Here I am with my first review since returning from my week off. You know I have to start with the biggest comeback from last week – SHINee’s grand return to the KPOP scene with their 8th studio album and title track, both titled HARD. The group previously pre-released The Feeling a few weeks back, raising the excitement for this comeback. HARD also celebrates the group’s 15th anniversary since their debut back in 2008 with Replay, one of the most iconic and legendary KPOP debut songs that have stood the test of time. Unfortunately, only three members (Key, Minho & Taemin) promoted the comeback on stage, with Onew sitting out due to health issues.

My first impression of HARD was that it felt too hip-hop oriented for SHINee. It actually sounded more like a NCT release than a SHINee release, and I wasn’t exactly sure what I honestly thought about that. But as usual, the power of multiple listens since its release has helped HARD grow on for me. I still don’t see the SHINee influence, but I find HARD to be strongly executed (as one expects when it comes to a SHINee comeback) and its production and energy to be one of the strongest points of the track. I really liked how ‘hard’ the track ended up going in the hip-hop direction, especially when it came to the choruses. The choruses kick off with an anti-drop and whispery vocal approach, which help builds anticipation to the second half, which is where the energy peaks and HARD feels very hype, 90s and punchy. There is also a catchy appeal to the chorus here. KEY’s take on the whispery half of the chorus was the best version in the song, while Minho’s execution of the second half during the second run at the central piece was my standout. As for the verses, they were not as memorable. They contain a bit of the hip-hop influence in its backing, with the first verse pairing it off with piano flourishes and the second verse doesn’t do too much else than electronic elements. The piano flourishes gives HARD a trendy dynamic and allows the song to dip into a melodic mode for the pre-choruses and bridge. Vocally, the group doesn’t miss a beat and delivery another strong track. Unsurprisingly, they do branch out into a rap-like territory, which allows them to fit more neatly into the hip-hop driven HARD. While this hip-hop side of SHINee is a bit foreign to me still, HARD has grown immensely on me.

As for the music video, I felt like the video had that SHINee artistic flair, which fits it neatly into the SHINee videography. The sets look quite cool, such as the twisty piano keys structure and the broken/smashed piano set. The stylists did an amazing job with their outfits for this comeback. It had a modern flair, but felt very appropriate for the 90s hip-hop music influence. It is also nice to see ONEW make an appearance in the video alongside the other three members, albeit not as much in the choreography side of the video. I do hope he is doing okay.

A strong performance rounds out this comeback. They really embraced the hip-hop influence of the song in the choreography. I really liked the routine for the choruses, starting off with small and softer movements to fit with the whispery vocal approach and then stepping it up with a bouncy on-the-spot bop in the second half where the music was livelier and hype-like.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8/10