Sherlock (EP)

Sherlock is the fourth EP of the South Korean boy group Shinee. The EP consists of seven tracks, including the title song "Sherlock (Clue + Note)", a "hybrid remix" of two songs. It was released on March 21, 2012, in South Korea under the label SM Entertainment, and was distributed by KT Music. The EP was made available online worldwide on March 19, 2012. It was Shinee's first Korean release after a year and six months hiatus.

Sherlock
EP by
Shinee
ReleasedMarch 19, 2012 (2012-03-19)
GenreK-pop
Length25:37
LanguageKorean
LabelSM Entertainment
Producer
Shinee chronology
The First
(2011)		 Sherlock
(2012)		 Boys Meet U
(2013)
Singles from Sherlock
  1. "Sherlock (Clue + Note)"
    Released: March 19, 2012
Music video
"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" on YouTube

The EP was commercially successful—the title track topped the Gaon Digital Chart, while the EP charted at number one on the Gaon Album Chart. It was the fifth best-selling album of the year in South Korea, with over 180,000 copies sold. It also placed tenth on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums and fifth on the Billboard World Albums charts.

Background and release

Sherlock was Shinee's first Korean release after a year-and-a-half hiatus since the reissue Hello in October 2010 due to their Japanese debut and promotions in 2011. The EP was physically released on March 21, 2012, but was made available online worldwide on March 19 through online music sites such as Melon and iTunes.[1][2]

The choreography for "Sherlock (Clue + Note)" is characterized by a distinctive style, and is the work of the choreographer Tony Testa.[3][4]

The music video for the title song was released on March 22. It was directed by Cho Su-hyun and shot in early March at the studios in Namyangju. Shinee can be seen in an 1800s-like museum acting like detectives working on a case. Girls’ Generation's Jessica makes a special appearance in the music video as a mysterious female lead who offers a decisive clue in figuring out the incident.[5] The music video exceeded one million views in a single day.[6]

Composition

The EP consists of seven songs in a variety of styles, including "Stranger", the main theme song of Strangers 6, with a melody composed by Kenzie. The song was first released in Japanese, as a bonus track on their debut Japanese album The First.[7][8] The lead single "Sherlock (Clue + Note)" is a "hybrid remix", which means it consists of two independent songs ("Clue" and "Note") remixed together to create a new song.[9] The lyrics describe Sherlock's solving of a crime through logical "clues" and intuitive "notes". The title song combines the lyrics from the two songs to create a single storyline.[8]

A Japanese version of "Sherlock (Clue + Note)", written by Natsumi Kobayashi, was included as one of the two tracks on their fourth Japanese CD single "Sherlock", which was released on May 16, 2012, with the Japanese original song "Keeping Love Again" as a B-side.[10]

"Honesty" was written by member Jonghyun with the help of bandmate Minho, who wrote the rap lyrics, and expresses the group's appreciation towards their fans. "The Reason" features a guitar solo and strings, while "Alarm Clock" was also written by Jonghyun and tells about a man who wants to wake up from the nightmares of a breakup. Minho participated in composing the rap.[8]

Artwork and packaging

The packaging for Sherlock contains six booklets: one for each member and another containing the CD.[11][12] The album artwork was revealed sequentially from March 8, starting with photos of a half-naked Minho as a "French boy".[13][14] The photoshoot drew attention for its use of nudity and suggestive poses,[15][16] as well as Shinee's skinny, "almost prepubescent" bodies.[17] The members dieted for two weeks before the photoshoot.[18] Shinee stated that the aim was to show the bodyline, and bright lighting was used to obscure their muscles. Despite this, Jonghyun's muscles were still visible and had to be digitally removed.[19] The photoshoot was controversial for its sexual nature,[20] with some fans accusing creative director Min Hee-jin of promoting shotacon.[21] In an interview with KBS program Entertainment Weekly, Taemin commented that he wanted to look like an adult, but his body resembled that of a child instead.[22]

Commercial performance and reception
Shinee performing "Sherlock (Clue + Note)" at the MBC Korean Music Wave in Bangkok on March 16, 2013

On March 22, 2012, the group started their official promotions and performed the title song for the first on M! Countdown.[23] This was followed by appearances on other South Korean music programs such as Inkigayo and Music Bank.[2]

The EP sold over 135,000 copies at release and ranked number one on the Gaon Album Chart, making it the best-selling release of March 2012.[24] It was the fifth best-selling album of the year in South Korea, with over 180,000 copies sold.[25] It placed at number five on the Billboard World Albums chart and number ten on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.[26][27][28] In April, the group won first place for two consecutive weeks on Music Bank and three times on Inkigayo. Shinee performed their final music stage on MBC's Music Core on April 21, 2012.[29]

Hwang Sunup of IZM magazine gave the EP 3.5 out of 5 stars, praising the experimental attempt to create the title track "Sherlock" by mixing up "Clue" and "Note" as well as the lyrics for each song. However, he was disappointed with the remaining songs on the EP, stating these feel more ordinary compared to the impact of the first three tracks.[30]

Accolades
Awards and nominations for Sherlock
Ceremony Year Category Result Ref.
Golden Disc Awards 2013 Disc Bonsang Won [31]
Disc Daesang Nominated
Red Dot Design Award 2014 Communication Design – Music Packaging Won [12]

Track listing
Sherlock track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Sherlock (Clue + Note)" (셜록; Syeollok)Jo Yoon-kyung
  • Thomas Troelsen
  • Rufio Sandilands (Pegasus)
  • Rocky Morris (Pegasus)
  • Thomas Eriksen
3:57
2."Clue"Jo
  • Troelsen
  • Eriksen
  • Troelsen
  • Eriksen
3:37
3."Note"Jo
  • Troelsen
  • Sandilands
  • Morris
  • Troelsen
  • Pegasus
2:46
4."Alarm Clock" (알람시계; Allamsigye)
  • Scarlett
  • BNA Productions
  • James
3:59
5."The Reason"Kwak So-youngSim Eun-jeeYoo Han-jin4:17
6."Stranger (Korean Version)" (낯선자; Natseonja)
  • Kim Jeong-bae
  • Minho[a]
KenzieKenzie3:13
7."Honesty" (늘 그 자리에; Neul Geu Jari-e)
  • Jonghyun
  • Minho[a]
Brandon FraleyFraley3:52
Total length:25:37
Notes
  • ^[a] Minho is credited for writing the rap lyrics.

Charts

Release history
Release history and formats for Sherlock
Region Date Format Label
Various March 19, 2012
South Korea March 21, 2012 CD

References
  1. Sunwoo, Carla (March 13, 2012). "SHINee to release track list of new album 'Sherlock' next week". Korea Joongang Daily. Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  2. Lee, Nancy (March 19, 2012). "SHINee Records All-Kill on Music Charts with Comeback Album". CJ E&M enewsWorld via Mwave. Archived from the original on December 24, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
  3. Kim, Jae-bum (March 16, 2012). "베일 벗은 샤이니 새 앨범 '셜록'…"들어보니"". E Today (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  4. Kwon, Su-bin (March 14, 2012). "샤이니 민낯도 굴욕無, 유명안무가 토니 테스타와 인증샷 공개". Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  5. Kwon, Su-bin (March 22, 2012). "샤이니 '셜록' 뮤비 오늘(22일) 드디어 공개, 소시 제시카 특별출연 [SHINee to soon unveil Sherlock MV ft. Jessica]". Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  6. Kwon, Su-bin (March 23, 2012). "샤이니 '셜록' 뮤비, 공개 하루 만에 조회수 100만 건 돌파 [SHINee's "Sherlock" MV exceeds 1 million views in a single day]". Sports Chosun (in Korean). Nate. Archived from the original on September 22, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  7. "SHINee to Perform 'Sherlock' and ′Stranger' on 'M Countdown'". CJ E&M enewsWorld. Archived from the original on December 24, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  8. Kwon, Su-bin (March 16, 2012). "샤이니 '셜록' 공개임박, 종현 작사-민호 랩메이킹 멤버참여도↑". Newsen. Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  9. "SHINee's 'Sherlock' to be a Hybrid Remix". March 13, 2012. Archived from the original on December 24, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  10. "しゃいにー - シングル "sherlock"" [Oricon Singles - Shinee's "Sherlock"]. Oricon (in Japanese). May 23, 2012. Archived from the original on September 25, 2017. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  11. Lee, Seon-hee (April 29, 2012). 음반, 고급스럽고 화려해졌다 [The album has become luxurious and splendid]. Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). Retrieved July 11, 2023 – via Naver.
  12. "Shinee – Sherlock (Music Packaging)". Red Dot. August 17, 2014. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  13. Kim, Ji-yeon (March 8, 2012). "Shinee To Comeback in Korea with 'Sherlock'". CJ E&M enewsWorld. Translated by Lee, Ju-ahn. Archived from the original on October 31, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2023 – via Mwave.
  14. Kang, Ju-il (March 8, 2012). 샤이니 민호가 벗었다 [Shinee's Minho took off his clothes]. Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  15. Lee, Nancy (March 9, 2012). "Shinee Drops More Clues With Taemin's Teaser Photos". CJ E&M enewsWorld. Archived from the original on October 31, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2023 – via Mwave.
  16. Hwang, Mi-hyun (March 12, 2012). '상반신 노출' 샤이니, 컴백 앞두고 소년에서 남자로 ['Upper body exposure' Shinee, from boy to man ahead of comeback]. Osen (in Korean). Retrieved July 11, 2023 – via Naver.
  17. Ho, Stewart (March 12, 2012). "What Happened to the Once Muscular Frame of Shinee's Minho?". CJ E&M enewsWorld. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2023 – via Mwave.
  18. Won, Min-sun (March 23, 2012). '연예가중계' 샤이니 컴백 밀착 취재, 연습실 현장 단독 공개 ['Entertainment Weekly': Close coverage of Shinee's comeback, exclusively revealing the practice room]. Xports News (in Korean). Retrieved July 11, 2023 – via Naver.
  19. 샤이니 종현, 근육이 드래곤볼 수준? "CG로 지울정도" [Shinee's Jonghyun's muscles are like Dragon Ball? "To the point of erasing with CG."]. Sports Dong-a (in Korean). March 26, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023 – via Naver.
  20. Glasby, Taylor (July 18, 2018). "Looking back at K-pop group Shinee's extraordinary 10-year career". Dazed. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  21. Kim, Seo-yun (July 28, 2022). '민희진' 이름표 단 뉴진스, 르세라핌 넘어 하이브 대표 걸그룹 넘보나[TEN피플]. Ten Asia (in Korean). Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  22. Lee, Na-rae (March 24, 2012). 태민 자기자랑 "제가 원래 얼굴이 예뻐요" [Taemin boasts, "I have a pretty face."]. Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). Retrieved July 11, 2023 – via Naver.
  23. Sunwoo, Carla (March 20, 2012). "SHINee receives warm welcome back". Korea Joongang Daily. Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  24. "Album Sales for March 2012 (see #1)" (in Korean). Gaon Charts. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  25. "Sales for 2012 (see #5)" (in Korean). Gaon Charts. Archived from the original on October 8, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  26. Billboard Heatseekers Albums
  27. Billboard Charts
  28. Lee, Jung-hyuk (April 16, 2012). "샤이니, 이번주 끝으로 국내활동 마무리. 일본 투어 나선다". Sports Chosun. Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
  29. "샤이니, '셜록' 이번주 활동 마감…日 아레나 투어 돌입". Asia Today (in Korean). April 16, 2012. Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
  30. Hwang Sunup. "Sherlock Review by IZM" (in Korean). IZM. Archived from the original on September 2, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  31. "Golden Disk Awards, the 27th winners". Golden Disc Awards. Archived from the original on February 6, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  32. "Sherlock (EP) (2012)". March 18–24, 2012. Archived from the original on July 5, 2016.
  33. "Sherlock (EP) (2012)". March 2012. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
  34. "Gaon Album Chart: 2012 (Year-End)" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017.
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