[Opinion] Missing the Dinosaur - SHINee's Jonghyun Appreciation Post

In case you didn’t know (although how could you not?) SHINee‘s Jonghyun got himself into a car accident on April 1 (it was no joke unfortunately) and broke his nose. Because of this his agency, SM Entertainment, decided that he would not participate in the promotional activities of “Why So Serious?” to focus on getting used to his restructured nose.

(Now, we could delve into the popular discussion of plastic surgery and K-Pop singers but it has been done many times before and somewhere out there some one is ranting about it now. So we won’t.)

Let us give this company the benefit of the doubt, and say that while SM knows that it is not a good idea to perform without the main singer, it was something that had to be done. Perhaps SM could not afford to push back promotions for “Why So Serious?” because they have other artists scheduled to make comebacks; artists like f(x).

(you thought I would say EXO, didn’t you? Nay, EXO will never make a comeback, just accept it*)

SHINee did as they were told and made their comeback on music programs. Watch their performance on Music Bank.

SHINee are pros at live performances and they prove it once again here, except something is off. There is nothing wrong with “Medusa/Shine” but the chorus sounds lifeless, and it’s not because the boys aren’t trying. There is something clearly missing in this song. “Why So Serious” isn’t as easy to notice the difference but watching them perform with just four members seems lacking. (You can listen to the actual audio, with Jonghyun, here.)

This isn’t the first time SHINee has performed with only four members, and actually they’ve gotten so much better. It might be difficult to watch these videos in their entirety without cringing but here is SHINee struggling without  Onew for “Ring Ding Dong”  and “Lucifer” without Jonghyun (Key sort of just gives up on the first line). 

The reason why SHINee is one of the popular artists out there is because they are a machine. Each member plays a part and they all work together to create the awesome that is SHINee. When one member is missing, the machine does not perform as well as it can. Yes, each member is individually talented but the members of SHINee are truly at their best when they are together (as we and they learned when they all vacationed apart in “One Fine Day“).

 You might have recognized this performance because it became something of a netizen favorite. Minho‘s expensive mic stand breaks in the middle of the song and it’s difficult to tell because they are so smooth. That’s the SHINee everyone knows and we love.

The only good thing about four-member SHINee is that it is only temporary. Jonghyun has been seen up and about with his face intact and he’s even tweeted a bit here and there. “Why So Serious” promotions may end without him but they will promote in Japan with “Fire” and then we will see SHINee in all their glory again in a few months.

So as a love offering to our little dinosaur here is a video of him singing his heart out.  

*I’m joking. They’ll come back. You can calm your fangirl rage now.