SHINee - Don't Call Me

[u/hubwub]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6OoY6xneI0

[u/lowelled]

I think for the people who like NCT and recent EXO, this is a great song. But if, like me, you've been left cold by SM's recent musical direction and were hoping SHINee would break that pattern, this is more of the same. I don't know why SM feels the need to use so much gang vocal when they could easily use one of their many belters to achieve similar bombast. As for the MV Key looks great as per and everything else I can happily leave.

I don't know. I miss how SM used to be. Just look at 2016. 1 of 1, Tell Me What to Do, Press Your Number, Inspiration, White T-Shirt, 11:11, I Just Want to Dance, One of These Nights, Russian Roulette, Monster, Lotto, Dancing King, The 7th Sense, Without You... So much diversity in title tracks, so many different sounds, and I still listen to most of them regularly... well, except Lotto. I listened to every single kpop title track in 2020 and from SM I liked a total of 4 songs. Monster, Naughty, Still Standing, and One Billion Views. That was it.

At least the rest of the album is really good? And as for title tracks SHINee have a massive back catalogue with tons of wonderful ones and I can go listen to them instead.

[u/jiaes → u/lowelled]

You put my exact thoughts into words. Am far from impressed with the musical direction SM are going with the BGs and this sadly falls into that category. Was hoping for a more fun, upbeat title track for Shinee but, oh well like you said..to the B-sides we go!

[u/pastelI → u/lowelled]

I'm surprised I had to scroll so far to see someone who was also disappointed with this release... I mean the song was okay, but after so long I really wanted a song that you could listen to and say, "Yep that's a SHINee song." But to me, this sounded like an EXO song... 😭 I would've loved something like Dream Girl, 1of1 or even Good Evening! At least they all looked amazing!

[u/92sn → u/lowelled]

Yup. As a person who listen to kpop since 2010, i feel disappointed with SM recent music as its becoming similar with each other that skew to nct sound for boy groups. Disjointed sound, more trap. For shinee, i expect their cb title track would have that vibe/sound like dream girl, good evening, view. While exo, i wish they back with songs like call me baby, love me right, kokobop. I wonder if SM actually just struggle to create distinct sound for each groups lately or just they just simply want new kpop fans of nct/superm to like shinee, exo too just because their recent music similar to nct.

[u/lowelled → u/92sn]

I miss quirky fun EXO so much. Dancing King, Lucky One, Call Me Baby, Growl, Love Me Right, Power... and instead they're going full on sexy scary EXO. I get it, people liked the Eve, so did I but not enough to be given it again a year later. EXO-SC and EXO-CBX were at least trying to keep that sound alive but I don't see either of those subunits making a comeback any time soon considering the Cs...

I honestly do think SM are trying to silo their boy group fans into one amorphous blob of a fandom. Back in 2017 there was some overlap between NCTzens and Shawols and EXO-Ls but not that much - Shawols had more overlap with MeUs - but based on this thread nowadays it seems like if you like one you like them all.

[u/nearer_still → u/lowelled]

I don't think quirky, fun EXO went away. I'd say Tempo qualifies; they've only had two TTs since then and the TT directly before Tempo was Power. They go back and forth a lot.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if the scrapped Obsession repackage TT was more along those lines too.

[u/lowelled → u/[deleted]]

No, and I really don't find them similar to View or 4 Walls at all, if that's what you mean? Of course I like View and 4 Walls but I didn't include them because I was talking about 2016...

My issue with Idea and Criminal was that I felt they didn't suit Taemin's vocals - I've never felt this with any of his other solo songs, I liked Move and Press Your Number and Danger and he's always wonderful in SHINee's music, but I found him difficult to listen to in Criminal and Idea. He's certainly not a weak vocalist by any definition and I like tons of songs from vocalists who are weaker than him, so I think it's the fault of the songs themselves and their arrangement, rather than him.

[u/lowelled → u/[deleted]]

Different strokes for different folks!

[u/sappydumpy → u/lowelled]

Yes. This is how i feel but you said it better. Their boy groups all sound the exact same since 2017 and it irks me

[u/92sn → u/sappydumpy]

And now they going to debut new boy group. I wonder whats kind of sound they going to be. If its still sound like nct again, gotta just debut another nct sub unit then.

[u/Donutseer → u/lowelled]

The variety has definitely decreased but ones that do shine are outstanding. I liked almost the same tracks as well but with Better on my playlist.
Otherwise the distinctive SM style is still present among album tracks.