The Story of Light is the sixth studio album by South Korean boy group Shinee. It consists of 3 EPs that were later collected together in the repackage album, The Story of Light: Epilogue. This album release marks the group's first in South Korea since 1 of 1 in November 2016, and the first since member Jonghyun's death in December 2017 and is the last Shinee release to feature Jonghyun following his death.[2]
Reports of a Shinee comeback first surfaced in May 2017, where it was stated that Shinee would be one of four groups returning in the final quarter of 2017.[3] However, no further updates were released on this. In May 2018, SM Entertainment announced Shinee would return with a new album to celebrate the group's tenth anniversary, including a fan meeting on May 27, 2018.[4][5] It marks the group's first release since the repackaged album 1 and 1 in November 2016, and the first since member Jonghyun died in December 2017.[6] Shinee's sixth full-length album, titled The Story of Light, was confirmed to be divided into three parts with each part consisting of five songs and separate lead singles.[7][8][6][9] Member Key noted that the reason why they wanted to release three lead singles is to show that the group is still here, working hard and doing well in coping with things as they are, referring to the grief they suffered from Jonghyun's death.[9]
The first part of the album, led by the lead single "Good Evening", was released on May 28.[10] The dance for the song was choreographed by Japanese choreographer Koharu Sugawara, who had previously worked with Taemin on his single "Move" in October 2017.[11]
The second part of the trilogy was released on June 11 with the single "I Want You".[12] According to group, the second part of the album represents the group's view of themselves, while the first part reflected what others think of them.[13][14] The third and last part of the album is fronted by the single "Our Page" and was released on June 25.[14]
The first and second EPs also made a double appearance on Billboard's World Albums Chart on June 20, 2018. The Story of Light: EP.2 debuted at number four, while The Story of Light: EP.1 ranked at number eleven for its third week on the chart. The double appearance of different albums from one act on World Albums makes the group the fifth K-pop act to score two simultaneous entries on the chart for the same week.[15]
On August 1, 2018, Shinee released the Japanese version of "Good Evening" and "I Want You" as part of their 15th Japanese single, "Sunny Side".[16]
On September 10, 2018, the group released the finale of their 10th anniversary album series, a repackaged album titled The Story of Light: Epilogue featuring sixteen tracks, including its lead single "Countless" and past singles "Good Evening", "I Want You" and "Our Page".[17][18]
Composition[]
"Good Evening" is a deep house song, similar to Shinee's 2015 song "View" with classic R&B sounds and interpolates 112's 1997 song "Cupid". "I Want You" is a tropical house tune that offers a more energetic vibe than its previous single.[19] The third part of the album is led by the lead track "Our Page" and is described to be a medium-tempo R&B song, which is in stark contrast to the tracks from previously-released parts like "Good Evening" and "I Want You".[20][14] "Our Page" is written by Shinee's members and songwriter Kenzie. Onew, Taemin, Key, and Minho participated in writing the lyrics with Jonghyun in mind. The song contains the message, "This unfinished novel, we'll fill it until the last page". Additionally "Our Page" is titled "The Words You Left Behind" in Korean and according to SM Entertainment, it reflects the group's message of "We will be together until the end". The song also incorporates references to the group being a five-member act and their debut date, May 25, 2008.[21][22] The special track "Lock You Down" also contains Jonghyun's voice.[22][21]
Music video[]
The music video of "Good Evening" is using a color scheme consisting of green, blue and pearl aqua. It shows the four members and their dancers perform on a set filled with forestry, film equipment, and other various items. The video also features a more laid-back choreography atop of chairs, which was choreographed by Koharu Sugawara, who previously choreographed Taemin's solo tracks like "Flame of Love"[23] and gives off a sense of almost accidental flailing and falling motions and like the music video for "Good Evening". The music video for "I Want You" features a CGI fox and also showcases old school green screen graphics recalling '80s sci-fi tropes. While "Good Evening" features loose choreography, the dance moves to "I Want You" are more playful and tightly-angled.[14][19] The accompanying music video to "Our Page" shows the four members working on their own and doing various activities before they eventually come together to perform the song atop of stairs with a fifth mic standing and left untouched.[21]
Promotion[]
Shinee at an autograph event for The Story of Light in Goyang on June 29, 2018
On May 31, 2018, Shinee began their promotion performances for the first part of their sixth album, performing their lead single, "Good Evening", and "All Day All Night" on Mnet's M Countdown.[24] The group also performed on KBS2's Music Bank and MBC's Show! Music Core during their promotional cycle.[25] The group also appeared on Radio Star to promote their new album on May 30, 2018. They used the opportunity to open up about the death of their bandmate Jonghyun, stating that it was painful to be asked if they were feeling okay from everyone they met after the incident, which is why the members requested their fans and people around them to treat them the way they used to before to help them acknowledge Jonghyun's death and move on with their lives. Member Minho admitted they had struggled after the tragic loss, but were willing to move forward.[26]
Track listing[]
The Story of Light: Epilogue – full album track listing
^"SHINee 東京ドームでの初ファンイベントで55,000人動員 ファンを想って作詞した新曲披露" [SHINee brings in 55,000 fans for their first Fan Event in Tokyo Dome and perform new song]. Excite Japan (in Japanese). July 27, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
^"[공식]샤이니, 정규6집 합본 에필로그 10일 발매…신곡 수록" [SHINee officially announces “The Story Of Light Epilogue” album release with new songs included] (in Korean). Sports Chosun. September 4, 2018 – via Naver.
