Shinee

Shinee
Shinee for Marie Claire Korea, May 2018 L-R: Minho, Taemin, Key, Onew
Background information
Origin	Seoul, South Korea
Genres	K-pop J-pop R&B EDM hip hop
Years active	2008–2018 2021–present
Labels	SM Virgin EMI
Member of	SM Town
Spinoffs	SuperM
Members	Onew Key Minho Taemin
Past members	Jonghyun
Website	Official website

Shinee (/ˈʃaɪniː/ SHY-nee; Korean: 샤이니, romanized: Syaini; Japanese: シャイニー, romanized: Shainī; stylized as SHINee) is a South Korean boy band formed by SM Entertainment in 2008. The group originally consisted of five members: Onew, Key, Minho, Taemin, and Jonghyun, until the latter died in 2017. The group's musical impact in their native country has earned them numerous accolades and the title "Princes of K-pop".^[1][2][3]

Shinee debuted in May 2008 with their first EP, Replay, on SBS' Inkigayo with their single "Replay". The group gained attention for starting a fashion trend amongst students, which the media dubbed the "Shinee Trend". In August 2008, the group released their first Korean studio album, The Shinee World, which won Newcomer Album of the Year at the 23rd Golden Disc Awards. Shinee further consolidated their popularity on the South Korean music scene with follow-up singles "Ring Ding Dong" and "Lucifer". "Ring Ding Dong" charted on top of several Korean music charts and gained popularity all over Asia. "Lucifer" was nominated for the Best Dance Performance Award at the Mnet Asian Music Awards in 2010 for its outstanding choreography. In 2012 the group released Sherlock, which became the fifth most sold album of the year with over 180,000 copies sold. The group has also been included in the Forbes list of Korea Power Celebrity multiple times, once in 2014 and again in 2016.

In mid-2011, Shinee signed with EMI Music Japan to venture into the Japanese music scene. Their Japanese version of their single "Replay" sold over 100,000 copies, the highest number of sales for a Japanese debut single recorded by Oricon for a South Korean group at the time. It was followed by their first Japanese studio album, The First, on December 7, 2011 – both were certified Gold by RIAJ for selling over 100,000 copies. In 2011, the group also held their Japan Debut Premium Reception at Abbey Road Studios in London, making them the first Asian artists to perform there. Two years later they released their second Japanese album Boys Meet U (2013), followed by I'm Your Boy (2014), D×D×D (2016), and Five (2017). The group's sixth studio album, The Story of Light (2018), was their last release to feature Jonghyun posthumously. Following Onew, Key, and Minho's military services, the group came back in 2021 with their seventh album, Don't Call Me and their first Japanese EP, Superstar. Following Taemin's military service, the group returned as a full four-member group with their eighth studio album, Hard, which was released in 2023 to commemorate their 15th anniversary.

Shinee is considered to be one of the best live vocal groups in K-pop and is known for their highly synchronized and complex dance routines, having been awarded the Best Dance Performance Award at the Mnet Asian Music Awards three times in a row for their dance performances to "Sherlock (Clue + Note)", "Dream Girl" and "View". Shinee's signature musical style is contemporary R&B, but the group is known for their experimental sound, incorporating various genres including funk rock, hip hop, and EDM.