I feel like, yeah, I’m back.” He’s attentive, considerate, and just funny enough, and the other members nod along as he talks. “We worked on it for about each year as well as 1/2, it’s been a long time coming.”


“Because we had a lot more time in comparison to other albums to make, I think the album good quality is something to look forward to as well,” Onew adds.


The energetic title track, a thrilling dance song, captures perplexing emotions right after a love betrayal. The decorating is edgy and eye-catching, and the music video focuses on the fancy choreography complete with multiple background dancers. Key describes it as high-impact with a hip-hop concept, one SHINee hasn’t explored much in the past. “We just wanted for as soon as people visualize SHINee’s comeback for it to have a big impact on them. I think whenever we were thinking about pulling with each other the outfits, the music video, the in general concept, that’s sort of what we were focused on.”


Fittingly, the choreography for “Don’t Call Me” is fast-paced and hard-hitting, allowing the order to challenge themselves and prove that they’re still very much capable of creating a statement. “It’s going to be sort of a world-shocking/surprising efficiency. That’s what I am excited for,” Taemin, the youngest member, eagerly adds. Key ribs him: “That’s what Taemin mentioned, not us,” and the members all laugh. While in the interview, they’ve been sharing knowing glances, and their excitement for their reunion is palpable.


Once asked about the time between right now and their last comeback, it's clear their bond is as strong as ever. “I don’t think also much has changed just because we like being around each other and it's awesome that we’re able to have the same excellent chemistry with each other,” Minho says. “I think there’s a special synergy that comes out of the four of us together.” Even as Don't Call Me marks the group's first album without any contributions from member Jonghyun, a skilled main vocalist and composer, the future of SHINee is still bright.


Over their careers, SHINee have proven to not only be vocal powerhouses, nevertheless skillful dancers and actors as well, and this new project aims to build on their musical legacy. They’ve each dabbled in various artsy industries in back of music. Minho has appeared in a number of K-dramas, most recently Lovestruck in the City on Netflix. Key serves as style director of the order furthermore to designing and releasing successful solo assignments like his 2019 album I Wanna Be. Leader Onew acted in hit drama, Descendants of the Sun, in 2016, additionally to releasing his first mini-album, Voice, in 2018. And then there’s Taemin, who recently dropped his two-part project, Never Gonna Dance Again, in fall 2020. Because the other members fulfilled mandatory military enlistments, Taemin has grown as a genre-defying performer through solo assignments and super order SuperM, keeping SHINee’s name alive for a new generation.


“It feels like I’m back with my family member, like I’m right at house and I’m really comfortable with them,” Taemin says. He’s been chatty and smiling through most of the interview. “The in general atmosphere has been really fantastic because it’s been such a long time since all of us got with each other. As soon as we’re with each other, there’s just so much to talk about and once we begin jogging back our memories of the past I realize how far we’ve all come in our career, and that’s just been really great.”


Minho chimes in on their work. “This is an album that still has SHINee’s signature sound, yet also we did try out new styles and new genres of music. I think it’s not necessarily that it’s different, yet it's a more developed, more mature sort of sound that we can expect from this album.”


The members have split loyalties to the tracks on Don’t Call Me. Once because the question of preference song is asked, Taemin shouts “CØDE!” Instinctively as if he’s been waiting for the best time. He references collaborators LDN Noise and Kenzie, whom they’ve worked with frequently in the past. “They know SHINee’s signature sound, and while the song is still sort of light and has that refreshing signature SHINee sound that folks are used to, there’s still this mature aspect to the song that insinuates how far SHINee has come, and I also really like the bassline for that track.”


For Minho, “Kind”, the last song on the album, is standout. “It’s a little slower and the lyrics are really meaningful so I think it’s a song I would love to perform.” Key adds his pick, “For me it’s 'Heart Attack' because it has that funky feel, and it’s a song that really symbolizes SHINee.” And though it’s hard to pick, Onew mentions the reggae dance song “Body Rhythm,” for which they worked with H1GHR Music’s Woodie Gochild on the rap. “I feel like we may not have also several chances to perform it for the fans, so it’s one of these songs that I really hope we have a chance to showcase.”


SHINee’s relationship with their fans, called Shawols, is one of the main reasons they’ve stayed dominant over the years, even in the nearly three-year gap between albums. “I know physically we can’t be together,” Key says of the effect of the pandemic on their promotions, “but through this album we just hope to get one step closer to them.”


Onew concludes our chat with a message for Shawols: “Let’s have fun with each other, let’s keep talking, keep communicating, and thank you for waiting for so long up until our comeback.” It’s official: SHINee is back.