Can you believe it guys? It has been five years since SHINee debuted on May 25. Although I wasn’t there since their start, I have seen SHINee grown as a group and as individual members. We Shawols cannot be anymore proud than we are today as we commemorate this special anniversary.
I can only imagine what SHINee’s thoughts were when they first debut - Will they like us? Are we talented enough to be as good as our seniors? Will we gain many fans? I can only understand how nervous they were. I’m sure that they didn’t expect to gain the popularity that they received first hand. But as they gained experience and fans, SHINee soon realized that their music and passion for performing had spread to diverse fans other than Koreans. They probably never knew they would develop such a strong international fan base in the first place.
But that’s what brings us to love SHINee - their talent, their charisma, their unique personalities, their happiness, and ultimately, their passion for music. Surely most of us understand very little Korean, but that doesn’t stop us from falling in love with their voices and their shining presence on stage. Just like Minho once said:
“The way Korean fans cheer for us is a bit different because they can understand the lyrics. For international fans, because they don’t understand the lyrics, I think they cheer more for our performance aspects. We heard that many people learn the Korean language because they love Korean culture and Korean music, and through that, they try to understand our songs. We’re really amazed by this and the effort that international fans put into learning Korean to tell us that they love us.”
With all of your songs and performances, Shawols do more than just understand - we connect. Because of you SHINee, we are all able to connect our emotions through the music you sing and the dances you perform. Your music and talent bring so many people together of different walks of life. That’s something I haven’t deeply experienced with other artists, groups, or even genre of music.
But most importantly, SHINee has saved many of us out of the darkness. They give us hope, strength, ambition, inspiration, and above all, happiness - whether it’s through smiles, laughs, and even tears. It’s a roller coaster of emotions whenever we see SHINee. For me, I would never take back the year-and-a-half that I’ve spent pouring my feelings out for these five shining boys. They will always be the OT5 that have changed my life, and I know every single member have changed all Shawols’ lives like mine.
SHINee, congratulations on your fifth anniversary! You always continue to make us proud and we will always be supporting you all every step of the way. We wish you many more years of success together and to go beyond the distance of your goals. No matter what negativity you may see or hear, just know that there are so many of us that will be strong and courageous for you. We won’t ever let you down <3
“SHINee World is strength for me. Because I get strength when I get cheers on the stage.” -Onew
“We are the SHINee, SHINee, SHINee, SHinee - Never gonna let you down.”
