The Story of Light (Shinee album) explained

The Story of Light
Type:studio
Artist:Shinee
Cover:Shinee - The Story of Light Epilogue.png
Caption:Cover of the compilation album
Recorded:2017–2018
Studio:S.M. Studios, Seoul, South Korea
Length:55:00
Language:Korean
Prev Title:Shinee The Best From Now On
Prev Year:2018
Next Title:Don't Call Me
Next Year:2021

The Story of Light is the sixth studio album by South Korean boy group Shinee. It consists of three 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. It is the last Shinee release to feature Jonghyun following his death.

Background and release

Reports of a Shinee comeback first surfaced in May 2017, where it was stated that Shinee would be one of four SM groups returning in the second half of 2017.[1] However, no further updates were provided. 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.[2] [3] 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.[4] 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.[5] [4] [6] 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.[6]

The first part of the album, led by the lead single "Good Evening", was released on May 28.[7] The second part of the trilogy was released on June 11 with the single "I Want You".[8] According to the group, the second part of the album represents the group's view of themselves, while the first part reflected what others think of them.[9] [10] The third and last part of the album is fronted by the single "Our Page" and was released on June 25.[10] On August 1, 2018, Shinee released the Japanese version of "Good Evening" and "I Want You" as part of their fifteenth Japanese single, "Sunny Side".[11] On September 10, 2018, the group released the finale of their tenth 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".[12] [13]

Composition

"Good Evening" is a deep house song, similar to Shinee's 2015 song "View", with classic R&B sounds. It interpolates 112's 1997 song "Cupid". "I Want You" is a tropical house tune that offers a more energetic vibe than its previous single.[14] The third part of the album is led by the track "Our Page" and is described as 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".[15] [10] "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, 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.[16] The special track "Lock You Down" also contains Jonghyun's voice.[17] [16]

Artwork

The album artwork utilizes the five traditional Korean colors, or obangsaek: yellow, red, blue, white and black. Key explained that they wanted to show "basic-but-Shinee style", as opposed to the "very complicated, different colors" that had previously featured in the group's imagery.[18] The artwork was designed by SM's creative director Min Hee-jin, who used the three primary colors and basic shapes to convey "continuity and permanence". Unusually for a K-pop album, the cover does not depict the group themselves, instead taking a more conceptual approach.[19]

Music video

The music video of "Good Evening" uses 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 various other items. The video also features a more laid-back choreography atop of chairs, and gives off a sense of almost accidental flailing and falling motions.[14] It was choreographed by Japanese dancer Koharu Sugawara, who had previously worked on Taemin's solo tracks like "Sayonara Hitori" (2016) and "Move" (2017).[20] Like "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.[10] [14] 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.[16] The music video for "Countless" depicts the members interacting with a variety of retro objects in a vibrantly colored, aqua-accented space, before assembling for the chorus.[13]

Promotion

On May 31, 2018, Shinee began their promotional 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.[21] The group also performed on KBS2's Music Bank and MBC's Show! Music Core during their promotional cycle.[22] 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.[23]

Commercial performance

The Story of Light: EP.1 earned Shinee their highest peak on Billboards Heatseekers Albums chart and their eighth top five entry on World Albums. According to Nielsen Music, it sold 2,000 copies in the US in the week ending June 1.[24] The first and second EPs made a double appearance on the 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.[25]

Track listing

Notes

Charts

Chart (2018)! colspan="4" scope="col"
Peak position
EP.1EP.2EP.3Epilogue
French Download Albums (SNEP)[26] 45 81 60 —
Japan Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[27] 6 6 9 19
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[28] 7 8 18 8
New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ)[29] 5 — — —
South Korean Albums (Gaon)[30] 1 1 2 1
UK Digital Albums (OCC)[31] 80 — — —
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[32] 2 5 11 —
US World Albums (Billboard)[33] 4 4 4 9

Accolades

Song! scope="col" width="130"
ProgramDate
"Good Evening"The ShowJune 5, 2018[35]
"I Want You"M CountdownJune 21, 2018[36]

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateEdition(s)Format(s)Label(s)
South KoreaMay 28, 2018EP.1
June 11, 2018EP.2
June 25, 2018EP.3
September 10, 2018Epilogue

Notes and References

  1. Web site: http://www.nspna.com/news/?mode=view&newsid=222079. ko:에스엠, 하반기 엑소 · 동방신기 · 슈퍼주니어 컴백(기업) - Nsp통신. SM: Exo, TVXQ, Super Junior comebacks in the second half of the year. NSP News. Kim. Tae-yeon. May 16, 2017. ko. December 18, 2019. November 12, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201112014114/http://www.nspna.com/news/?mode=view&newsid=222079. live.
  2. Web site: Shinee to hold fan meeting, make comeback in May. K-pop Herald. Cho. Yun-myung. April 30, 2018. May 29, 2018. May 2, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180502040408/http://kpopherald.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=201804301137419264689_2. live.
  3. Web site: Shinee to drop new album, celebrate 10th anniv. next month. Yonhap News Agency. April 30, 2018. June 23, 2018. August 5, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190805164438/https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20180430007900315. live.
  4. Web site: Shinee to release three-part album. K-pop Herald. Yoon. Min-sik. May 16, 2018. June 23, 2018. May 16, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180516110807/http://kpopherald.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=201805161622468753382_2. live.
  5. Web site: Shinee to drop new project in three parts. Korea JoongAng Daily. Yonhap News Agency. May 17, 2018. June 23, 2018. June 23, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180623170224/http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=3048216. live.
  6. Web site: 10-year-old Shinee returns with 3-part LP, hopes to stay for another 10 years. Yonhap News Agency. Park. Boram. June 11, 2018. June 23, 2018. August 5, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190805164431/https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20180611011500315. live.
  7. News: Shinee returns with new single 'Good Evening'. The Korea Herald. Hong. Dam-young. May 28, 2018. May 28, 2018. May 28, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180528113929/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20180528000540. live.
  8. Web site: Shinee to release part 2 of 6th album. K-pop Herald. June 4, 2018. June 23, 2018. July 20, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180720042608/http://kpopherald.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=201806041447567156230_2. live.
  9. Web site: 10 years of Shinee: 'This is just the beginning'. The Korea Times. Kwak. Yeon-soo. June 12, 2018. June 23, 2018. June 23, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180623165919/http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2018/06/398_250518.html. live.
  10. Shinee Release Second 'The Story of Light' Album Fronted by Vibrant 'I Want You': Watch the Music Video. Billboard. Herman. Tamar. June 11, 2018. June 14, 2018. June 14, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180614205117/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8460545/shinee-second-anniversary-album-i-want-you. live.
  11. Web site: https://www.excite.co.jp/News/music/20180727/E1532620538499.html. ja: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. July 27, 2018. August 6, 2018. ja. August 6, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180806153205/https://www.excite.co.jp/News/music/20180727/E1532620538499.html. live.
  12. Web site: https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=076&aid=0003310863. ko:[공식]샤이니, 정규6집 합본 에필로그 10일 발매…신곡 수록. Shinee officially announces "The Story Of Light Epilogue" album release with new song included. Sports Chosun. Naver. Kim. Young-rok. September 4, 2018. ko. September 6, 2018. September 6, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180906052606/https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=076&aid=0003310863. live.
  13. Shinee Drop 10th Anniversary Compilation Album 'The Story of Light: Epilogue': Watch the 'Countless' Music Video. Billboard. Herman. Tamar. September 12, 2018. October 23, 2018. September 19, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180919132217/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8474728/shinee-drop-10th-anniversary-compilation-album-the-story-of-light. live.
  14. Shinee Commemorates 10th Anniversary With 'The Story of Light' EP. Billboard. Herman. Tamar. May 29, 2018. June 23, 2018. June 2, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180602073927/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8458097/shinee-commemorates-10th-anniversary-story-of-light-ep. live.
  15. Web site: Shinee proud of 10th anniversary. K-pop Herald. June 12, 2018. June 23, 2018. July 15, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180715181507/http://kpopherald.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=201806120957397534969_2. live.
  16. Shinee Releases Emotional 'Our Page' Music Video, Dedicated to Jonghyun: Watch. Billboard. Herman. Tamar. 25 June 2018. June 26, 2018. June 28, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180628060935/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8462512/shinee-our-page-video-jonghyun. live.
  17. Web site: http://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=311&aid=0000869630. ko:"故종현 향한 마음 담아"…샤이니, 오늘(25일) '네가 남겨둔 말' 발표. "With all my heart towards the late Jonghyun"... Shinee releases 'Our Page' today (25th). Xports News. Naver. Park. So-hyun. June 25, 2018. June 25, 2018. ko. June 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180625161131/http://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=311&aid=0000869630. live.
  18. Shinee Talks 'The Story of Light' Series and 10th Anniversary. Billboard. Herman. Tamar. June 15, 2018. May 30, 2022. February 6, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220206103306/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/shinee-the-story-of-light-series-10th-anniversary-interview-8461152/. live.
  19. Web site: https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20180710146700005. ko:[음악계 우먼파워] ③SM엔터테인먼트 민희진 이사. [Woman Power in the Music Industry] SM Entertainment Director Min Hee-jin. Yonhap News Agency. Park. Soo-yoon. July 11, 2018. May 30, 2022. November 1, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101054110/https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20180710146700005. live.
  20. Web site: http://realsound.jp/2018/08/post-231822.html. ja:Block.B ZICO、SHINee テミン、2PM ジュノ、EXO-CBX…日本でのソロ＆ユニット活動に注目. Block.B Zico, Shinee Taemin, 2PM Juno, EXO-CBX... Attention to solo & unit activities in Japan. Real Sound. August 6, 2018. August 6, 2018. ja. August 6, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180806151810/http://realsound.jp/2018/08/post-231822.html. live.
  21. Web site: Shinee is Back with 'The Story of Light' EP.1 on M!Countdown. Munhwan News. Park. Hyojin. June 1, 2018. June 1, 2018. ko. May 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220530180204/http://www.mhns.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=143736#_enliple. live.
  22. Web site: SHINee release 6th album today (11th); Minho Participated in Rap making . BNT News. June 15, 2018. June 23, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180623165733/http://www.bntnews.co.uk/app/news.php?nid=34373. June 23, 2018. dead.
  23. Web site: Shinee reiterates members still together 'as five'. K-pop Herald. Cho. Yun-myung. May 31, 2018. June 23, 2018. May 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220530180204/http://kpopherald.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=201805311300051296291_2. live.
  24. Shinee Hits New Peak on Heatseekers Albums Chart With 'The Story of Light'. Billboard. Benjamin. Jeff. June 7, 2018. May 30, 2022. subscription. April 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220430033127/https://www.billboard.com/pro/shinee-story-of-light-ep1-good-evening-charts-heatseekers-world-albums/. live.
  25. Shinee Score Rare Double Appearance on World Albums Chart. Billboard. Benjamin. Jeff. 20 June 2018. June 28, 2018. subscription. June 28, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180628121833/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8462005/shinee-story-of-light-ep2-world-albums-chart-double-appearance. live.
  26. Charted albums on the French Download Albums Chart:
    • Web site: The Story of Light Ep.1. SNEP. June 1, 2018. May 30, 2022. FR. June 5, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180605193529/http://snepmusique.com/tops-semaine/top-albums-telecharges/. dead.
    • Web site: The Story of Light Ep.2. SNEP. June 15, 2018. June 19, 2018. FR.
    • Web site: The Story of Light Ep.3. SNEP. June 15, 2018. May 30, 2022. FR. July 19, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180719205316/http://snepmusique.com/tops-semaine/top-albums-telecharges/?ye=2018&we=26. dead.
  27. Charted albums on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums Chart:
    • Web site: The Story of Light Ep.1. June 11, 2018. Billboard Japan. June 22, 2018. June 18, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180618175233/http://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=hot_albums&year=2018&month=06&day=11. live.
    • Web site: The Story of Light Ep.2. June 25, 2018. Billboard Japan. June 22, 2018. June 20, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180620153041/http://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=hot_albums&year=2018&month=06&day=25. live.
    • Web site: The Story of Light Ep.3. July 9, 2018. Billboard Japan. July 4, 2018. July 4, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180704153542/http://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=hot_albums&year=2018&month=07&day=9. live.
    • Web site: The Story of Light Epilogue. 2020-06-03. Billboard Japan. ja. September 19, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180919094427/http://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=hot_albums&year=2018&month=09&day=24. live.
  28. Charted albums on the Oricon Albums Chart:
    • Web site: The Story of Light Ep.1. June 11, 2018. Oricon. 2018-06-08. June 7, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180607130823/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/w/2018-06-11/. live.
    • Web site: The Story of Light Ep.2. June 25, 2018. Oricon. 2018-06-20. June 23, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180623125720/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/w/2018-06-25/. live.
    • Web site: The Story of Light Ep.3. July 9, 2018. Oricon. 2018-07-04. July 4, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180704125110/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/w/2018-07-09/p/2/. live.
    • Web site: The Story of Light Epilogue. https://web.archive.org/web/20180922065023/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/w/2018-09-24/. 2018-09-22. Oricon. dead. 2018-09-22. 2020-06-03.
  29. Web site: The Story of Light Ep.1 – NZ Heatseeker Albums Chart. Recorded Music NZ. June 4, 2018. June 1, 2018. June 12, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180612144417/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=4484. live.
  30. Charted albums on the Gaon Album Chart:
    • Web site: The Story of Light EP.1 – Week 22, 2018. Gaon Chart. ko. June 8, 2018. September 10, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190910015724/http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/album.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=&targetTime=22&hitYear=2018&termGbn=week. live.
    • Web site: The Story of Light EP.2 – Week 24, 2018. Gaon Chart. ko. June 21, 2018. June 21, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180621153727/http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/album.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=&targetTime=24&hitYear=2018&termGbn=week. live.
    • Web site: The Story of Light EP.3 – Week 26, 2018. Gaon Chart. ko. July 5, 2018. July 5, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180705022620/http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/album.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=&targetTime=26&hitYear=2018&termGbn=week. live.
    • Web site: The Story of Light Epilogue – Week 37, 2018. Gaon Chart. ko. 2020-06-03. September 20, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180920024708/http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/album.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=&targetTime=37&hitYear=2018&termGbn=week. live.
  31. Charted albums on the UK Digital Albums Chart:
  32. Shinee Chart History (Heatseekers Albums). Billboard. May 29, 2022. November 18, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211118022815/https://www.billboard.com/artist/shinee/chart-history/tln/. live.
  33. Shinee Chart History (World Albums). Billboard. May 29, 2022. November 17, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211117210259/https://www.billboard.com/artist/shinee/chart-history/wlp/. live.
  34. The 25 Greatest K-Pop Albums of the 2010s: Billboard Staff' Picks. Billboard. December 17, 2019. December 18, 2019. December 21, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191221003052/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8546586/greatest-k-pop-albums-2010s-top-25. live.
  35. Web site: http://www.xportsnews.com/jenter/?ac=article_view&entry_id=982748&. ko:더쇼' 샤이니, 모든 성적이 압도적…컴백과 동시에 1위. 'The Show': Shinee's scores are overwhelming... first place as soon as they made a comeback. Xports News. Park. So-hyun. 2018-06-05. 2020-06-03. ko. May 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220530180214/https://www.xportsnews.com/?ac=article_view&entry_id=982748. live.
  36. Web site: https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/468/0000396805. ko:'엠카운트다운' 샤이니, 모두가 원한 'I Want You'로 1위(종합). 'M Countdown': Shinee wins first place with 'I Want You' that everyone wanted. Sports Seoul. Naver. Lee. Yong-su. June 21, 2018. 2020-06-03. ko. June 3, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200603181645/https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/468/0000396805. live.

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