Despite the crazy past twelve months — thanks to Covid-19 — the K-Pop industry still managed to pump out new content and products for consumers.

There have been so many new releases that it has been difficult for fans to keep up. From BTS’s record-breaking hits, IU’s fifth studio album, Lilac, to Rosé’s solo debut, K-Pop fans around the world have been absolutely spoilt.

A greatly anticipated, and much talked about, comeback of the year was that of SHINee — their first comeback in two and a half years.

During the absence of the group, members Onew, Key and Minho had been discharged from military service, whilst Taemin released his third solo album Never Gonna Dance Again. 

The new album Don’t Call Me — which saw all four members of SHINee back on full form — was released on 22nd February 2021, the same day as the music video for the title track also named Don’t Call Me. The video featured SHINee’s trademark slick choreography and a revamp of the group’s aesthetics — with the members wearing contemporary yet eccentric outfits.

The rest of the album features a variety of genres, with the reggae sounds of Body Rhythm, the funk of Heart Attack and the soothing ballad of Kind, further reinforcing the versatility of the group that SHINee fans (known as Shawols) love and adore.

A few months after the release of Don’t Call Me, the repackaged album Atlantis was released with three additional tracks. A music video for Atlantis was also released, with a much more vibrant vibe that fully reflected the title of the track and featured aspects of the deep blue sea. 

With both Don’t Call Me and Atlantis, SHINee demonstrated that their creative output is still relevant and thought-provoking — even thirteen years after their debut.

Atlantis, however, didn’t mark the end of a 2021 release schedule for the four-piece group, as they released the EP Superstar in June — their first Japanese release since 2018’s Shinee The Best From Now On. The lead single Superstar is a contemporary jazzy pop song, with a music video featuring dance arcade graphics to match the vibe.

2021 has been a very successful year for the widely regarded Princes of K-Pop, with their well-received comeback. Don’t Call Me reached platinum certification in South Korea, and Superstar was certified gold in Japan. For many Shawols, the wait for SHINee’s comeback was well worth it and the boys continue to raise their own bar even thirteen years on. 

Edited by Chelsea Cheetham.