Missing Shinee

Artistic rendering of the boys at SMTown Museum

 One by one, they all went into mandatory military service. First Onew, then Key and finally Minho. I loved the fan service they provided before they disappeared. Key's album Face was a masterpiece and you could tell a lot of thought and work went into it. The songs were all uniquely Key's style from Daft Punk-esque to indie. I still play "Imagine" continuously and "This Life" has to be the most perfect end song to an album ever. Onew also put out an album "Voice" which I thought was less successful and felt a bit more rushed. Onew's voice is incredible but none of the songs were stand-out. Also, the songs were mostly ballads but it would have been good to have more variety on the album - some upbeat jazz number or even trot to spice up the proceedings. Even Minho got in the act with a song release called "Home".

The obligatory photos of them shaving their heads and seeing each other off for military service were adorable. This leaves Taemin to hold the fort and he's been busy with the "Want" mini-album in Korea and "Famous" mini-album in Japan. Taemin has his own style of sultry electronic music but although I like some of his tracks ("Artistic Groove" and "Mystery Lover" come to mind), it's not my favorite genre.

What I miss is Shinee's signature colorful sound.  Their exciting trend-setting music which melds all their voices together, their elegant performances and easy camaraderie and banter on variety during a comeback. And it goes without saying that I miss Jonghyun. Knowing that we will not see him grow old (like the rest of us) leaves a pang in my heart.

Jinki will be discharged July 20 next year. Followed by Kibum on October 7 and finally Minho on November 15. If Taemin has to enlist by mid-2021, then it looks like the earliest we will have a Shinee comeback will be early 2021. That's more than a year away!!

Hopefully, the time will pass quickly. Before that time comes, what to do?