- 2021. 07. 19
https://t.co/BiWKno5865?amp=1
Everyday SHINee
It’s the affirmation of SHINee’s yesterday and today that makes their tomorrow something to always look forward to.
In the idol world that life goes around faster than anyone else, SHINee has become idols in their 14th year. They are still sincerely creating their stages, exerting warm energy as they put in many thoughts as artists and they are standing in front of Marie Claire’s camera once again after 3 years. It probably is, a little past mid-May when it’s a time that is especially precious to them and when they are in the midst of receiving good responses while finishing off their 7th full-length album promotions, and even so, they are still spending their time busily. SHINee who were together for most of their joys and sorrows in life made it hard to just conclude their relationship that they have created by simply just saying that SHINee is ‘alive and well.’
Q. May is a special month for SHINee. How did you spend the month of May after finishing off your 7th full-length album promotion?
KIBUM - I said ‘May is a war’ when I did an Instagram live not long ago. (Laughs) Firstly, we are having Taemin’s enlistment soon, and usually, we would have free time after the end of albums promotions but because we received a variety of promotion proposals so we are spending our time busily. I would say it’s good aftermath. They are days when we are overwhelmed with loads of work.
JINKI - I am spending my time showing good sides of myself in the limited time I have.
MINHO - May is an extremely precious month to us. Isn’t May the Family Month. That’s why it feels warmer and we are being to feel the warmth when spring goes over to summer as well. When 3 of our members were enlisting, it was such a pity that we weren’t able to celebrate SHINee day twice and because we won’t be able to be together next year on SHINee day, this year’s May feels even more precious.
TAEMIN - I have prepared my solo album and I have a fan meeting soon. I am spending my days busily right now. I want to create sincere works but because there isn’t much time, there are parts where I felt that it was such a pity and I feel sorry towards my fans too. I want to spend the month of my debut anniversary by leaving good memories with my fans.
Q. What’s the part that you put much thought into while preparing for this album?
JINKI - To be having promotions as SHINee after a long while just around the corner, I was worried about the long hiatus over that period of time. However, as we start the preparations, there’s nothing that has changed in us. We shared the memories of when we were in our good times and we made this album while pondering over good things together. I think it’s an album prepared for SHINee’s future.
TAEMIN - <Don’t Call Me> is an album well prepared as planned. From the first meeting, we had to prepare this album, we had a solid focus/point in the direction that SHINee is going for. As the title song for this album ‘Don’t Call Me’ itself is really strong, we wanted to put that much power into the performance too. We wanted to complete the stage with a stage that is powerful as it’s a stage after our hiatus, and we wanted to show that SHINee is alive and well through this.
MINHO - I have lots of worries since it’s an album we are releasing after a long while. As it’s something really different from what SHINee has been showing till now, I was worried about that too. Actually, even though I have my considerations and worries, I have confidence because we have done our best in preparing. I thought that we could leave a good impression on the public including our fans.
KIBUM - Our 7th album promotions are as good as those top few we have done so far. An idol group averagely lasts from 5~7 years so us having our 13th anniversary soon gives us a huge sense of burden. We decided that we want to leave one strong impact in order not to let our promotions just slide by. I thought about this when I was in the military and I also thought a lot about what kind of equipment would I need in order to make what I want to go for happening. One of the conclusions that came out from that is for us to use a variety of channels’ content that we don’t really do till now as our promotions.
Q. There are lots of contents created in 3 years’ time. SHINee has also, as expected, done promotions in lots of directions this time.
KIBUM - That’s right. It’s meaningless to be drawing lines over platforms from now on. As I was living with younger friends when I was in the military, I got to know how diverse the contents are that they are consuming and how much these contents influence them. It’s the same idea for the ending fairy. There are more people getting in touch with the short gifs on SNS than those people who are actually watching the music broadcasts. An individual’s personality and a team’s personality are also being considered before a decision is being made in a variety of channels as well.
TAEMIN - I thought that new content on a variety of channels is important. As the generation is changing, contents are changing as well, that’s why there’s a need to match their eye level. Also, I want to try to do collaborations with other artists too. That was also how I got to work with Leenalchi Band.
JINKI - I wanted to communicate more through content like these. I wanted to show the side of us pondering over our music as SHINee as it is. Personally, I have the heart of wanting to be more honest. I thought that only with that heart, we are able to go on longer. Should I say that we were mysterious in the past? I had in me but I want to show that this side of me is me and that side of me is me as well.
Q. Do you have no fear when it comes to challenging something new?
MINHO - I am someone who likes something new and it’s the direction that we aim for our promotions are similar among our members. Rather, we would search more about it and studied about it. Our members felt the same over the influence power that those kinds of contents have.
Q. There are also lots of contents that focus on vocals. Their response is good too. We think those responses would help a lot.
JINKI - I am still not sure. Right now, I think I am at the stage where I am grabbing the strands on how should I sing. Should I say that I am at the stage where I am deciding how much better can I get in the future? If I was just singing because I like to in the past, right now, I would like to fill SHINee as its vocal. As we have a huge absence right now. I thought that I will need to contribute too while the other members are putting in thoughts and developing themselves respectively. I am actually not someone who does something with a sense of firmness. It’s just that I would like to choose a better direction and have myself developing into that direction, even if it’s just a little. What I liked most this time, rather than the responses given to my singing, was the fact that I did it with my members. The ‘Dear Name’ we showed on <IU’s Palatte> was also chosen after we discussed it together, and the ‘Last Love’ on <Knowing Brothers> was also chosen because Taemin suggested it right before the recording. It was all possible because I have my members beside me.
Q. What kind of meaning has the 7th album left for each of you?
KIBUM - It was a promotion that we were able to deliver a sense of new whether if it was musically or everything else. It’s the same as the approach we had for our promotion. We exerted our passion after a long time following our hiatus. It will be left in my memories as a time like that.
MINHO - I have said this before, that I want SHINee to be acknowledged. What I felt back then was because we have worked so hard, so I would like for more to know about us. However, right now, I think that we need to treat the people who support us better. That thought came to me when I was having my hiatus. Also, I am sure that even those who don’t know us till now, there would be parts where they can’t help but acknowledge if they were to listen to our songs and watch our stages.
Q. You have also completed your online concert. SHINee’s online concert has also being introduced overseas.
TAEMIN - The sense of liveliness of a concert and to be actually seeing it is different. For that reason itself, a concert venue and a broadcasting station set are completely different. The broadcasting station matches with how it’s being broadcasted through a TV while a concert prioritizes the actual site. We had to ponder on which should we match Beyond Live to because it was the center of both. If we were to match it to focus it as a concert, it might look weak when we watch it through a video, but if we focus it only on the broadcast, it might just look like a music broadcast so we went ahead with just picking the pros of a concert and a broadcast. Sincerity is actually what’s most important at a concert. An artist shows what they want to show and says what they want to say is what a concert is about. Even though there’s a limit to sentimental parts like this in an online concert, but this is the best channel to the current situation.
KIBUM - Beyond Live has been planned for over 5 years. As we didn’t need online concerts at that time when it was being planned so I wasn’t able to understand after knowing that there’s such a concert format. (Laughs) However, the world has changed to how it is today and I am surprised at how such techniques are possible. The fact that AR and XR are input into music is interesting. I think the world to make content with technology in considerations is approaching.
MINHO - The preparation process wasn’t that much different from when we were preparing for our concert. As there were stages prerecorded in the duration of the concert, it’s good that we can put more focus on our stages. Many thoughts were also put into the video effects as it’s an online concert. We wanted to create the same sense of liveliness as to those of an actual concert.
Q. What’s the most impressionable activity among those you have done?
KIBUM - <ODG> was fun too and <MMTG> is impressionable as well. The site creating these contents was comparatively rough but the outcome came out well. It felt strange to realize that there’s not a need for the best system and equipment to create good content. More than that, I got to know that how should it be showed and what to create is more important. I especially searched and watched lots of activities related to our 7th album. I watched a lot of our stage clips and as it’s the first time I am experiencing a vertical cam so I watched that a lot. It helps in my monitoring too. I didn’t even have a television at home too before that. (Laughs) I watched programs that I appear in real-time often too. I felt excited and I remembered myself recording it too, wondering how was it edited.
JINKI - It was the one when we sang ‘Dear Name’ together. Also, the interview with Kim Hyeongseok-ssi about music was nice too. While sharing what we have been thinking up until now, we were able to share thoughts about SHINee. Everything in this promotion is nice. We have also gotten closer too. Even though we are already close in the past, we think about each other as one human to another right now.
TAEMIN - The skit that we did of SHINee in 2008 in SHINee Inc! (Laughs) Actually the most enjoyable time was when I was talking with my members in the practice room. We talked about all kinds of things and laughed so much as we practiced. The practice room that we were in together was like a resting place. The time we were preparing for our album this time was especially enjoyable. I was actually lonely during the period of time when my members weren’t around. The sense of burden was huge too since I had to prepare it all alone and I thought that I have to make it even more perfect. My members have been filling up what I lack up till now and I can’t let those parts that I am lacking surface just because my members aren’t around. However, there are also cons because we are together. That is that the practice that should end in 30 minutes doesn’t end even after 3 hours because we were busy talking. (Laughs)
MINHO - I had a meeting to prepare for our album less than a week after I discharge. We did an Instagram live on the day I discharge too. I came out after gathering my energy in the military and it’s good that I was able to show that energy. It’s so good that it would be such a pity if I were to just chose one. Even though there were lots of meaningful activities after the release of our 7th album, gathering with the members after a long time and the whole process of preparing for this album was precious.
Q. Idols from the same generation have either made their comeback or are having their comeback soon. They were your rivals in the past but it seems like the feeling of them being your colleagues would be greater now.
JINKI - I would watch the stage of those from the same generation as ours even if it’s for once. I got good influence from them seeing them promoting still as cooly. It makes me think that ah, I can sing even cooler too. Just the fact that those people are still together giving me a sense of support and motivation.
TAEMIN - Thinking about it right now, I have no idea why did we have to be wary of each other’s comeback timings in the past. We could have just tell each other and adjust accordingly. (Laughs) I thought about how amazing it is when I saw idols of our same generation making their comebacks. The process of making music continuously as one team is actually not easy. They would go through lots of things and also because the years of experience turns into a burden as well. Just by still promoting together, it creates a bond. It’s nice to just even see them. I watched the <Killing Verse> on Dingo that Highlight appeared on not long ago and it was so good. I was able to feel how close they are. I got teary for no reason when they say they are going to make new memories again. Every idol group has its background and its story. I think that’s how they become an artist. I think it will influence the background and the story of those who listen to it too. There would be a sense of anticipation as well.
Q. SHINee will go on hiatus following Taemin’s enlistment. How will you be filling up those times as SHINee?
JINKI - I am not worried about that. Even when 3 members enlisted, Taemin thought a lot on his own and did well. I want to repay back the time that Taemin spent that way. I felt like I received a lot from Taemin during my hiatus. That’s why, I want to be an even cooler person so that when Taeminnie returns, I want him to feel a sense of pride when he says ‘Our hyung is someone like this' when he talks about a hyung called SHINee’s Onew.
MINHO - I am trying my best to communicate as much in place of album promotions. The other members have their solo albums in the planning and even though I have acting as well as separate activities that I will do, I will be sharing our thoughts and hearts as SHINee continuously.
KIBUM - I don’t feel uneasy at all. Taeminnie did well even when I am not around and I will, of course, wait when Taeminnie is not around. I will be preparing myself well for SHINee too.
Q. What do you guys need to most in order to promote for a long long time as SHINee?
KIBUM - More than anything else, we will have to follow after the generation well. The content that we can show our music can change at any time. There’s the influence of the generation and there’s the influence of our age too. It’s also about knowing how to read people’s minds well as well.
TAEMIN - Controlling our minds well. If I was promoting just because I like it when I was young, I can no longer do so right now. I have lived with music and dance for more than half of my life and even though there are times when I felt a sense of emptiness thinking about how my life is different from those of my age, but that’s how much love I received too. This road that I chose myself is a path of mine. Of course, it’s not easy to always be the receiving end of critics, to be waiting for feedback, and to always have the need to show something new every time to the people who want something new. So, wouldn’t be controlling my mind and constantly learning about it allow me to do music for a long time?
JINKI - I want to do it for a long long time if it’s doing it with my members. Also, we will need to express music well too. Like how we do it now, with honesty.
MINHO - Regardless of what activity is it, even if there’s a 99%, I have never really 100% liked it. We would always do our very best in order not to leave even 1% of regret for the next one. The words that I always say is to not lose our original intention. SHINee doesn’t know what it means to not work hard. All the members only know how to work hard. We will always promote this kind of mindset.
Q. What makes SHINee move this brilliantly?
JINKI - We still have that thirst. We believe that we will be able to show music that will be remembered as legends for a very long time. I want for us to gain strength together with that in mind. Also, I have confidence in our team. The confident that we will be able to do well always.
TAEMIN - It’s the members’ bond that influences the SHINee today the most. Even though people support our music, SHINee’s teamwork and chemistry move people’s hearts too. The strength of the bond that we created with the time that we are together is powerful.
Q. The K-POP market is intense. It’s a place where either new idols would be born or disappear endlessly. In a place that not even the strength of funding could help in its success, what kind of existence does SHINee want to be?
KIBUM - There’s always a sense of greed for every promotion. Wanting to win 1st, wanting for albums to sell well. However, with things changed, there are musicians who aren’t known that well to the public but sell hundreds of thousands of albums and there are musicians with huge fandoms too. Which idol should we see as the successful one? It can’t be explained with just sales and views. For me, being able to continuously release albums under the circumstances that I am able to do so and being able to promote it is successful. If one was to look at it from a high point of view, there won’t be an end.
MINHO - Rather than wanting to be a particular kind of existence, I want to show the side of a team called SHINee doing music and showing performance and continue going forward. Rather than wanting to be a particular kind of existence, I want to SHINee exist as SHINee. Remaining as SHINee always while being a team that tries out new things.
Q. There was a definition of ‘SHINee-ish’ in the last question that you did in the interview with Marie Claire when you were having your 10th anniversary soon in 2018. We are going to ask you that question as to the last question today too.
MINHO - It’s the same as how it was back then. SHINee is the most SHINee-ish when we are together. We have always been trying out new things and we have walked that path together till now. Even though there are times when it might look thoughtless, I can feel that we are always shining well.
KIBUM - This is something I felt recently, there must be a sense of feeling of what SHINee-ish is in people’s heads. Bright, clean, fresh, things like that. However, we didn’t show that side of us in ‘Don’t Call Me.’ Just because of that, it doesn’t mean that the us that does the stage isn’t SHINee-ish. In the end, SHINee-ish is the feeling that the members give. It can’t be defined clearly in words but by gathering the feeling that the members show, it completes the feeling of SHINee-ish.
JINKI - Everyone does the things that they can do and when gathering as SHINee, we will be able to do everything. Isn’t that SHINee-ish?
TAEMIN - The SHINee-ish that people think of is probably colorfulness, things like that. The SHINee-ish that I wish for is a team that does sincere music. In order to do so, we told our company precisely the music direction we want to do. We want to continuously make SHINee-ish in this way.