SHINee

In 2008, they took South Korea by storm with their very first single, "Replay". But, to those who thought SHINee was just another boy band like so many others in their country, these five young men have proved them wrong! In honour of the fifth anniversary of their debut, allow me to introduce you lovely people of Mibba to one of the most popular groups in K-Pop industry right now.

Members

Onew

Lee Jinki, also known as Onew (which means squishy in Korean) is the oldest of the pack and, therefore, the leader. His position in the band is main vocals, which means that he (along with Jonghyun) is the one who gets most of the parts in their songs. He is mostly known for his soothing voice, his clumsiness (which fans sweetly call Onew Condition) and the fact that he is the chubbiest of the group. He was one of the best students in his school and he speaks English and some Chinese and Japanese. He also plays piano. His fans are called MVPs.

Jonghyun

He is known as Puppy because, according to fans, he has puppy eyes. He is the second oldest of the five and his position in the band is lead vocalist. He is mostly famous for his incredibly powerful voice, that can easily hit high notes and whistle notes. His vocal range is very wide and his timbre is quite unique. He plays piano and guitar. His fans are the Blingers.

Key

Kim Kibum is the diva of SHINee and also the multi-tasker: he sings, raps and dances. He's the triple threat of K-Pop! He is mostly known for his undying love of fashion and blatant honesty: he just speaks his mind, regardless of the situation. He was initially turned down by SM Entertainment, because he lived outside of Seoul and couldn't practice as much as the other trainees. Eventually, SM gave him a chance and good thing they did, because Key is a valuable asset not only for SHINee but also the entire K-Pop industry. His voice is not as powerful as Onew's or Jonghyun's, but is it quite husky and unique. His fans are the Lockets.

Minho

The main rapper and also visual (meaning that he is considered the most handsome) of SHINee, Choi Minho is famous for his looks, his athleticism and his deep voice. He is the most popular member amongts Korean fans. Recently, he started getting singing parts in their songs, although very short. Honestly, he's not a very good singer, even if his timbre is rather soothing, he lacks technique and his range is not the least bit wide. Still, his singins lines are a good addition to the songs, creating a more unique sound. His fans are the Flames.

Taemin

Also known as the Dance Machine, he is the maknae (the youngest) of the group and also the main dancer. He joined the SM Academy at age twelve and was eventually placed on SHINee for his amazing dancing skills. His voice has been evolving quite a lot throughout the years and, in the last album, he has gotten a lot more singing parts than before. His voice is the highest and, although not as powerful as Jonghyun's, he can hit high notes fairly easily. He plays the piano as well and takes part in the KBS show We Got Married. His fans are the Taemints.

2013 Comeback

This February, we Shawols (the name of the fandom) were graced with the great news of their comeback. The boys released Dream Girl - Misconceptions of You earlier this year, surprising the fandom with a more adult concept and music with a somewhat 80's feel to it, so different from the Rn'B and hip-hop sounds they had us used to in their previous singles, such as "Replay" or "Lucifer". Sadly, member Jonghyun suffered an injury due to a car accident in March, which delayed the release of the second part of the album, Why So Serious? - Misconceptions of Me. However, SM decided to not wait until Jonghyun's recovery to release the album, so the other four boys recorded the music video for "Why So Serious?" without the Puppy and promoted the album on their own. Recently, though, Jonghyun appeared in their last showcase, fully healed and ready for the Japanese comeback this June.

SHINee distinguishes themselves from the rest of the K-Pop groups for being so versatile, not only as individuals, but also as a whole. Onew and Key were involved in musical theatre, playing major parts in Rock of Ages and Catch Me If You Can (respectively). Minho has been doing some participations in Korean dramas and Taemin often appears in variety shows. As a group, they are edgy and unique, not only for their wardrobe and music, but also the way the five of them are always in perfect synch and their coreographies are astounding. They have made a name for themselves not only in the Asian music market, but also across the globe and now have thousands of fans in a lot of different countries.

SHINee fighting!