SHINee Dream Girl Album Review and Information

SHINee's Dream Girl album will be released in two parts, referred to as chapters. Chapter 1, known as The Misconceptions of You, was released on February 19, 2013. The Dream Girl album combines two different concepts together, thus showcasing their music style in two different ways. According to Jonghyun, the album concept itself is SHINee's secret weapon. Taemin explained that each member's individuality shines through his voice. Jonghyun agreed: "We know each other's strengths, so we split up the parts according to who can shine on what. We had fun working on the album." After listening to the album, I can't stop listening to it over and over. I love how the parts are divided, the way their vocal colors blend together to form a beautiful song, and how each track stands out from the rest in a unique way.

Dream Girl Chapter 2: The Misconception of Me will be released in April, and I created a new page for my review on the second chapter as this one is a bit long.

What's New?

April 22, 2013 - Why So Serious? Video Teaser Released

April 23, 2013 - The Misconceptions of Me Highlight Medley - Every song sounds amazing and makes me even more excited for the album release. I think that The Misconceptions of Me will be even better than the first chapter of Dream Girl.

April 26, 2013 - Why So Serious? The Misconceptions of Me Digital Album Release

April 26, 2013 - SHINee's 2nd Chapter Comeback Stage on Music Bank

April 29, 2013 - Why So Serious? The Misconceptions of Me Physical Album Release

SHINee Music Spoiler was a special event held on February 14, 2013. The attendees were 100 music reviewers, but parts of the occasion were filmed and uploaded with English subtitles by LOEN Entertainment. SHINee Music Spoiler provides an overview of the Dream Girl album, stage talk with SHINee, and a performance of a song, I Can't Leave You, that will be released on Chapter 2 of Dream Girl. I Can't Leave You impressed me so much, and I think it will be one of the best songs from the Dream Girl album. I can't wait for the second chapter to be released, especially because of how amazing I Can't Leave You is. I was pleasantly surprised by Key and Taemin's singing, and as always Jonghyun blew me away with his talented singing.

The first video is the full Dream Girl Comeback Showcase without English subtitles. It has the best quality, so I included it. The following videos are the comeback showcase with English subtitles in sequential order. As of right now, not all of the clips are subbed, but I am keeping an eye out for the missing subtitles. Additionally, the songs that they sing are not subbed, but all other dialogue is, so you will be able to understand what the SHINee members say during the talking portions of the Dream Girl Comeback Showcase.

SHINee Dream Girl Comeback Showcase begins with performances of Lucifer and Sherlock. Afterward, the MC introduces SHINee and asks each SHINee member to inform everyone about what he has been busy with before their comeback. A few clips from the SHINee Music Spoiler are showed, and then SHINee performs Aside and Replay. After that, SHINee takes another break from singing and dancing to converse with the MC about their Dream Girl album and their favorite songs from it. SHINee also grants five fan wishes. Next, the SHINee Dream Girl Highlight Medley is played. After the short medley, SHINee performs Beautiful and I Can't Leave You. Before their final performance of their title track (Dream Girl), they show clips from the Dream Girl photo shoot and making of the Dream Girl music video. The MC wraps up the showcase by allowing each SHINee member to say something to the audience.

My Rating: 5/5

Spoiler, written by Jonghyun, artistically weaves in the names of all of the songs on Chapter 1 The Misconception of You into the lyrics. I suspect that he also included some of the track names from Chapter 2 in Spoiler, but we will have to wait and see. I really like when musicians do this because it serves as a nice intro track, particularly when done so seamlessly as in Spoiler. The melody for this song is also very unique and on the loopy side. It makes me excited to hear the next tracks on the album, especially because they say in the lyrics “You didn't even imagine about this spoiler. It's too early to be surprised. It'll be shocking just like always with things you couldn't even predict.” Another aspect of Spoiler that I love is how SHINee subtly tries seduces the listener both through words and voices.

My Rating: 5/5

Dream Girl is a song about searching for and loving someone who doesn't really exist. Sometimes people fall for someone and months later or even years later, they realize that they never truly knew that person. The person wasn't who they thought, thus being someone who doesn't actually exist. When you fall in love, you may not be able to see the flaws that others can or even ignore those faults, romanticizing them: “I only see the perfect you in my eyes.” Other people have such high standards that they are basically seeking the perfect person, and never find that dream girl/boy.

[Watch the Dream Girl music video]

My Rating: 5/5

Hitchhiking is a very SHINee-esque song with an abundance of lovely high notes. The lyrics embrace a time travel theme mixed with the hitchhiking concept. Because hitchhiking is typically not considered something futuristic, it's interesting to mesh time travel with hitchhiking. In addition, the lyrics are very visual and evocative, forming wonderful images of traveling through the galaxy as a time traveler in your mind. To me hitchhiking is about being determined to fix a relationship with someone that went completely wrong for some reason. You will stop at nothing to redeem what you once had, turning it into something even better. This song also reminds me of the quote "It's not the destination that's important, but the journey." Therefore, I think Hitchhiking is also about enjoying your life while you have it. If you forget to savor the little moments, then you will end up regretting it when you're older.

My Rating: 5/5

In contrast to Hitchhiking's futuristic time-travel feel, Punch Drunk Love takes it back in time a little with a retro pop sound to it and boxing analogies expertly weaved in the clever lyrics. This powerful track with an 80s feel to it also features soulful singing, which adds to its uniqueness. Jonghyun's, Onew's, and Key's parts in this song are my favorite, although the other two members are excellent as well. I think that Minho's deep and soothing voice grounds the intense singing of the other members quite nicely. Punch Drunk Love is about being overwhelmed with love for someone, but refusing to give up on receiving the same passionate love in return. No matter what is thrown your way, you push through it all. This is one of my favorite songs from the Dream Girl album, and I would love to have more songs like this out of SHINee.

My Rating: 5/5

Girls, Girls, Girls is a more simplistic and playful song about what girls fall for her. What makes this song unique is that the lyrics are catered to each member's defining qualities. In addition, the song is more of a debate amongst the members over what makes a girl fall for you: staying on top of trends, wearing stylish clothing, taking her shopping, whispering sweet nothings in her ear, having the perfect face and height, playing piano and singing for her, etc. The youngest member, Taemin, sings the lines expressing confusion over the advice, which makes the song more amusing. While there are other songs that give dating advice, Girls, Girls, Girls does it in a fun, argumentative, distinctive way.

My Rating: 3/5

Aside is a love song about waiting for someone to be single again, so you can make your move on him/her.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Beautiful is a sweet song about accepting someone as he/she is and wanting to comfort that person. You think that everything about the person is beautiful, including the aspects that may be ugly to others.

My Rating: 5/5

Dynamite is an aggressive and powerful song about having overwhelming feelings for someone and setting out to make them feel the same way about you. The lyrics are very sensual, and the entire song has a seductive, sexy feel to it that complements them nicely. In particular, I love the aggressive “come and get me” at the end and Jonghyun's “feel it” throughout this song. I also think that Onew's voice shines in powerful songs like Dynamite and Punch Drunk Love. Jonghyun's voice pulls off the powerful, sexy vibe as well. I am hoping for more songs like Dynamite, Punch Drunk Love, and Spoiler. While they have certain aspects in common, they also stand out.

My Rating: 5/5

Runaway is an funky and catchy song about letting go of your worries and fears and living in the moment. This is essentially the carpe diem song of SHINee's The Misconception of You. The only thing that I dislike about Runaway is the ending because it sounds like something being stabbed, which is a bit weird and doesn't match the style of the song. Hey love, let's runaway, so I can kill you and bury you somewhere where no one can find you! At least that's what I thought when I heard the strange ending. Regardless, I still love this cute, carefree song and give it a 5/5. I'm probably the only one who thought that about the ending anyways. Maybe the sound is accidentally crashing your car or something because you were too caught up in having fun. Am I crazy? If someone could explain the sound at the end, I would like that.

Including Solo Activities

Shindong's ShimShim Tapa

Blue Night

Club Octagon

K-Pop Star 2

Dream Girl Fansigning #2 at the Shinsegae Department Store in Incheon

Dream Girl Fansigning #3 at the Daewoo Department Store in Busan

Dream Girl Fansigning #4 at the Novotel City Center Hotel in Daegu

Mnet Beatles Code 2 Part 1

KBS-2 Hello

Gayo Plaza

Hidden Singer

KBS Open Concert

SHINee's Wonderful Day (Episode 4)

Magic Concert [Key + Onew]

2 O'Clock Escape Cultwo Show [Key, Jonghyun, Minho + Onew]

Gag Concert [Key, Jonghyun, Minho + Onew]

Vitamin [Taemin]

Dream Girl Fansigning #5 at the Land Cinema in Yongsan

Music City

Google+ Hangout

Hong Jin Kyung's 2 O'Clock [Jonghyun, Minho, + Taemin]

Jung Seon Hee's A Night Like This [Jonghyun, Minho, + Taemin]

Yoo Hee Yeol's Sketchbook

Love Game

K-Pop Festival Music Bank in Jakarta

Yoon Do Hyun's MUST

Beatles Code 2 Part 2

Star King [Jonghyun, Minho, + Taemin]

1000 Song Challenge [Key + Onew]

SHINee's Wonderful Day (Episode 5)

Jille Magazine SHINee Talk 2 You Vol.5

Dream Girl Fansigning #6 at the U-Plex in Seodaemun-gu

Healing Cafe [Jonghyun]

KBS 25th Korea PD Awards Celebration Concert

Volume Up

Dream Girl Fansigning #7 at the COEX Mall in Gangnam-gu

Gangnam Feel Dance Academy

MBC 2013 Korean Music Wave in Bangkok

Rooftop Radio

Dream Girl Fansigning #8 at the Lotte Department Store at the Gimpo Airport Branch [Key, Jonghyun, Onew, + Taemin]

Dream Girl Fansigning #9 at the Daejeon Jung-gu Cultural Center [Jonghyun, Key, Onew, + Taemin]

Dream Girl Fansigning #10 at the Kyobo Bookstore Hottracks [Jonghyun, Key, Onew, + Taemin]

Starry Night

Season 2 of Let's Go Dream Team! Special Episode in Vietnam [Minho]

Dream Girl Fansigning #11 at the Lotte Cinema at the Cheongryangri Branch

KBSN Sports La Liga Show [Minho]

Golden Camera [Onew]

Star King [Jonghyun, Minho + Taemin]

Dream Girl Fansigning #12 at the CGV Cinema at the Ilsan Branch

Seoul Fashion Week [Key + Minho]

SHINee's Wonderful Day (Episode 7)

Generation Empathy Saturday [Key + Minho]

Miracle Korea [Jonghyun + Onew]

Newsen 8th Anniversary Party [Jonghyun + Onew]

Corso Como Seoul Melody Launch Party [Key, Minho, + Taemin]

Springroove Tokyo

K-Pop Star 2 Special Stage with Andrew Choi

SHINee's Wonderful Day (Episode 8)

Weekly Idol Part 1

Mamma Mia [Minho]

2013 S/S Seoul Girl's Collection [Key, Onew, Minho, + Taemin]

SHINee's Wonderful Day (Episode 9)

Our Neighborhood's Fine Arts and Physical Education [Minho]

Weekly Idol Part 2

Season 2 of Let's Go Dream Team! Special Episode in Vietnam (Episode 2) [Minho]

Etude's Mini Me Be My Princess Perfume Press Conference [Key, Onew, Minho, + Taemin] - The members of SHINee are creating their own perfumes, which will be available in May. They had a say in both the concept of the perfume and the design of the packaging.

SHINee's Wonderful Day (Episode 10)

Season 2 of Let's Go Dream Team! Special Episode in Vietnam (Episode 3) [Minho]

K-Pop Collection in Seoul

Andira's Review

1KPOPREVIEW's Review of Dream Girl MV

Review of Dream Girl song