SHINee Archives | Page 2 of 2

You worked hard, Jonghyun, you did well

2017 was a hard year for Shawols. A case filed last August immediately divided the fans. A petition that demanded that SHINee’s leader, Onew, be taken off the team

December 20, 2017

The death of SHINee’s Jonghyun is a wake-up call for the K-pop industry

SHINee was one of the first K-pop groups I ever got into, being part of the K-pop fandom for nearly a decade now. They were also the very first group I saw live back in 2009, even before my then-bias group Super Junior, when I was only 16 years old. Songs like “Replay,” “Ring Ding Dong,” and “Lucifer” are classics to me, and Jonghyun was among the group most talented vocalists and composers.

Yesterday, when the media had announced 27-year-old member Jonghyun’s passing due to suicide, I was in a state of shock. Jonghyun had been one of the idols I grew up on. SHINee had turned into a veteran group that released unique concepts and music no other artist could contend with. I couldn’t help but ask, why?

But the more I thought about it, the less I was in disbelief.

With the competitive and harsh state of the K-pop industry these days, why are we even surprised that something as terrible as a top idol taking his own life could actually happen?

December 19, 2017

Sisterhood of the SHINee fandom

I had a battle plan when I flew to Bangkok to watch the final stop of SHINee World V tour on my own. The short version of it was that I fly, I watch, I leave. Part of my armor was the downloaded three episodes of “Suspicious Partner” from Viu to avoid chatting with other people.

August 20, 2017

Tales from the K-Pop mosh pit

I was standing in the best and the worst spot during the recent “One K in Manila” concert at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena. It was the best because

March 19, 2017

Here’s a Playlist to Relive Last Night’s One K Global Peace Concert in Manila

It was a full house last night at the 2017 One K Global Peace Concert in Manila, where K-pop groups SHINee, CNBLUE, AOA, BTOB, B1A4, B.A.P, and Psy came together at the Mall of Asia Arena to perform in benefit of the One K Global Campaign, aiming to unify North and South Korea. What was best about the concert wasn’t the performances of the artists themselves, but that the proceeds of the show went to a good cause.

March 3, 2017

SHINee young things

There are no missteps for K-pop performers in South Korea, onstage or off. Each group’s image is cultivated with almost military precision, from coiffure to couture. The music and albums are never a hodgepodge of whim— concept, design and packaging are just as paramount as the music and lyrics.

April 28, 2012