SHINee – ‘1 of 1’ Album Review

After topping the Oricon charts in Japan this year and a year after the release of Married to the Music, SHINee is back into the Korea pop scene with their latest album, 1 of 1. 1 of 1 is the fifth Korean album of SHINee specifically showcasing an 80’s-90’s retro style, going as far as releasing limited edition cassette tapes in line with their retro concept. Get ready to bring back the nostalgia and party with SHINee’s modern twist on retro music.

Track 1 – Prism

1 of 1 starts off with a song that member Jonghyun co-wrote. Prism is a pop track with a club-like beat and video game-like synths. Initially, the song feels a bit all over the place because of the variety in vocal range and tempo. But once you get deeper into the track, you’ll start to love the unique vocal blending that comes with the change of tempo.

Track 2 – 1 of 1

With some hints of Married to the Music due to the nostalgic feel to it, 1 of 1 is one of the ultimate throwback songs released this year. Snare drums welcome us with a familiar Michael Jackson style vocal from Taemin. Playful and bouncy synthesizers then join the mix. It’s so retro that it feels refreshing and gives listeners a break from contemporary music.

Track 3 – Feel Good

Compared to the previous tracks, the tempo is toned down in Feel Good, making it more laid back. You’ll definitely feel good with all the ooh’s and vocal mixing. The club-like beat can be heard again but is not as strong as in Prism. I felt a bit thankful that they didn’t go overboard when they cheered the title as it would definitely ruin the laid-back mood.

Track 4 – 투명 우산 (Don’t Let Me Go)

SHINee loosens up a bit with the next song, Don’t Let Me Go. This mid-tempo lounge-like track is what you will need on a cozy rainy day. This track left a lingering impression on me as the vocals of the members sound relaxing, and appropriately paired with a soft piano and subtle rapping.

Track 5 – Lipstick

A heavy piano welcomes us to the next track. There isn’t much of a difference from the previous tracks, but Lipstick has a more suave feel. The piano matches well with the beat and there are some hints of brass. Aside from the falsettos, there’s nothing noteworthy to the song.

Track 6 – Don’t Stop

Don’t Stop, written by Jonghyun, Minho, and Key, must be the sexiest track of the album with seductive whisper-like vocals. Synthesizers come in along with some claps that served as the beat in the verses. The synths then thins out as the rapping takes place to show good balance in the song. Although without the vocals, this would have been a bland instrumental that you’d usually hear in these types of retro songs.

Track 7 – Shift

We’re slowly returning to the party theme with the next track, Shift. This is a much more upbeat track than the previous ones with a digital piano starting it off. The soft falsetto lures me into listening to the song with anticipation for something new with the tune, but the only thing that changed is the tempo. Shift is still in line with the retro theme but has a modern twist to it like the addition of the playful synths which I really liked.

Track 8 – U Need Me

U Need Me screams Michael Jackson with all the beat and finger snaps. This could have been a great song if not for the sudden stopping of the synths, the melody, and the telephone rings. The constant change in the pitch didn’t really jive well, making it sound disheveled overall.

Track 9 – So Amazing

Written by SHINee’s leader Onew, So Amazing is a jack-swing style, mid-tempo retro pop track that is indeed quite amazing. 1 of 1 wraps up with an energetic dance number that may be more of a fit for summer, but at the same time, reminds me of an old school diner song. So Amazing is a very refreshing and fun way to close this super nostalgic album.

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