SHINee’s The Feeling has blossomed into an early summer season spotlight, buoyed by the group’s heavenly vocal mix and the tune’s driving vitality. I’m very grateful for its existence, and might be positioning it because the official title observe within the blissful (deluded?) alternate actuality I’ve constructed round SHINee’s new album. Sadly, the album’s precise title observe succumbs to lots of the tropes I concern most from fashionable SMent songs.

I’m hardest on the issues I like most, and my requirements for SHINee are sky-high. However hey… it’s their very own fault! They’ve launched too many legendary songs prior to now.

Exhausting makes an attempt to forge that legendary standing right into a braggadocios hip-hop dance showdown, fueled by the quirky manufacturing thrives that usually characterize the group’s music. However the tune itself feels slight and repetitive. There’s an excessive amount of telling and too little displaying, and this strategy feels beneath a gaggle of SHINee’s caliber. They actually don’t have to show their “hardness.” It feels nearly foolish to take action.

I admire a few of the observe’s off-kilter instrumental moments. The piano is a pleasant contact, and Exhausting thrives at any time when it drops into an old-school 90’s hip-hop beat. Nonetheless, I hate the refrain. The spoken-word hook follows a circulation we’ve heard numerous occasions earlier than. It’s boring and apparent and sacrifices SHINee’s greatest asset: their killer vocals. The Okay-pop business is already full of teams who chant and swagger. Do we actually want SHINee doing this, too?

Flashes of melody pop up through the pre-chorus, however by no means quantity to a lot. As a substitute, the tune circles round itself. That non-starter of a refrain lurks round each nook, robbing the observe of a way of construct or storytelling. Even a well-delivered Onew energy be aware feels tacked on as courtesy. I can’t imagine I’m ranking a SHINee title observe decrease than “8,” however after two years’ wait this must be the 12 months’s greatest disappointment to date.

Grade: C