"Buy version A of our album as well. (laugh) We took a lot of the photographs in version B so version A is better executed." Key explained the difference between the two versions while looking at the album 10Asia brought to the interview.
The five boys, who had prepped for their new album "Lucifer" starting when their second mini-album "Juliet" was made, were able to experience every process this time around including singing, dancing, styling and even the photos to go into the album's jacket, and it seemed to have had an important influence on SHINee's current state. While making a single album, they came to understand the process through which an album is created and started to find their unique color which was rich enough to fill all the tracks on the new record with their harmonies.
Their such efforts may not appeal to the public immediately but as 'a group doing music,' it may be prove to be an asset which will guarantee SHINee's next few years. The young men talked about their music and dreams as of now, as idols and musicians.
10: Let's go straight to talking about your album. Which song do you like best from it?
Key: "Electric Heart." It's written by Hitchhiker. I don't think a song of that genre would have been able to make it into an album was it not for this album.
Onew: It has a different vibe to it. I like "Your Name." I wrote it. (laugh)
Jonghyun: For me, "Yok [translated into 'obsession']".
(All laugh.)
Jonghyun: Well, it does have a bit to do with me having written the lyrics for it, (laugh) but I have always liked the song. It's been a while since we've recorded the song and I have said I really like it a lot.
Taemin: "Life." It's a peaceful ballad.
10: What about you, Minho? Is it not "Ak [translated into 'Shout Out']" by any chance? I think it may suit you since it goes with your nickname 'firey charisma.' (laugh) There's a lot of rap in it too.
SHINee: Ak! Ak!
Minho: No. I like "Lucifer."
10: The reason I ask this is because you released a full-length album this time and all 13 songs on it are new songs. It's something that happens rarely these days so I think the process of making the album itself must have been meaningful to you.
Jonghyun: That's true. We've participated more in the makings of this album than in the past and we talked a lot with the directorial staff for it.
Key: I felt very happy upon hearing that they wouldn't include title tracks from our previous albums into this album. A lot of full-length releases these days contain songs from previous records and this may make the album to go in a direction different from what we had intended.
10: In particular, it seemed that there are a variety of genres in this album but you gave a uniformity to it with your harmonies. That means you must've needed to spend a lot of time together.
Jonghyun: Yes. Every member had to understand each song very well so we talked with the director of each song a lot in terms of comprehending the lyrics or beats. And when we recorded the songs, we didn't all record at the same together in the booth but did so after listening to the singing and vocal style of the member who sang ahead of me. Even when recording the chorus, we'd compile on what the main vocalist has sung and everyone would match their vibration to each other. We listened to each other a lot.
Key: We all figure it out after listening to each other. On what we each have to do. It's your own loss if the harmony turns out bad. (laugh) Certain songs suit certain members and we all know that so there's an understanding we share when it comes to that as well. There is no need for dispute. Our voices have never not suited a song or stood out when we're practicing. Everybody is different so it shows better as well.
Onew: When we're looking at every detail, we even pay attention to each breath we take and the points we need to focus on. Instead of saying, "I'll do this and that at this part" we say "You do this part. I'll do this part."
10: I think that's more an issue of how you live together than music. You would have to know each other well even for singing the harmonies. Key: We're not the type to go looking for our members whenever something happens but we share everything that we have to. Even if we do get into disputes, we don't ever end them on a bad note. Of course, there's five of us so it's impossible not to get into disputes but we don't fight or hurt each other's feelings. And that's how we get to know about each other better.
Jonghyun: You just need to stay alert. We need to be very focused when rehearsing. We'd rest separately then give it our everything when we're together. (laugh) I don't know if this is unique of our team but I think we distinguish our work and personal life. And I think that rather has a positive influence on us. We're pretty quiet at home because nothing in particular happens which I think helps us accept each other for who we are.
Onew: It's an area of ceasefire. (laugh)
10: Then are there also ways in which you influence each other? When I met you last year, Minho liked soccer and Key like to shop, which shows you were very different from each other.Key: I was simple-minded just two years ago. I was only a junior in high school. If someone is different from me, I'd think that but not find any strengths about that person. But I've come to realize after living with these guys for two years that being different doesn't mean there is nothing to learn from them. (laugh) I think we would have rather fought a lot if we were too similar. (laugh) Anyway, is there something that... we learn? (laugh)
Minho: We don't fight. (laugh) It's been almost three years since we've lived together but in the beginning, there were many times I'd think 'that's not my style' when I look at Key. (laugh) But by living with him, the more I get to know and understand him, the more we're coming to understand each other better because of our differences. For example, Key has his own sense of fashion but I'll ask him when I'm buying clothes. And the same goes for music. We'll have each other listen to what the other person likes. I think we're getting to know each other in a better way.
10: I think your lifestyle shows the most on your performance for "Lucifer." You have to do harmonies, belt out at parts, and all dance in time with each other. (laugh) How were you able to practice? You were all individually busy.
Taemin: This is what I felt. That people can just do when they go for it. (laugh) When they're faced with whatever, you just have to go for it even when you don't know [what you're supposed to do]. But we had actually thought also that we wouldn't be able to pull off the song.
Onew: But you can if you just go for it.
Minho: I was shocked the first time we rehearsed live after practicing the choreography. [I thought] This is impossible. We can't do it. Or let's put in a lot of MR. (laugh)
Key: We wondered whether we could just say we were sick. (laugh)
Minho: The funny thing is, we had gotten better the second day. We became okay to listen to and on the third day we were practicing, we thought, "Oh, we've gotten better?" So that's when we realized ah, we can do it if we practice.
Taemin: I was in Hong Kong a week before our comeback because I had to appear on "Let's Go Dream Team" in place of Minho since he got injured. Everybody was against it, including myself, up till the point I left. But everyone did just fine when I got back. I wondered what was going on, really. (laugh)
Jonghyun: When we're prepping for an album, we go into the agency around one or two in the afternoon and get back home after midnight. We practice together the whole time during that time. Shooting the music video means we're done with practicing the choreography so we sort of start practicing singing live after that.
Minho: I think a month before we shoot the music video, we practically live at the agency.
10: The mood of your team seems to have changed as well. I saw on a variety show that you're much more outgoing than you used to be.
Taemin: We're definitely night owls. We become a bit more alive at night. (laugh)
Minho: What we felt this time around was that hadn't adjusted to appearing on television before. It partially had to do with us being nervous but mainly that we didn't know what to do. But after monitoring ourselves for the past two years and watching what other people do, I think going on TV has become much more comfortable. We're mostly always laughing backstage or in the car, which we showed quite comfortably on that show, and we're just thankful that people seemed to have watching it.
Jonghyun: We should do reality shows. (laugh) I think it has a lot to do with us having become used to being around each other.
10: From that show it seemed that you all monitor how each other do?
Minho: Not really. We'll watch if someone says something was fun or see something by chance on the Internet. We can't monitor everything that everyone does.
10: Minho, how do you feel when you meet your seniors on KBS' "Let's Go Dream Team"?
Minho: I'm always the youngest. Even when other idol singers appear on the show, they would always be older than me, so I had a hard time in the beginning. There was also a lot that I didn't know about. But there are things that I've become used to over time and I'm increasingly enjoying the show more because people know that I'm a regular on the show now and will tell me when I've done well. You get to know a lot of people when you're a regular on a show and you experience a lot from it so I'm happy.
10: A video of you winking on KBS' "Music Bank" surfaced which was received very badly by your members. Maybe you should have monitored that. (laugh)
Jonghyun: It really was quite annoying. (laugh)
Minho: The members of my group actually hadn't known I would do it but right before we went on stage, the show's writer came to me and asked me to wink. So I said I couldn't but the writer said the producer had asked for it and pleaded that I do it. I couldn't not do it when I had been asked to that extent but I thought my members would tell say, "What? Don't do it, don't do it!" if I told them. (laugh) So I ended up doing it so I told them I was asked to but they wouldn't believe me and just walked off. (laugh)
Key: You did it many times even when you weren't asked to. (laugh)
10: I guess your members don't trust you. (laugh)
Jonghyun: Minho is good-looking so he keeps getting asked to do such things. So we act like this to him more because it would be no fun and the atmosphere could seem more awkward if he acknowledge it. We're all just playing around. But that was a mistake. (laugh)
Minho: The criticism. (laugh)
Onew: It's envy rather than criticism. Because he's so good-looking.
Minho: They're going to attack me after this.
Jonghyun: You should be thankful. There are so many people who only do the attacking! (laugh)
10: I think your group is forming a style unique of yourselves while living together and pursuing your careers together. What do you think is SHINee's style right now?
Jonghyun: We say this everytime but I think we're contemporary singers. We each have our individual characteristics but I think that's what should be expressed the most when we're within SHINee as a team.
10: You're contemporary singers but aren't you expanding on that increasingly? I felt that this album was not about SHINee performing or SHINee singing a ballad but rather if songwriters toss you songs (laugh), you put in harmonies to the songs in the style of SHINee and dance to it.
Jonghyun: That's what we were striving for from the very beginning.
Onew. We do all of that now. There's nothing we don't do. (laugh) We were able to experience the entire process of making an album this time, from start to finish, which I thought was very important. On one show, we sang several songs from our album and we each sang the songs we could, which is when I realized we can all do more and more.
10: You're talking about music program "Muzit" right? The show where you sang not to the MR but to a band.
Jonghyun: Yes. That was fun. We kept rehearsing with the band starting the previous day.
Onew: We'd exchange opinions and they gave us suggestions. We went through the same process as when we made our album. I think the show implied who we are today.
10: Weren't "Up & Down" or "Your Name" the songs that in particular show where SHINee stands right now? They weren't neither ballads nor dance numbers and there were many parts in "Your Name" which you guys filled with harmonies.
Jonghyun: That's right. They were fun [to work on]. "Your Name" is a song we had recorded since preparing "Juliet." And there's a lot of harmonies in it. About 60 tracks on average are recorded for the vocals for a song but there were about 140 for "Your Name." That's how much harmonies and vocals there were in it and we put in that much more effort into it. I'm not saying the sound was weak -- it was our a cappella, ad-libs and sounds of breathing that could bring out the song.
Key: I think "Up & Down" and "Your Name" were songs that were very necessary for this album. I was thinking that our image would become too fixed without the two songs. Fans could see us in just one light if we had a title song like "Lucifer" and they could also think why buy an album which has so many similar songs? It was important that we include a lot of our own color into the two songs.
10: But that's why SHINee this time seemed different from before. Some responded it could be better to maintain the color you had from before.
Jonghyun: We know there was response that we had lost the innocence from when we sang "Replay" and were continuing to sing dark songs. But we wanted to express the various songs in our style and we're satisfied with it in our own way. We also want to take the various opinions into account and improve. I personally don't like reproduction.
Onew: Because we think an album shows how we progress.
10: Don't you ever think that you also find your own voices in the process? I think you'd be able to think about your voice while harmonizing for various genres of music.
Onew: That's right. There were several genres so we were able to make various attempts. We could sound more piercing in "Lucifer" and more soft for "Your Name." And after making such attempts, I think there is more we can do now. And rather than singing songs which have limits, we like to be able to express in the way we want to. Sing as we please, in the way the songs would sound good. Maybe that's why our singing skills don't improve. We should focus on one thing but we keep going at several things so we're improving bit by bit, but it's worrisome. (laugh)
10: Onew, you seem to open your vocal chords completely when doing musicals. Has doing musicals influenced the way you sing?
Onew: Rather than the musicals having an influence, I did a bit of working out to manage my physical strength while doing musicals, which I think helped more. (laugh)
10: Key, unlike Onew or Jonghyun, it seems that you focused on singing the songs in a stylish way. I noticed that seems to be the case more so these days after seeing you sing "Boom Boom Pow" on "Muzit."
Key: I prefer songs like "Boom Boom Pow" to slow songs. And I think my voice is in the process of changing. That's why I sometimes wonder whether the voice that has been recorded for the song is my best voice but many people around me have helped me in that aspect. So that's the direction I've been going in.
10: What do you think is SM's color?
Key: I think it's extremely diverse now.
Jonghyun: Hmm, the basics because I think everyone is very strong when it comes to the basics -- the choreography, appearance and wardrobe. It's as if everyone starts with the basics down. I've felt this from when I was a trainee but our lessons were always about the basics. We used to practice vocalizing and bounce everyday.
10: That's what I've been curious about. How on earth did they train to be able to dance in such uniformity as they do? (laugh)
Onew: We undergo very systematic training.
Jonghyun: We really do. We repeat the basics. I underwent vocal training for three years.
Onew: I didn't take vocalization classes. (laugh)
Jonghyun: You came in a little late so you missed the timing to. But maybe I had to do it for three years because I was bad at singing. (laugh)
10: In a video of your "SMTOWN" show that fans have taken and posted on the web, the scene where Taemin dances with his seniors was impressive. The video was shot from far away but I could still tell it was you from far away because your movements were so exact and refined.
Taemin: I consider lines to be important for motion. And maybe it's also because I'm so skinny. (laugh)
10: You're allowed to say you have a good physique. (laugh) Taemin, has your body still growing had an influence on your vocals or dancing? It seems that your voice has become stronger.
Taemin: Many people have been telling me that rather than me feeling it myself. But people have also been telling me that I have a youthful voice.
Onew: I think Taemin has gotten better because he practices a lot.
10: You seemed to dance right on beat for "Lucifer." (laugh) Do you think you've started to find your style?
Taemin: When I learn choreography, I try to dance in a way that is most similar to the vibe that the choreographer wants. But this time, the choreography was dynamic while the beats are very strong so I just rehearsed as much as I could in a straightfoward manner.
10: How was is dancing the moves for "Lucifer"? You have to keep cutting off the beats so it must've been complicated to even rehearse the moves.
Taemin: We had a hard time learning the choreography because it was the most difficult that we've ever done while the song was fast. So it was hard to memorize and the style of choreography was... should I say old-school? When we do the group dance, we look at each other's motions, point out what we need to work on making uniform, even down to every finger.
Minho: Everyone is looking at each other. (laugh)
10: But from other concerts, it seemed like you like to sing while playing the piano. You also said you like New Age music. Are you usually quiet?
Taemin: I'm actually quite the introvert.
Jonghyun: Yeah right.
(All laugh)
Onew: No look. He's not done talking. (laugh)
Taemin: I'm an introvert in front of people I've met for the first time but I become very lively when I become close with them.
10: Taemin, how is it being with the other members of the group who are all older than you?
Taemin: I'm becoming like them. It's not good.
Minho: Taemin wasn't able to adjust to us in the beginning but he's turned out to be the funniest after he adjusted. And it's not because he makes jokes but he makes us laugh in everyday life.
Jonghyun: His life is like a sitcom. The five of us all living together in itself is like a sitcom.
Minho: It's the most like that when he loses something. Once we came home and Taemin was looking for his bag, saying he left it in front of the door because it had been heavy. So I asked him where the first place was that he went to when he came home and he said it was his room. So we went to his room and it turns out his bag and mobile phone are there. He then said, "Oh, why is this here?"
Taemin: Oh, I even saw a ghost recently. A ghost of Onew.
10: A ghost?
Taemin: I'm sure I saw Onew in the living room and then I needed to go to the bathroom so I opened the door to it. But it was locked so I said, "Minho, Minho" but it turns out Onew was inside!
SHINee: ......
Key: Next question please.
Jonghyun: It's because he's tired.
10: Let's talk about music. I think your group has become able to broaden the range of music you do through this album. Is there a particular genre of music you want to do as a member of SHINee?
Jonghyun: Soul. Because we've never done that sort of music before. Or rock or metal? A man just has to do some metal. (laugh)
Onew: Because there's more we can do, there's a song that wasn't released this time around but it contains electronica, hip-hop, ballad and reggae. I'm also writing ballad songs these days as well.
10: What about you, Taemin?
Taemin: I guess a dance number would be good to be used as a title track. And I want to try a quiet ballad as well. I'd also going to make sure to include Minho's narration to the beginning of the song. (laugh)
Minho: I'm not going to do it anymore. (laugh) For me, our team has been doing various genres up till now so I actually want us to try doing something that's more common than drastically different.
10: Minho, being in charge of the rap, how was it working on it this time around? For hip-hop songs, the rap is the center of the song whereas for dance songs, the rap is used to connect melodies and you have to write it so that it goes with the rhythm rather than being able to focus on the lyrics themselves.
Minho: I think there were many cases where people thought the lyrics were difficult to understand when I write them to go with the rhythm. So I wanted to be as easy as possible but it was quite difficult working on the rap for "Lucifer." I even had to have parts of the rap be in different tones depending on the rhythm. It was hard having to write the lyrics to go with the rhythm yet make sure it delivers as well as possible. Plus, the song itself was a very fast number but the rap has to be even faster so it was difficult. My rap also had to connect the melodies while lifting the mood so it was also tough trying to show this in a dramatic way.
10: Key, what music would you want to try doing if you could do the producing?
Key: I'm hoping I won't be given that responsibility. I might end up going with too much of only my own work. But if there were one or two songs I'd like to try making for an album, you know how there are a lot of songs that are fun even though there isn't much singing in them, like David Guetta, right? I want to try something like that.
10: You'd like the clubs in France then.
Key: I love those types of songs. So I think I'd want to try a couple like those for a full-length release.
10: Like so, since every member has various tastes, I think you'll also each think different thoughts. What sort of group do you want to become from working on this album?
Onew: The Himalayas. Everybody knows what the Himalayas or South Pole are. And you immediately know what they're like. I want us to become like that too.
Jonghyun: Did he really have to compare us to the Himalayas? (laugh)
Onew: I needed a proper noun. (laugh)
Jonghyun: I just hope we're a team that continues to grow. Constantly develops.
Onew: I want to grow taller as well.
Jonghyun: Yes, of course you do. (laugh) I also want us to become a team that can self-develop the concept we can express naturally rather than setting on a fixed concept and focus on expressing just that.
10: I think you've sort of gotten onto taking that path after this album.
Jonghyun: We've finally started up. I think that's crucial to teams.
Taemin: I still haven't figured out our members nor myself. (laugh) You know, I'm quite young. We're still in the beginning sages and haven't been able to show everything that we have. So I'm hoping we'll be able to do more of that in the future. Of course, I'd like us to reach the top and I'll always try hard till we do.
10: You said in another interview that you want to earn tens of billions of dollars. So till you make that much money?
Key: No, hundred of billions. (laugh)
Onew: I think Taemin said he wants to make enough to get on the boat in film "2012" should a similar incident occur. (laugh)
Minho: I think we haven't been able to show everything that we have to the audience. And we'll also improve with time. Those are the sort of things I want to show.
Key: I was thinking that I would like this album to somewhat 'be worth buying' and I think we achieved that goal to a certain extent in terms of the number of songs, that they're all new and we put a lot of effort into taking the photographs as well. I think we fulfilled our goal of making an album that can show who we are instead of it being an album that is released for the sake of us appearing in public. I'm hoping we'll continue to make songs that many people will acknowledge. And I'm also thinking I'd like us to break certain record scores that other people have set.
Jonghyun: Everybody has such big dreams.
Onew: And we're very greedy. I guess our album this time is worth buying. (laugh)
Jonghyun: Of course it's worth buying! (laugh)
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