I just want to say as someone who only has listened to their new album (I know, I know), i'm really enjoying it!

After years of only listening to BTS, I started expanding to other groups and i've been listening to NCT, which got me into SuperM, which introduced me to Taemin, which made me listen to SHINee's new stuff.

Where do I go from here? How do I navigate listening to their old stuff? I know the super old stuff might be outdated, do I just shuffle their entire discography? Does anyone have recommendations if I really liked this new album and also some of Taemin's solo work?

The album is excellent. I have been blasting it since the release. And they all seem so happy and relaxed especially Onew. I was watching a couple of his fancams and he was having a tiny smile all throughout the performances. It was such a cute sight.

Yes. Stan SHINee.

But seriously, it is not easy to be this relevant for a group that has been around as long as they have. And it's so nice to see the amount of support they get from the industry itself. And it's a long list! Nobody is shy to hype up SHINee. From the juniors who are inspired by them to their peers and colleagues in the business. They are from the era of variety idols, the GP knows Shinee since their rookie years and has grown up with them. People are aware of SHINee even if they don't keep up with them. That is rare.

yeah like they r 2nd gen but they r thriving and they r not forgotten!!! i feel so happy for them

I remember being aware of shinee from my kpop/jpop phase in college (I’m 30 now) but wasn’t a big fan. I was DELIGHTED to see their comeback now, after having re-discovered kpop last summer. I feel like I’m making up for lost time! They feel like the most successful kids at the class reunion lol

Probably really helps close the chapter, and helps them start the next one. That stuff means so much to fans too. The only gripe I still have with GFRIEND's disbandment is that we never got a proper goodbye. They deserved a goodbye concert, an album, or at least a song. Just something to close out that amazing journey. Same applies for Lovelyz, and Berrygood.

i agree, something like sistar, their final stage was so good because it really feel like a good closure, it was SISTAR with every single thing that represents the group.

Lmao this definitely isn’t gonna work with SM groups coz they never disband so no disbandment party for us!!

this actually makes me kinda sad

got the whole subreddit crying

Something so satisfying about BTS downfall or at least their image on their comeback year lmao

Lmao I know right it's been hilarious watching them pee their pants with excitement over them 'reuniting' like they were going to instantly have a massive comeback only for literally nothing to happen apart from a fucking Weverse live, and then since then it's just been falling apart like wet bread around them. After they rejoiced when misfortunes hit other groups, this is karma in action and I'm loving the schadenfreude.

They will probably bounce back once they actually announce their comeback. It always works out that way, but for now I am thoroughly enjoying seeing that fandom squirm.  After a decade of being smug moralists that talk down on other groups for lacking substance and having no clear stance, it comes to the surface that their oppas are not all that different from other idols, and they can't take it. 

They flopping and people starting to hate them 😋

Yes, they were anticipating rainbows, unicorns & puppies and instead got snark pages, koreaboo articles and scandal after scandal...

/uj not this being how I found out yet again 💀 also didn’t they temporarily drop the G for I Never Die and wrote ( )I-dle? I guess now they’re making it permanent lol

They’ll always be Griddle in my heart

Adrenaline, in my soul, Cream soup tastes coco-loco

GNARLSEYE took their G

Me waiting in my car in the summer trying not to kill the environment but need to escape the heat 😔

I have a feeling that TXT's comeback is delayed because of the members getting COVID and BTS because of members getting COVID and their concerts. I'd love a comeback from both but their health comes first.

txts main visual director who was in the company for 9 years resigned recently. Probably not be the definite sole reason why it’s been so long but could be one of the factors, along with the members getting COVID one after another. but they’ll probably announce a cb soon, aren’t they already releasing xtimes?

for bts I can’t figure out any solid reason why they’re taking such a long gap between comebacks other than maybe they want to focus on concerts for now ? or maybe they’re preparing for a supervise drop. hope at least some members release mixtapes in the near future if album won’t happen.

I think BTS are going to drop an announcement after the last Vegas concert. 🤞🤡

Its been 488 days since the last BTS album 😞

Edit : its 488 days edited for correction

Last time we had an album was in 2020😭

I wholeheartedly agree with you about Don’t Call Me, U Mad, and Why Why Why! Some other songs I’ve enjoyed were:

Atlantis - SHINee

Rosario - Epik High

Feel Like - Woodz

IYAH - Kang Seungyoon

Tail - Sunmi

Lilac - IU

Antidote - Kang Daniel

Beautiful Beautiful - ONF

After school by Weeekly inside out by Nu’est Spider by Hoshi

Inside Out - NU'EST

Antidote - Kang Daniel

Burn It - Golden Child

After School - Weeekly

Lilac - IU

Moon Rider - BDC

Bambi - Baekhyun

HWAA - (G)-Idle

Do or Not - Pentagon

water color - Wheein

beautiful beautiful - onf

after school - weeekly

unnatural - wjsn

libido - onlyoneof

If I had to nail down a loose top ten right now, in no particular order:

SHINee - Don't Call Me

Woodz - Feel Like

Wonho - Lose

Dreamcatcher - Odd Eye

ONF - The Realist

Mirae - Higher

Youha - Abittipsy

Yubin - Perfume

(G)I-DLE - Dahlia

Oneus - Incomplete

...Same. This seems like an unpopular opinion so I'm glad that I found someone who thinks this way

Their MV's have seriously gone down in quality. They've pretty much green screened everything for the last 2 comebacks, and it's not even good/high quality. It looks like they're on low budget (because low-quality CG can be much cheaper than a set). I'm guessing the pandemic hit them pretty hard because they couldn't tour.

The music is ok but they don't hit as hard as the first series or the previous trilogy.

Other random observations: as an Atiny-Insomnia, I couldn't unhear Ateez' Deja Vu when I heard BEcause. I know they both work with Leez/Ollounder but it was too similar for me. Also the English for their lyrics is getting increasingly worse

As someone who casually listens to Dreamcatcher and who was ready for this most recent release to be an entry point into becoming a true fan with the motivation to deep dive into their wealth of content... I didn't love it the way I expected to. I was so hoping to have this opportunity to participate in the hype of a comeback (versus listening to their older music late and playing catch-up). The b sides were particularly disappointing, because before this DC's b sides have consistently been some of my favorites in all of kpop, to the point where I didn't even consider that it would be possible for them to miss.

I mean, it's still decent and comparatively I like it more than what a lot of other groups are doing. It's just that Vision feels more on par with their previous b sides than with their previous title tracks. It's fine, but it feels a bit expected.

I want to love them. I'm ready to love them. All I need is one new release worthy of spiraling on and they could easily have me in a chokehold for the rest of time. C'mon. I'm readyyy. Take me out.

I think Blackpink in 2022 is the perfect example, after a hiatus people expected more from the most popular girl group. It isnt terrible but compared to their competition it felt like a weak release this year

Both Where Are We Now and Illeila by Mamamoo

WAWN was their last comeback before they were to renew contracts and a lot of it was still in question but the entire comeback felt very forgettable even if it is their last while all 4 were under RBW. It was one of their weakest comebacks overall if not the weakest.

Illeila was ok but definitely not something epic after such a long wait for a real comeback.

Thank God their concerts are amazing and really showcase what an amazing group they are.

Agree. Their recent music videos are driving me nuts and I think the last title track that really blew me away was Scream

Yes, this. Sometimes I wish they simply released a single album (Illusion + Girls) because the mini wasn’t cohesive and they barely promoted this comeback anyway. I enjoyed the other tracks but they weren’t something I’d deliberately re-listen to after hearing them a handful of times.

I agree :(. I'm not feeling the music and the MVs are pissing me off with how bad they are. The company has a higher budget and they're kind of wasting it.

I also find the whole "save the planet" thing corny and disingenuous. just gives bangers about life and love pls.

I completely agree I feel like this release really wasn’t strong and honestly it was very forgettable. So far it doesn’t live up to the last trilogy. But I’m happy that the girls re-signed and so it looks like they have a long future.

Not necessarily a boy group because they are a band but the only group I haven’t seen this apply to is Day6, who have arguably gotten more popular post military service. Especially in Korea. They even got their first Daesang this year.

Obviously we will see with BTS but I think they are an exception to everything. And then not too long after that we’ll see the larger 4th gen groups such as SKZ, ATEEZ, and TXT (and Enhypen but they are much younger than these three I think).

I think the most interesting to see is Seventeen. I’m not a carat but I know they are fiercely loyal… but also they have a long long military service time to wait out for a full reunion.

I think this is jumping the gun a bit. The face of kpop has changed completely in the five years since covid.

The truth is we haven’t seen many groups come back from enlistment in that period.

Onf have completed and returned to greater heights than ever. A.c.e also built their fandom after enlistment. Day 6 too have just hit a new peak post enlistment.

Got7 too are holding ground mid enlistment.

I think this argument will only hold weight once we see what Monsta x and bts and exo do post enlistment and again when groups like stray kids, Ateez, seventeen and nct come back.

When a group goes on hiatus or changes companies, I pretty much think it's over. Whether you like it or not, K-pop groups really do have a shelf life.

New groups are starting all the time. So a group being gone for two to three years is a big change. Plus if a group is old enough to be in military service it means their fan base is older too and a lot of people grow out of kpop eventually.

It's much better than it used to be with group surviving post enlistment at all. Not many gen 2 groups did not disband after enlistment with gen 3 groups at least they are still a thing even if they aren't as active as various members chose to do other things as well. I will say I am truly curious how BTS is going to do after they are complete again. I think it will be very interesting to see.

I know everybody’s gonna be questioning wether they peaked album era or not🙄

Yeah i think it's going to be really exciting. I can't wait for a blackpink comeback.

I also can't wait for all the "well-meaning" thinkpieces from our reddit kpop experts

Honestly, Blackpink's popularity scares me sometimes. YGE does not even do the bare minimum and they are still one of the most popular kpop groups...

> I am sure that they are going to break their own record which was more than 1 million sales.

I’ll be incredibly shocked if they don’t. They still have the second highest monthly listeners on spotify in kpop, and I don’t think they’ve ever gotten close to dropping down a place these past few years. There’s no way this isn’t gonna be huge. I just can’t wait for more music.

Damn a post talking in a good way about Blackpink with 29 good comments, am i high or is it really happening?