quarta-feira, 3 de agosto de 2011

2009 [review] On SHINee’s Vocals


SHINee’s Comeback – Full-force Spurt

at the Chris 2009-06-07

* Taemin’s singing voice, revealed for the first time in the regular album, is not quite bad. Even so, it does not mean that his position in the team is now clear. Because he’s still at puberty. Now I think Taemin’s vocal might have been verified within SM much more than what has been exposed to us. Probably they haven’t exposed it simply because it is not stable yet.

* It could be a hint that they gave almost no role to him in the first (mini) album.

* We didn’t have to wait that long to see Taemin’s role come to the surface. One of the reasons I have waited for this member to play his own role is that (the team) needed him.

* If there were a problem (?) in SHINee’s team vocal, it would be that Jonghyun’s is too strong and too good. He doesn’t even sound like a new singer. Moreover he does Michael Jackson style R&B with quite a strong accent, so (his vocal) sticks out rather than embraces other members’. In view of voice color, Onew should form two tops with Jonghyun and balance it out, but their voice colors are completely in opposite ends.

* I haven’t had a chance to talk about Onew, but he owns a really good – in fact very rare voice color in Korea. I made a brief mention about this before, but his style is a standard pop ballad like Pat Boone. It’s quite amazing. SM is a company really proficient in such a thing.

* Pat Boone style and Michael Jackson style vocals forming one team, does this make sense? Well, it could. But in their early (until their last album) period, Onew had difficulty in doing rhythmical parts. It’s not because he’s not good, but it’s just the way things are. Like Pat Boone would have difficulty in singing Michael Jackson’s song. It would be amazing if he could do it well. However, SM is the world’s number one in that kind of training. So I had no doubt Onew would improve. Even so, the gap between Onew’s and Jonghyun’s syle is quite wide. Key stands far away from both, and they needed a member to be in-between. Taemin was the right person in his voice color. His voice has a R&B feel with an accent like Jonghyun but at the same time is more neutralized. So the whole vocal structure of SHINee depended on what role Taemin would do.

* Signs of Taemin’s vocal were quite good. First of all, it looked like he would digest (songs) quite wonderfully in sensuous ways. It was short, but he seemed to digest the nuance and style of R&B quite smoothly. He just lacked power. But this can be quite dangerous. If you lack power and sound – everything is useless. However, Taemin’s voice on Juliette performances shows power that turned a point. That much of basic power is enough. Now what he should do is to push further. That boy who works so doggedly will sure make it when it is the matter of a “part to be filled with effort”.

* Supposing Taemin starts filling his part to the full, it might be the right answer that he becomes SHINee’s main vocal. Then Jonghyun and Onew could express their own unique individualities much more freely. Then it could result in quite an interesting real picture.

*Just as was expected, Onew’s skill in adding beat onto rhythmical groove has become much more solid than in their last album, hasn’t it?

* Key is also very interesting. His sense is ‘Hip Hop’ style. To make a Hip Hop feel in the team with a relatively authentic R& B color. But to be so, Key needs to be stronger, but he hasn’t met the need. He should have caught up with Jonghyun’s R&B vocal at every moment, but he couldn’t do so as Jonghyun is so strong. However, he’s become more powerful this time. He has this smooth general flow and a very refined style hidden, so I look forward to the color sense he will contribute to the team in the future.

* Minho and Key’s rap has become much more flowing than before. But their rap tone does not match the vocalists’ tone. It looks like it will take more time. SM is not strong at rap. However, because they don’t follow the typical style of rap genre, it could sound more comfortable to those “music fans who prefer the vocal”. And once in a while there comes a very unique rapping. Like Micky Yoochun’s rap these days. I expect Minho and Key to make their own unique rapping that fits with SHINee’s style.

* How amazing it is for them to come back in such a new look in only a few months. Even SM doesn’t have a “medicine that drills a voice,” so it must have been quite a spurt for each member. I’m envious while being proud of them. Now with a frame made, I hope they could do well in the process of building and completing the frame, which is not an easy thing to do. The joy of watching their live has just begun.


[Nota pessoal: E não é isto que começamos a ver? Taemin está cada vez melhor e a aproximar-se do Onew e do Jonghyun, mas estes também estão a melhorar. Esta review é bem antiga, gostava que o mesmo MC os avalia-se agora.]

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