Though he long thought ballads suited him best, SHINee’s Onew has turned to dance music on “Illusion,” his new single album out on Tuesday, to challenge his own misconception about his voice.
“I’ve often been told that I have a good voice, so I always thought that slower songs, such as ballads, suited me the most,” Onew said in a Q. and A. released by his agency Griffin Entertainment on Tuesday.
“But whenever I thought about which genres I perform best, dance music was always on the list. To challenge my own misconception about myself as a singer, I decided to make the main lead track, ‘Illusion,’ a dance song.
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“Illusion” is set for release at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
The upcoming single album explores the emotions that arise from how people interpret the same experience differently.
It features three songs: the title track “Illusion”; “Mind Game,” featuring singer Yuju; and “Tic Tac Toe,” featuring rapper Zico. All three will serve as lead tracks.
Onew also contributed to every song, including writing the lyrics and composing, further expanding his role in music production.
“Each of the three has its own distinct appeal, and I paid the most attention to their lyrics,” Onew said.
The singer added that he hopes that the album will give listeners something worth reflecting on.
“I wanted to give listeners something to think deeply about after hearing the songs, even if [that thought] occurs just once,” he said.
With “Illusion” marking his first physical single album, Onew also thanked his fans for encouraging him to keep trying new things.
“Thanks to all of you [my fans], I feel like I’m always inspired to try new things,” he said. “Nothing would make me happier than if you enjoyed this single album as well. I hope that you’ll continue to support me.”
Onew debuted as a member of SHINee under SM Entertainment in May 2008. The now four-member group — Onew, Taemin, Minho and Key — rose to prominence in the 2010s with hits such as “Replay” (2008), “Ring Ding Dong” (2009), “Sherlock (Clue + Note)” (2012) and “View” (2015).
He signed with Griffin Entertainment in 2024, becoming the agency’s first artist.
Since starting his solo career in 2018, Onew has released various projects in Korea and Japan. He has also pursued a career as an actor and appeared in the KBS drama “Descendants of the Sun” (2016).
