[Album Review] Good & Great (2nd Mini Album) – KEY (SHINee)

KEY from SHINee made his comeback in September 2023 with his 2nd mini-album, Good & Great, another album title that shares its name with the title track from the mini-album. In total, 6 songs featured on this mini-album – all of which have now been reviewed in this album review post. Check them out below! Good & Great follows on from KEY’s promotions for Killer that occurred earlier in the year and SHINee’s 15th year anniversary comeback with HARD.

1. Good & Great (Title Track) – Click here for the full review for Good & Great. (7/10)

2. Can’t Say Goodbye – KEY goes down the funky and groovy direction with Can’t Say Goodbye. Retro synths were used to lead us down this path. And in combination with KEY’s vocals, which were really clear in Can’t Say Goodbye, you have a very nostalgic and enjoyable track. The instrumental break was really great, conforming with the retro groove and funk direction quite easily but also breaking up the song to not sound overly consistent. The deep percussion that leads into the final chorus was also pretty good at this, as well. (9/10)

3. Intoxicating – Continuing on that groovy direction is Intoxicating. It really embraces the grooviness, and does so with a more mature vibe, which I am totally digging. KEY nails the vocal component of Intoxicating, helping to bringing that mature vibe to life. I really liked how he soars in the chorus and his ad-libs in the final moments, which instantly takes the track to a whole new level. My biggest gripe about the song is that it felt a little too consistent throughout. I just wished there was something in Intoxicating to offset that. (8.5/10)

4. Live Without You – That deep vibrating sound in the back serves up an intriguing start to Live Without You. And if you know me, that attracts my attention. The verses add in a consistent percussive beat, but also a decelerating pre-chorus. Interesting indeed. Come to the chorus, we get some light guitar riffs and bubbly synths to the mix. And as a recurring theme, KEY showcases his vocal abilities once again, especially in the chorus. I also like how KEY opts for a lower register for the bridge. All of this makes Live Without You a moodier (relative to the other songs on this mini-album) and almost angsty track. (9/10)

5. CoolAs – CoolAs is a total vibe. I LOVE the delivery of CoolAs, with KEY casual vocals and the more spoken delivery of the chorus. It is bold without being bold. The instrumentation opts back to the groovy motif that we heard earlier on this mini-album, but it feels a lot more subtle but also concentrated. I can totally imagine a really sassy dance routine where KEY and the dancers have a straight face on, but their movements and body totally is taken over by the energy that comes from CoolAs. And it is done in a way that is not comedic or taken lightly. (10/10)

6. Mirror, Mirror – The final track on this mini-album is titled Mirror, Mirror. It is a track that KEY penned himself, and you can feel that with how raw his vocals get in this track. The instrumental takes on an R&B profile, and I enjoyed how peaceful this track feels following on the more energy filled tracks that we had before this one. I like how the melodies elicit that swaying effect here, as well, without trying too hard. (8/10)