Oh, SHINee and Kim in Singapore

Written by Cheryl Ong, on Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Photos by Cheryl Ong 

Originally Published in: Youth.sg, Culture, Flicks

Boy band? No thanks, SHINee wants to be known as a “man band”.

The Korean quintet was in town to promote the Oh Joonsung Drama Concert, alongside the eponymous man himself, renowned music composer and lyricist Oh Joonsung, and Korean-American singer Bobby Kim. Consisting of five members, Onew, Jonghyun, Key, Minho, and Taemin, the youthful singers (the youngest in the group, Taemin, is only 17) seemed keen on dismissing all notions of image immaturity, with their all-black gothic ensemble during the press conference.

Combining glam rock elements with an overall black dominant rocker style, SHINee consummated the rocker-style look with industrial gothic boots and a touch of punkish accoutrements. The best-dressed among the five boys was perhaps Jonghyun, sporting a loosely knitted sweater over a white tank-top. After all, the peek-a-boo skin fashion trend is currently a very popular style on the international runway. Second runner-up for best dressed was Taemin, whose metallic patent pants enlivened the group’s overwhelming black wardrobe choices for the day.

It is no wonder that SHINee are fashion icons in their own right, sparking copy-cat fashion followers which led the media to label their rainbow-spectrum style the “SHINee trend”, defined by candy-coloured outfits matched with high-top sneakers and skinny jeans. The group also won the Best Style Icon Award at the 2008 Style Icon Awards, further cementing their status as fashion engineers in the entertainment industry. Unsurprisingly, SHINee has morphed into an advertiser’s darling, attracting endorsements from big brands like Reebok, Smart and Nana’s B.

At the press conference, Oh's and Kim’s dressing were conservative in contrast. Oh was decked out in a light grey casual jacket and beige trousers while Kim opted for minutiae details. He sported a shirt an interesting patchwork collar in white and grey, a double-layered grey vest and black jacket, complete with a pocket square at the chest pocket: that's a little dash of formality.

Oh handpicked Kim and SHINee to perform at his drama concert in Singapore. Both artistes had collaborated with Oh for the soundtrack of Dream, the drama starring Joo Ji Mo, Son Dam Bi and Kim Bum. Kim sang the jazz track 'Live or Die' while SHINee lent their vocals to the theme song, 'Countdown'. The group also sang 'Stand By Me' for the wildly successful Korean drama series Boys Over Flowers that subsequently wormed its way into the mainstream music crowd consciousness.

Explaining the reasons behind his choice of artistes, Oh cited the huge popularity and outstanding vocals of both acts. Oh also admitted that he was stricken by the humble humility of SHINee when he met the group at the beginning of the drama, Boys Over Flowers. “Not only that, but they are also really cute!” Oh said of Kim and SHINee’s crowd-pulling factor, with the help of a translator.

SHINee’s stardom was further attested by Kim, who likened the group’s popularity to that of the late King of Pop. “Actually, we got here yesterday and at the airport, do you know how many SHINee fans there were? They were like Michael Jackson!” Kim said, propelling mirthful laughter even among the most seasoned journalists in the room.

The acts for Oh Joonsung Drama Concert played last night at the Esplanade Concert Hall, and will play a second show tonight. It features Oh directing a nine-person member band, Green Cacao, and a 23-piece local orchestra who will perform instrumental pieces from popular Korean drama series such as Dream, My Girl, King and I, Oh Sujung and Boys Over Flowers. Apart from Bobby Kim and SHINee, Mario & Nesty of hit song 'Never Say Goodbye' from Oh's drama My Girl fame, will also make a guest performance at the concert.

During the conference, Kim and SHINee both spoke of their desire to spread the Asian culture, and hope that the concert would be an avenue for Korean drama music to find its way into the hearts of many. "I hope we get to become as one through this experience, especially in Asia, and show our hearts and feelings through our songs and entertainment,” said Kim.

Kim's family immigrated to the States when he was just two years of age to pursue the American dream. His father was then a successful trumpeter in Korea. “At that time, back in the 70s and 80s, it was hard for Asian artistes to make it into the mainstream,” said Kim. “My dad didn’t want me to experience the hardship that he went through in America. So, at a young age, he had me quit and I took up singing instead.” The soulful vocals of this musical demi-god have since earned him the well-deserved label ‘Godfather of Soul’, given his penchant for the ballad and hip-hop genre.

SHINee said they wished to collaborate with Kim as well as other international artistes. They were quick to downplay the fierce competition among Korean boy-bands, and choose to view the competitive industry as a learning curve. “We feel more like we are learning from all the other artistes out there,” SHINee said, “And, we like to have the opportunity to collaborate with other artistes, as it would present greater opportunities for us to learn and better ourselves.”