Soldier/Rise is one of my favorite performances by Taemin. He is one of a kind, imho there is no one like him - but this performance especially...there is something about it, it's raw and powerful and absolutely incredible! I am also very happy & grateful you reacted to Blue. Onew is my favorite vocalist and Blue will always be THAT song for me. It is such an underrated gem. I will never not love it, I always recommend it to Babywols to watch - the song is hauntingly beautiful and the MV is a cinematic masterpiece. ❤
Taemin wrote the lyrics for "Soldier," so that is one of the reasons why he feels so passionately about this song when he performs it, because it's all his own words and thoughts. And because this concert was part of Taemin's solo Japanese concert tour, you heard him perform the Japanese version of the song, but if you listen to his Press It album, or watch a Korean performance, you can hear the Korean version. :D (This song was released in 2016, long before Taemin was even thinking about military service. Taemin enlisted in 2021 and he was just discharged in April 2023, which is why SHINee had their "Hard" comeback because they were all finally back together again. Onew, Key and Minho all enlisted in 2018/2019 and SHINee had their previous comeback in 2021 after the 3 were discharged and right before Taemin enlisted.) "Soldier" isn't about being an actual soldier. The song is a metaphor for wanting to be strong and becoming someone that others can depend on, etc. (Believe me, if you knew what Taemin went through while he was enlisted, you would know he wasn't excited about or looking forward to being a soldier.) In his "Rise" performance, I interpret the dancer to be Taemin's inner self, and the dancer is portraying Taemin's inner feelings and emotions. Fun fact: The dancer is a fairly well known young Japanese dancer and choreographer named Santa Uno who has been a professional dancer since he was a teenager and is considered the No. 1 street dancer in the world, winning the top spot at one of the most prestigious international street dance competitions when he was a teenager. Most dancers consider Santa an expert in almost all styles of dance and he is highly respected in the dance community. In 2020 Santa participated in a Chinese idol trainee competition program and he became a member of the China-based international boy group INTO1.
You are right, Onew's "Blue", both as a song and MV, is a masterpiece and it's full of symbolism. Not only does it tell the story of everything Onew and SHINee went through over the past few years, but it also is a sort of goodbye song to all the fans as he went off to the military, and a song to show how much Shawols' support has meant to Onew and how the fans are what gives him strength, etc. "Blue" was Onew's solo debut and it was released Dec. 5, 2018, which was less than a week before he enlisted in the military, so he didn't even have any promotional activities for this song or album. Onew officially left for the military Dec.10, 2018, so his Voice (name of the album) was meant to keep us warm in this "Blue" world for the next 18 months, until he was discharged. What a powerful sendoff Onew gave us with this song and MV. (Unfortunately, no live performances of this song yet, because he didn't want to make a big deal about his enlistment, so he just released the album and quietly went off to fulfill his duty.) As you know, SHINee are known for their vocals, and as an SM Entertainment artist it is no surprise that Onew is shocking you with his voice. How I interpret the story in the MV is it's all about the struggles Onew has gone through over the years and how he is searching for a "sense of belonging". SHINee's official symbol is a diamond, and that's the official symbol for this song and album -- a diamond with 5 faces. And, if you hold SHINee's lightstick up to a solid surface you will see the reflection the diamond makes is a five-point star, with each point representing one of the members. As you may know, SHINee's fan color is pearl aqua blue/green. So, the blue light he refers to in the lyrics is talking about SHINee's blue light that represents the fans and the members and everything to do with them as a group. Hence the multiple meanings of the title of the song, "Blue." In the MV, in the beginning you see the diamond sitting on a pedestal and it is being reflected in 5 mirrors, however, one of the mirrors is cloudy or covered in dust, which probably represents Jonghyun and the fact that even though he is not with us anymore, he is still part of everything SHINee does and he is still very important to Onew. The way I see it, the blindfolded people represent Onew's scandals and how the public is judging him. They are judging him blindly, without actually seeing him, and don't even care about the truth. About a year before this, in 2017, Onew was involved in a sexual harassment scandal where he was accused of groping a girl at a nightclub when he was drunk. The story that was told is that he was extremely drunk, to the point where he couldn't even stand without help, and while trying to stand he grabbed the girl's leg. She eventually dropped the charges, but the police still investigated. Onew spent several months in seclusion, out of the public eye during the investigation and it wasn't clear whether the Korean public would ever forgive him or allow him to come back. However, he was eventually cleared of all charges, etc. And just when it looked as though SHINee would be able to get back to normal activities again, it wasn't long after that that Jonghyun died. And just to put it all into context, Onew's birthday is Dec.14 and Minho's birthday is Dec. 9 -- Jonghyun died Dec. 18, 2017. So, as you can see, a lot happened in the span of 2 years. "Blue" reflects on all of that. There are 3 fish floating in a protective glass bubble, which I see as representing the 3 remaining members -- Minho, Key and Taemin -- which Onew feels like he needs to protect as the leader and oldest of the group. The white rose is also in a box, and some say it represents the fans -- and possibly Jonghyun -- and how by putting them in a protective case Onew is saying how precious the fans (and Jonghyun) are to him and how he wants to protect them.
The shooting star, represents many things -- his family, his members and fans, etc. -- that are guiding him back home, after his scandal where he lived isolated. It was almost as if he was saying he was trying to follow the star's path but then something happened that derailed him and made him lose his way -- probably Jonghyun's death -- and for a while he was no longer able to see his "home" from afar anymore. His expression is sort of shocked and afraid, and then he sees the same people that judged him once again looking at him, but more intensely, which was represented by the fact that the blindfolded people grew and became more menacing as things started to pileup. It was almost as if they were judging him, like they were blaming him for everything that happened. And that is probably how he felt all along. But then you see the shooting star make a path directly to where he was standing, which lit up his path and allowed him to see again. The star also provided light to the diamond once again, which helped Onew finally find his way back home. Back to a place where he is starting to feel safe, accepted and loved once again. He put the diamond on the table, and in its reflection, there was shown 5 diamonds. If you notice one of them is blurry ... but even though you can't see all 5 of them clearly anymore, they are still 5. I also see the fact that in the end when he puts the diamond back on the pedestal it's almost as if he is saying he is putting the fans and his members and everyone that is precious to him, etc. on a shelf for safe keeping while he is away in the military and he will be back for us once again when he comes back. I think in the end, what he is saying is that he has finally accepted everything and is starting to come to terms with it all. However, he is still not 100% OK or happy yet, but he is slowly getting there. It's the power of the light that is produced by the "diamond" -- which represents the power from the fans -- that has helped him to find his place in this "Blue" world and to come to terms with everything. That's just a little bit of what I took away from this MV, but I know there is so much more that can be discovered from it and so much more meaning behind every detail. We could probably go on for days analyzing everything and come up with multiple meanings for it all. :D Onew did pretty well with this song and album, he received some pretty good feedback for his first release from his solo debut, and we wouldn't expect anything less from a member of SHINee. :D I am so proud of him!! Onew topped iTunes charts in 28 countries, topped the world charts and was No. 1 in the U.S. with this album all soon after release -- and that was without any promotions. :D
Shinee can serve your soul from all angles....and you just left with joy, sadness, a smile and a deeper appreciation for music ....which blind sides you cos you are constantly asking..."How are they getting into my soul like this..."...
NOthng has prepared me for SHINee's hard hittng songs be it from their group or solo discography, i mean people think They're those RingDingDong guys, but they are actually multi-talented multi-faceted KINGS!
Soldier/Rise is one of my favorite performances by Taemin. He is one of a kind, imho there is no one like him - but this performance especially...there is something about it, it's raw and powerful and absolutely incredible!
I am also very happy & grateful you reacted to Blue. Onew is my favorite vocalist and Blue will always be THAT song for me. It is such an underrated gem. I will never not love it, I always recommend it to Babywols to watch - the song is hauntingly beautiful and the MV is a cinematic masterpiece. ❤
Taemin wrote the lyrics for "Soldier," so that is one of the reasons why he feels so passionately about this song when he performs it, because it's all his own words and thoughts. And because this concert was part of Taemin's solo Japanese concert tour, you heard him perform the Japanese version of the song, but if you listen to his Press It album, or watch a Korean performance, you can hear the Korean version. :D (This song was released in 2016, long before Taemin was even thinking about military service. Taemin enlisted in 2021 and he was just discharged in April 2023, which is why SHINee had their "Hard" comeback because they were all finally back together again. Onew, Key and Minho all enlisted in 2018/2019 and SHINee had their previous comeback in 2021 after the 3 were discharged and right before Taemin enlisted.) "Soldier" isn't about being an actual soldier. The song is a metaphor for wanting to be strong and becoming someone that others can depend on, etc. (Believe me, if you knew what Taemin went through while he was enlisted, you would know he wasn't excited about or looking forward to being a soldier.)
In his "Rise" performance, I interpret the dancer to be Taemin's inner self, and the dancer is portraying Taemin's inner feelings and emotions. Fun fact: The dancer is a fairly well known young Japanese dancer and choreographer named Santa Uno who has been a professional dancer since he was a teenager and is considered the No. 1 street dancer in the world, winning the top spot at one of the most prestigious international street dance competitions when he was a teenager. Most dancers consider Santa an expert in almost all styles of dance and he is highly respected in the dance community. In 2020 Santa participated in a Chinese idol trainee competition program and he became a member of the China-based international boy group INTO1.
You are right, Onew's "Blue", both as a song and MV, is a masterpiece and it's full of symbolism. Not only does it tell the story of everything Onew and SHINee went through over the past few years, but it also is a sort of goodbye song to all the fans as he went off to the military, and a song to show how much Shawols' support has meant to Onew and how the fans are what gives him strength, etc.
"Blue" was Onew's solo debut and it was released Dec. 5, 2018, which was less than a week before he enlisted in the military, so he didn't even have any promotional activities for this song or album. Onew officially left for the military Dec.10, 2018, so his Voice (name of the album) was meant to keep us warm in this "Blue" world for the next 18 months, until he was discharged. What a powerful sendoff Onew gave us with this song and MV. (Unfortunately, no live performances of this song yet, because he didn't want to make a big deal about his enlistment, so he just released the album and quietly went off to fulfill his duty.)
As you know, SHINee are known for their vocals, and as an SM Entertainment artist it is no surprise that Onew is shocking you with his voice.
How I interpret the story in the MV is it's all about the struggles Onew has gone through over the years and how he is searching for a "sense of belonging".
SHINee's official symbol is a diamond, and that's the official symbol for this song and album -- a diamond with 5 faces. And, if you hold SHINee's lightstick up to a solid surface you will see the reflection the diamond makes is a five-point star, with each point representing one of the members.
As you may know, SHINee's fan color is pearl aqua blue/green. So, the blue light he refers to in the lyrics is talking about SHINee's blue light that represents the fans and the members and everything to do with them as a group. Hence the multiple meanings of the title of the song, "Blue."
In the MV, in the beginning you see the diamond sitting on a pedestal and it is being reflected in 5 mirrors, however, one of the mirrors is cloudy or covered in dust, which probably represents Jonghyun and the fact that even though he is not with us anymore, he is still part of everything SHINee does and he is still very important to Onew.
The way I see it, the blindfolded people represent Onew's scandals and how the public is judging him. They are judging him blindly, without actually seeing him, and don't even care about the truth.
About a year before this, in 2017, Onew was involved in a sexual harassment scandal where he was accused of groping a girl at a nightclub when he was drunk. The story that was told is that he was extremely drunk, to the point where he couldn't even stand without help, and while trying to stand he grabbed the girl's leg. She eventually dropped the charges, but the police still investigated. Onew spent several months in seclusion, out of the public eye during the investigation and it wasn't clear whether the Korean public would ever forgive him or allow him to come back. However, he was eventually cleared of all charges, etc. And just when it looked as though SHINee would be able to get back to normal activities again, it wasn't long after that that Jonghyun died. And just to put it all into context, Onew's birthday is Dec.14 and Minho's birthday is Dec. 9 -- Jonghyun died Dec. 18, 2017. So, as you can see, a lot happened in the span of 2 years. "Blue" reflects on all of that.
There are 3 fish floating in a protective glass bubble, which I see as representing the 3 remaining members -- Minho, Key and Taemin -- which Onew feels like he needs to protect as the leader and oldest of the group. The white rose is also in a box, and some say it represents the fans -- and possibly Jonghyun -- and how by putting them in a protective case Onew is saying how precious the fans (and Jonghyun) are to him and how he wants to protect them.
The shooting star, represents many things -- his family, his members and fans, etc. -- that are guiding him back home, after his scandal where he lived isolated. It was almost as if he was saying he was trying to follow the star's path but then something happened that derailed him and made him lose his way -- probably Jonghyun's death -- and for a while he was no longer able to see his "home" from afar anymore.
His expression is sort of shocked and afraid, and then he sees the same people that judged him once again looking at him, but more intensely, which was represented by the fact that the blindfolded people grew and became more menacing as things started to pileup. It was almost as if they were judging him, like they were blaming him for everything that happened. And that is probably how he felt all along.
But then you see the shooting star make a path directly to where he was standing, which lit up his path and allowed him to see again. The star also provided light to the diamond once again, which helped Onew finally find his way back home. Back to a place where he is starting to feel safe, accepted and loved once again.
He put the diamond on the table, and in its reflection, there was shown 5 diamonds. If you notice one of them is blurry ... but even though you can't see all 5 of them clearly anymore, they are still 5.
I also see the fact that in the end when he puts the diamond back on the pedestal it's almost as if he is saying he is putting the fans and his members and everyone that is precious to him, etc. on a shelf for safe keeping while he is away in the military and he will be back for us once again when he comes back.
I think in the end, what he is saying is that he has finally accepted everything and is starting to come to terms with it all. However, he is still not 100% OK or happy yet, but he is slowly getting there. It's the power of the light that is produced by the "diamond" -- which represents the power from the fans -- that has helped him to find his place in this "Blue" world and to come to terms with everything.
That's just a little bit of what I took away from this MV, but I know there is so much more that can be discovered from it and so much more meaning behind every detail. We could probably go on for days analyzing everything and come up with multiple meanings for it all. :D
Onew did pretty well with this song and album, he received some pretty good feedback for his first release from his solo debut, and we wouldn't expect anything less from a member of SHINee. :D I am so proud of him!! Onew topped iTunes charts in 28 countries, topped the world charts and was No. 1 in the U.S. with this album all soon after release -- and that was without any promotions. :D
Je n'aurais pas dit mieux. Excellente analyse. 👍👏
Shinee can serve your soul from all angles....and you just left with joy, sadness, a smile and a deeper appreciation for music ....which blind sides you cos you are constantly asking..."How are they getting into my soul like this..."...
NOthng has prepared me for SHINee's hard hittng songs be it from their group or solo discography, i mean people think They're those RingDingDong guys, but they are actually multi-talented multi-faceted KINGS!
Oh boy....you are doing my week well...Thank you....Just Thank you...
Thank you ❤. Please reaction Taemin-Under my skin, and Want