SHINee’s going to perform in less than an hour and I need to get this off my chest.
I don’t like it when people say that SHINee’s song are not “SHINee” because of the lack of Jonghyun. And while I completely understand the sentiment – we all miss him dearly – I just find it so disparaging towards the four other members. What made SHINee who they are is because of all of them. They all poured their hearts, souls, and talent into every song they released. Jonghyun’s vocal is so important and impactful and made SHINee’s song what it is, but that can also be said with other members.
There is no right or wrong way to honor his memory and contribution to SHINee, but I think there is a better way. We can cherish what Jonghyun has given us without making it seem that SHINee is lacking or not at their best without him. The reality is, SHINee will continue as four in the foreseeable future. They are trying their best and forging a new identity for SHINee as a group. And that is okay.
I just hate to think that newer fans, or people who will get to know them in the future would think that their performances and songs are not good enough because of what happened. That is not fair to Onew, Key, Minho, and Taemin, and that would be unfair to Jonghyun as well. SHINee’s musical identity has always been about evolution. It’s about moving forward. It’s okay to be sentimental, to feel poignant, to miss how they sounded like. Those are all valid and understandable; but let us also accept that things have changed for SHINee and that this is how things are now.
We can love how they sounded like without making it seem like who SHINee is now is not good enough.
