Sherlock (Clue + Note)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Sherlock (Clue + Note)"
Shinee - Sherlock Japanese Ver.jpg
Japanese version cover
Single by Shinee
from the EP Sherlock
LanguageKorean
ReleasedMarch 19, 2012
Length3:59
LabelSM
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Thomas Troelsen
  • Rufio Sandilands
  • Rocky Morris
  • Thomas Eriksen
Shinee singles chronology
"Lucifer"
(2011) 		"Sherlock (Clue + Note)"
(2012) 		"Dazzling Girl"
(2012)
Music video
"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" on YouTube

"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band Shinee as the lead single for their fourth extended play, Sherlock. It was released on March 19, 2012 through SM Entertainment. A mashup of two different tracks, "Sherlock (Clue + Note)" is often considered K-pop's first "hybrid remix". It was written and produced by Thomas Troelsen, Rufio Sandilands, Rocky Morris and Thomas Eriksen, with lyrics penned by Jo Yoon-kyung. The song was commercially successful, reaching number one on the Gaon Digital Chart. A Japanese version was released on May 16, 2012.

Background and release[]

"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" was Shinee's first Korean single since "Hello" (2010), following a year's absence due to touring and Japanese promotions.[1] It was released on March 19, 2012, alongside the rest of the EP.[2] Shinee promoted the song for four weeks, beginning with an appearance on March 22 on M Countdown.[3] A Japanese version, titled "Sherlock", was released on May 16, 2012, with the song "Keeping Love Again" as a B-side.[4] It was later included on Shinee's second Japanese album, Boys Meet U.[5]

Composition[]

"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" is the combination of two separate album tracks spliced together: "Clue" and "Note". It is credited as K-pop's first ever "hybrid remix".[1][6][7] "Clue" forms the "bulk of the instrumentation",[8] and has been described as both new jack swing and hip hop.[1][6] It features "a beat made out of a digitized kettle, little spurts of brass, and the recurring sound of shattered glass".[8] In contrast, "Note" is "striding, percussive"[1] and vocal-driven.[6] It features most prominently in the "incendiary" chorus,[8] which is carried by explosive harmonies.[1] The beginning of the song also incorporates "soaring strings" that later reappeared in Shinee's 2013 song "Spoiler".[8] The lyrics contain a Sherlock Holmes theme; the Sherlock character depicted in the song uses the reason of "Clue" and intuition of "Note" to solve a case.[7]

Critical reception[]

"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Rolling Stone cited it as an example of "how innovative and experimental K-pop can get, even for its most mainstream acts".[6] They twice named it one of the greatest boy band songs of all time, first in 2015 and again in 2020.[6][9] Writing for Dazed, Taylor Glasby praised the song's complexity and the "confrontational energy" of Shinee's performance. She said that it "signalled a coming of age for the band" and "allowed Shinee to step into a sphere that was entirely their own".[1] According to Billboard, ""Sherlock"" places a magnifying glass over the ways the Korean industry’s innovation is pushing music forward". They named it one of the best K-pop songs of the 2010s.[8]

"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" on critic lists
Publication List Rank Ref.
Billboard 100 Greatest K-Pop Songs of the 2010s 6 [8]
The Dong-a Ilbo Best Male Idol Songs from the Past 20 Years 5 [10]
IZM Best Korean Singles of 2012 — [11]
Melon Top 100 K-pop Songs of All-Time 11 [12]
Popjustice Top 15 K‑Pop Singles of 2012 14 [13]
Rolling Stone 75 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time 14 [6]

Commercial performance[]

"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" debuted at number one on the weekly Gaon Digital Chart.[14] It also peaked at number three on the K-pop Hot 100.[15] The song recorded 1,720,124 downloads in South Korea in 2012, ranking at number 74 on the year-end Gaon Download Chart.[16] It also placed 81st on the year-end Gaon Digital Chart.[17] In the U.S., it reached number four on Billboard World Digital Song Sales and charted for ten weeks.[18] As of December 2017, "Sherlock (Clue + Note)" has received 30,000 downloads in the U.S., making it Shinee's fourth best-selling single in the country.[19]

Music video[]

The music video was filmed in early March in Namyangju and was directed by Cho Su-hyun. It is set in a museum and shows the members taking on the role of detectives solving a case. Jessica of Girls' Generation makes an appearance as the mysterious female lead.[20] A teaser for the music video was uploaded to SM Entertainment's social media accounts on March 21,[21] followed by the music video's release on March 22.[20] It received over a million views in one day.[22]

The choreography was created by Tony Testa. It was his first time choreographing for a K-pop group. Testa tried to "create the illusion" that the members were "alone, retracing memories, their blurred bodies trailing behind as if trying to piece together their lives".[1]

Credits and personnel[]

Credits adapted from Melon.[23]

  • Shinee – vocals
  • Jo Yoon-kyung – lyrics
  • Thomas Troelsen – composition, production
  • Rufio Sandilands – composition, production
  • Rocky Morris – composition, production
  • Thomas Eriksen – composition, production

Charts[]

Korean version[]

Chart performance for "Sherlock (Clue + Note)"
Chart (2012) Peak
position
South Korea (Gaon)[14] 1
South Korea (K-pop Hot 100)[15] 3
US World Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[18] 4

Japanese version[]

Chart performance for "Sherlock"
Chart (2012) Peak
position
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[24] 4
Japan (Oricon)[4] 2

Accolades[]

Music program awards
Program Network Date Ref.
Show Champion MBC M March 27, 2012 [25]
April 3, 2012 [26]
M Countdown Mnet March 29, 2012 [27]
Inkigayo SBS April 1, 2012 [28]
April 8, 2012 [29]
April 15, 2012 [30]
Music Bank KBS April 6, 2012 [31]
April 13, 2012 [31]

Release history[]

Release history and formats for "Sherlock (Clue + Note)"
Region Date Format Version Label Ref.
Various March 19, 2012
Korean
[23]
Japan May 16, 2012
  • CD
  • digital download
  • streaming
 Japanese EMI [4]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Glasby, Taylor (July 18, 2018). "Looking back at K-pop group Shinee's extraordinary 10-year career". Dazed. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  2. ^ Lim, Young-jin (March 12, 2012). 샤이니, 19일 새 미니앨범 전세계 동시 오픈 [Shinee's new mini album will be released worldwide on the 19th]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
  3. ^ Yoon, Seong-yeol (March 22, 2012). '성공컴백' 샤이니 "韓무대, 빨리 서고 싶었다"(인터뷰) [Shinee's successful comeback: "I wanted to stand on the Korean stage" (Interview)]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
  4. ^ a b c "Sherlock – Shinee". Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  5. ^ "SHINee 6月に待望の2ndアルバムリリース" [Shinee's long-awaited second album to be released in June]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). May 15, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Spanos, Brittany; Sheffield, Rob; Shaffer, Claire; Pipia, Alexa; Martoccio, Angie; Chan, Tim; Johnston, Maura; Stevens, Kat; Murray, Nick; Benjamin, Jeff; Walters, Barry; Blistein, Jon; Bernstein, Jonathan (July 24, 2020). "75 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Yoon, Seong-yeol (March 13, 2013). 샤이니 신곡 '셜록', 두곡을 하나로 합쳤다 [Shinee's new song 'Sherlock' combines two songs into one]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "The 100 Greatest K-Pop Songs of the 2010s: Staff List". Billboard. November 25, 2019. Archived from the original on April 4, 2021.
  9. ^ Benjamin, Jeff; Johnston, Maura; Murray, Nick; Spanos, Brittany; Stevens, Kat; Walters, Barry (September 24, 2015). "50 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 3, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  10. ^ "New survey ranks top K-pop artists & songs of the past 20 years". SBS PopAsia. September 2, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  11. ^ "2012년 올해의 가요 싱글" [2012 Song of the Year Single]. IZM. December 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "K-pop 명곡 100: 11위 Sherlock.셜록 (Clue+Note) – SHINee" (in Korean). Melon. August 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ Myers, Owen (December 30, 2012). "The Top 15 K-Pop Singles of 2012". Popjustice. Archived from the original on January 2, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  14. ^ a b "2012년 13주차 Digital Chart" [Digital Chart – Week 13, 2021]. Gaon Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 10, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  15. ^ a b "Korea K-pop Hot 100 – Week of April 7, 2012". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 28, 2015. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  16. ^ "2012년 Download Chart" [2012 Download Chart]. Gaon Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  17. ^ "2012년 Digital Chart" [2012 Digital Chart]. Gaon Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  18. ^ a b "Shinee Chart History (World Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 14, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  19. ^ Benjamin, Jeff (December 18, 2017). "Jonghyun's Top Chart Hits: 'Base,' 'Lucifer' & More". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  20. ^ a b Kwon, Su-bin (March 22, 2012). 샤이니 '셜록' 뮤비 오늘(22일) 드디어 공개, 소시 제시카 특별출연 [Shinee's 'Sherlock' music video will be released today, featuring Jessica of Girls' Generation]. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  21. ^ Sunwoo, Carla (March 22, 2012). "Shinee's 'Sherlock' teaser keeps fans guessing". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  22. ^ Kwon, Su-bin (March 23, 2012). 샤이니 '셜록' 뮤비, 공개 하루 만에 조회수 100만 건 돌파 [Shinee's "Sherlock" music video surpasses one million views in a single day]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 22, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2012 – via Nate.
  23. ^ a b "Sherlock (Clue + Note)". Melon (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  24. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot 100 [2012/05/23 公開]". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  25. ^ Seo, Hyun-jin (March 28, 2012). 샤이니 민호, 트로피 키스로 '셜록' 1위 자축 [Shinee's Minho celebrates Sherlock's first place win with a trophy kiss]. My Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
  26. ^ Cho, Seong-jin (April 3, 2021). [포토] 존박-김신영 '꼭 샤이니에게 전달하겠습니다' [[Photo] John Park-Kim Shin-young: 'I'll definitely pass it on to Shinee']. Financial News (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
  27. ^ Lee, Kyung-ho (March 29, 2012). 샤이니 '엠카' 1위..."많은 사랑에 감사" [Shinee wins first place on 'M Countdown..."Thank you for the love"]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
  28. ^ Kim, Hye-jin (April 1, 2012). '인기가요' 샤이니 1위, 키-종현 얼싸안고 '방방' [Shinee wins first place on 'Inkigayo']. Hankyung (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  29. ^ Kim, Hye-jin (April 8, 2012). '인기가요' 샤이니 1위, 2주 연속 1위에 온유-종현 '방방' [Shinee wins first place on 'Inkigayo' for the second week in a row]. Hankyung (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  30. ^ Kim, Hye-jin (April 15, 2012). '인기가요' 1위 샤이니, 심재원에 감사인사 "심재원 보고 있나?" [Shinee wins first place on 'Inkigayo' and thanks Shim Jae-won, "Are you watching, Shim Jae-won?"]. Hankyung (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  31. ^ a b Pyo, Jae-min (April 13, 2012). 샤이니, 씨엔블루 제치고 2주 연속 '뮤직뱅크' 1위 [Shinee beats CNBLUE to first place on 'Music Bank' for two weeks in a row]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
Retrieved from ""