Odd (Shinee album)

Odd
Studio album by Shinee
Released May 18, 2015
Genre
Length 39:02
Language
Label
Shinee chronology

I'm Your Boy
(2014)		 Odd
(2015)		 D×D×D
(2016)
Singles from Odd
  1. "View"
    Released: May 18, 2015
Singles from Married to the Music
  1. "Married to the Music"
    Released: August 3, 2015
Music video
"View" on YouTube
"Married to the Music" on YouTube

Odd is the fourth Korean studio album (seventh overall) by South Korean boy group Shinee. It was released digitally and physically on May 18, 2015.[1] The repackaged album, Married to the Music, was released on the August 3, 2015 with 4 additional songs.[2]

Background and release

Odd

Shinee worked alongside director Min Hee Jin who has been with them since their debut and is known for his visually impactful teasers. The style of clothing for the albums concept sport a comfortable and refreshing vibe, displaying the merits of loose T-shirts and denim shorts most likely to match the R&B vibe. Breaking away from their powerful and precise choreography, the choreography of "View", which was choreographed by Ian Eastwood, brings about a groove style, and they showcase the teamwork and inner strength of an experienced 7-year-old group.[3]

Shinee's fourth full-length album was digitally and physically on May 18, 2015 and is the group's first Korean release after a two-year hiatus.[1][4] On May 21, the group began their promotions for the title song "View" on music shows, starting with Mnet's M! Countdown and followed by KBS's Music Bank, MBC's Show! Music Core and SBS's Inkigayo.[5] As part of the promotion, the group members also guested on several variety shows including Hello Counselor, Saturday Night Live Korea and Non-Summit[6][7][8] They also appeared on fellow member Jonghyun's radio show, Blue Night.[9] "Odd" also marks the 7th anniversary of Shinee's debut therefore making it more meaningful for the group. Member Onew stated:

“ We focused on connecting with our fans with this album, we grew up with them, and we wanted a chance to truly be their friends and share our performances with them.[10] ”

"Odd" contains a total of 11 songs - Odd Eye, Love Sick, View, Romance, Trigger, Farewell My Love, An Ode To You, Alive, Woof Woof, Black Hole and An Encore.[11] The album includes songs produced by international producer teams The Stereotypes and the Underdogs, British composing group LDN (London) Noise, G'harah "PK" Degeddingseze, composer Kenzie, and Steven Lee.[5] The title track "View" is an upbeat song of the deep house genre, produced by English team LDN Noise. It has been described to have a "refined and sensual" sound, expressing love's beauty as a "mixture of diverse senses". Shinee's member Jonghyun wrote the lyrics to the song.[12] Member Minho stated that he was worried about the new concept since it's different to what the group has does before:

“ The musical style is different to what SHINee has does before, which explains the title. I'm half-worried, half-excited (about the response). As much as the new album is a new effort, I want to hear people say that it's good and suits SHINee's (image)..[13] ”

After its release, "Odd" debuted at No. 9 on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart and No. 1 on Billboard's World Albums chart and sold 2,000 copies in the US.[14] The album also entered the Billboard World Albums as Top 10 for three consecutive weeks since the album release on May 18.[15] The music video for "View" was the most watched K-Pop music video in the world for the month of May.[16] Following the success of the album, Shinee were also chosen to become the new models of Shilla Duty Free for one year.[17] As of June 2015 the album has sold over 165,000 albums on Gaon Charts, ranking first for the month.[18]

Married to the Music

On July 29, the repackaged album "Married to the Music" was announced to be released on August 3 with 4 additional songs: Married to the Music, Savior, Hold You and Chocolate.[19][20] Married to the Music is described as funky disco and is the work of LDN Noise, Kenzie, Stereotypes and Deez. Savior by Kenzie is characterized with trendy and sensual lyrics. Hold You is a R&B song which is produced by Stereotypes and Deez. Chocolate is a medium-tempo R&B track and is written by group member Jonghyun and Yankie. It's described as charming woman love story that is sweet like chocolate.[21] The choreography of the title song, Married to the Music, is the work of Greg S. Hwang and Tony Testa.[22] The music video was released on the same day as the album.[2]

Jeff Benjamin of Billboard describes the title track as "a journey of different genres, opening with what initially sounds like a beatbox-heavy, hip-hop sound before flipping to a sexy, bouncy electronic beat on the verses until we get to a funk-inspired chorus that mixes in horn blasts, groovy guitar strums and classic boy-band harmonies".[23]

“ The music video is a bit B movie horror film with a little Rocky Horror Picture Show-esque camp thrown in as the guys hit a ghoulish party with radioactive drinks whiel a faceless woman [...] finds ways to steal the guys' body parts by throwing a knife through Key's neck, stealing Jonghyun's lips through a kiss and such. All the boisterous body-snatching is spliced up with scenes of the guys' slick-as-ever choreography. — Jeff Benjamin describing the music video[23] ”

He also explains the reason behind the concept for the album stating that international fans might be confused with a Halloween like concept for a summer release but the group "is actually embracing South Korean's tradition to flock to horror films in the heat of summer. It's common knowledge in the country that one's body temperature cools while watching the genre, so to cope with sweltering temperatures South Korea's ideal time for a scary movie is the summer. The quintet embrace the tradition with their own take on a murder mystery, but add a touch of Odd-ness to coincide".[23]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Billboard[23]

Melon's pop music critics have chosen Shinee's "Odd" as 2015 first half's best album, praising the vocal skills of the members and stating: "Shinee made an exemplary display of both "pleasure of listening and joy of watching" once again."[24]

"Odd" was also selected as one of "MTV IGGY 25 Best Album on 2015 first half", praising the "experimenting and playing with old and new sounds, resulting in a fresh and evolved album". The title song "View" gets positive response, describing it as a great, laid back summer jam even though "the song fools us into thinking it's an uptempo ballad before reaching its techno peak at the chorus." [25][26]

Jeff Benjamin of Billboard praises the title song, stating "Despite boasting completely different vibes, "View" isn't that different from "Everybody" in that both have the same repetitive chorus structures, but the latter throws piles of electronica into the chorus while "View" keeps its instrumentation very simple. By going against what's expected, SHINee actually ends up taking more of a risk by doing less and it pays off handsomely." Odd Eye also gets praise, which is written and composed by member Jonghyun, Benjamin states the group "return to the R&B side of SHINee with feathery vocals, tight harmonies and member Onew's falsetto howls acting a centerpiece to this grooving opener." But he also criticized some of the songs of the album like An Ode to You, saying the "unnecessary electric guitar riffs are added to the mix that soils the pure production." Black Hole is also criticized stating "it's not only the shortest song of the album, but also one of the most forgettable." Overall he gives the album 3.5 stars out of 5.[23]

"Odd" was also nominated as one of the 'albums of glory' by Arena Homme+ magazine. Shinee was the only idol group on this list.[27] Kim Yunha, a music critic of Arena Homme+ writes:

“ K-pop, captivating the pop genre for years, may seem like it’s on its journey to find the "real pop" in the music industry that have been defined as either ballads or dance music at a glance. If you agree on this idea, Shinee is definitely a front-runner that leads this movement. Every time, without any fears, they’ve been opening doors for entirely new levels and after having reached the limit of being a human with "Everybody" what they have arrived to is a very Shinee-ish stateless world of pop. They are still dancing and singing in a place where nobody dares to covet.” ”

[27]

Track listings

Credits adapted from the official homepage.[28]

No. TitleLyricsMusic Length
1. "Odd Eye"  Kim JonghyunKim Jonghyun, Jonathan Yip, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus, Ray McCullugh 3:21
2. "Love Sick"  KenzieKenzie, The Underdogs, Mike Daley, Dewain Whitmore 3:20
3. "View"  Kim JonghyunLDN Noise, Ryan S. Jhun, Adrian McKinnon 3:10
4. "Romance"  Kim In-hyeong (Jam Factory), Minho[a]Andreas Öberg, Maria Marcus,Gustav Karlstrom 3:36
5. "Trigger"  KenzieKenzie, Deez, Rodnae "Chikk" Bell 4:01
6. "이별의 길" (English: Farewell My Love)1월 8일 (Jam Factory), Minho[a]Steven Lee, Jimmy Richard, G'harah "PK" Degeddingseze 4:00
7. "너의 노래가 되어" (English: An Ode to You)Kim Hyun-woo (CLEF CREW)Kim Hyun-woo & Kim Du-hyeong of CLEF CREW 4:17
8. "Alive"  Kim I-na, MC Meta, Key[b]The Underdogs, Darius Logan & Dominique Logan 3:05
9. "Woof Woof"  Kim In-hyeong (Jam Factory)Will Simms, DWB 3:16
10. "Black Hole"  Kim Min-jeongAlbi Albertsson, Andreas Öberg, Andreas Carlsson 2:52
11. "재연" (English: An Encore)Kim Jin-hwanKim Jin-hwan 4:04
Total length:
 39:02
Notes

Music program awards

Song Program Date
"View" Show Champion (MBC Music) May 27, 2015 [29]
M! Countdown (Mnet) May 28, 2015
June 4, 2015
Music Bank (KBS) May 29, 2015[30]
June 5, 2015 [31]
The Music Trend (SBS) May 31, 2015
June 7, 2015 [32]
Show! Music Core (MBC) June 6, 2015 [33]
The Show (SBS MTV) June 9, 2015 [34]
"Married to the Music" Show Champion (MBC Music) August 12, 2015 [35]
Music Bank (KBS) August 14, 2015[36]

Release history

Region Date Format Label
Worldwide[37] May 18, 2015 Digital download S.M. Entertainment
South Korea[38] CD, digital download S.M. Entertainment, KT Music
Japan[39] July 10, 2015 CD, digital download Avex Taiwan

References

  1. 1 2 "SHINee to drop new album next week". kpopherald.koreaherald.com. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
  2. 1 2 "'Married to the Music' album will be released on 8/3". OSEN. Retrieved 2015-08-02.
  3. ↑ ""어떤 트렌드 제조할까"…샤이니, 미리보는 ‘뷰’ 포인트". Dispatch. Retrieved 2015-05-13.
  4. ↑ "SHINee to come back with new Korean album "Odd" on May 18th, teaser trailer released". newstown.co.kr. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
  5. 1 2 "SHINee's "Odd" album comeback stage dates announced". news.chosun.com. Retrieved 2015-05-14.
  6. ↑ Hong, Hye-jin (19 May 2015). "SHINee to guest on ‘SNL Korea’". K-Pop Herald. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  7. ↑ "SHINee members to appear in ‘Hello Counselor’". kpopherald.koreaherald.com. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
  8. ↑ 샤이니 온유 민호, '비정상회담'에 뜬다…전현무와 그룹 결성? (in Korean). JoongAng Ilbo. May 19, 2015. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  9. ↑ SHINee将做客《蓝夜》 公开新专辑Live首秀 (in Chinese). May 19, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  10. ↑ "SHINee celebrates seven years with ‘Odd’". Won Ho-jung. May 17, 2015. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  11. ↑ "SHINee’s new album tracklist unveiled". May 14, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  12. ↑ "SHINee to unveil ‘View’ at concert". kpopherald.koreaherald.com. Lim Jeong-yeo. May 13, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  13. ↑ "SHINee goes 'camping' with local magazine, reflects on 7 years of K-pop". Yoon Sarah. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  14. ↑ "SHINee Earn Second No. 1 on World Albums With 'Odd'". Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  15. ↑ "엑소·샤이니, 美빌보드 월드앨범차트 동반 톱10..2위·8위". Yoon Sarah. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  16. ↑ "SHINee to Wrap Promotions for ′View′ and Focus on Repackaged Album". Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  17. ↑ "신라면세점, 한류스타 '샤이니' 신규모델 발탁". Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Gaon Charts: Album sales for May 2015". Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  19. ↑ "샤이니, 리패키지 앨범 '매리드 투 더 뮤직' 발매". naver.com. July 29, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  20. ↑ ""호러, 수트, 디스코"…샤이니, 신곡 포인트는?". dispatch.co.kr. July 30, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  21. ↑ "샤이니-켄지~스테레오타입스 만남…'돌풍 예고'". The Fact. July 30, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  22. ↑ "샤이니, 역대급 퍼포먼스로 온다..내달 7일 '뮤뱅' 컴백". OSEN. July 31, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 "SHINee Get Odd, Lose Body Parts in 'Married to the Music' Video". billboard.com. August 6, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  24. ↑ "상반기 최고의 가요 앨범". Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Mid-Year Review: 25 Best Albums of 2015". MTV IGGY. Alexis Hodoyan-Gastelum. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  26. ↑ "MFBTY, 엑소·샤이니와 美MTV IGGY 선정 상반기 베스트앨범25". Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  27. 1 2 "Arena Homme+ - Albums of Glory". Naver Music. Kim Yunha. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  28. ↑ "SHINee Official WebSite". shinee.smtown.com. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
  29. ↑ "SHINee's 'VIEW' wins #1 on 'Show Champion'". ONSEN via Naver. 2015-05-27. Retrieved 2015-05-27.
  30. ↑ "SHINee wins #1 on 'Music Bank'". news1. 2015-05-29. Retrieved 2015-05-30.
  31. ↑ "SHINee's new song VIEW wins #1 on 'Music Bank'". sports.donga.com. 2015-06-05. Retrieved 2015-06-08.
  32. ↑ "SHINee wins #1 on 'Inkigayo'". tenasia.hankyung.com. 2015-06-08. Retrieved 2015-06-07.
  33. ↑ "SHINee's 'VIEW' wins #1 on 'Show! Music Core'". tenasia.hankyung.com. 2015-06-06. Retrieved 2015-06-08.
  34. ↑ "Shinee Takes Home Ninth Trophy with "View" on "The Show"". News Chosun via ONSEN. 2015-06-09. Retrieved 2015-06-09.
  35. ↑ "SHINee's 'MTTM' wins #1 on 'Show Champion'". X Sports News via Naver. 2015-08-12. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
  36. ↑ "SHINee wins #1 on 'Music Bank'". tvreport. 2015-08-14. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
  37. ↑ "iTunes - Music - Odd by Shinee". iTunes Store. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  38. ↑ "Odd - The 4th Album" (in Korean). Melon. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  39. ↑ Odd: SHINee Vol.4 (台湾Ａ盤) ［CD+フォトカードセット］ (in Japanese). Tower Records Japan. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, May 03, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.