I managed to speak to a fan that attended SHINee’s 샤이니 first concert, since Jonghyun’s 종현 passing in December 2017. She attended both Tokyo and Kyocera, what a lucky girl! Yoograms gave us a detailed account of her experience, and I’m so grateful for this; as it gives those who couldn’t attend some comfort. As well as a deeper insight of the shows, the atmosphere and overall how things will be “From Now On.”If you could please introduce yourself?
Hello, this is Yoograms! I’m a SHINee 샤이니 World in her 20’s, haha. I might ring a bell in some people’s minds if I bring up how I’m the one who did an Instagram live stream for SHINee’s 샤이니 recent Kyocera Dome concert. I also used to live tweet on my past Twitter account, which is now deleted. A little fact about me is that I moved to Japan with SHINee 샤이니being my main reason. (University is just a backup excuse hehehe. If my family ends up reading this, that shouldn’t have been all too surprising, should it?)
How long have you been a fan of SHINee 샤이니, and what’s the first song of theirs that you heard?
I’ve been a fan since 2008, all thanks to our house helper who frequently left the TV on music channels haha. The first SHINee샤이니 song I heard was “Amigo. 아미고“
Who’s your SHINee 샤이니 bias?
I love them all, really. One moment, you’d catch me losing myself over Taemin 태민, then next minute I’d be all over Key 키. It’s complicated haha But maybe, I like Taemin 태민 just 0.718% more ;).
What’s your favourite SHINee 샤이니 song? Either Korean or Japanese.
That’s honestly one of the hardest questions haha. Allow me to list 5, for each member’s sake.
- “Kimi Ga Iru Sekai”
- “I’m With You”
- ” Jojo”
- “Spoiler”
- “Diamond Sky.”
If you were to make me choose which specific one to listen to for an entire day, then probably “Kimi Ga Iru Sekai”…? Or maybe “Jojo.” I don’t know!
Had you seen SHINee perform before this?
Yes, I’ve been seeing them since 2011!
What was the atmosphere like before and during the show?
I feel like a lot of us were nervous before the show, and I think we were sure that somewhere along the way, we’d end up crying in the concert. It was like half “I’m excited to show the boys that we’re still here and cheering on for them” and half nervous, I would say. And a couple of people I was with were confused with our own feelings because we had the “Oh, we’re seeing SHINee!”, “Oh, there’s something off-” and “Crap, how are we going to face this?” thoughts inside all at the same time. In the concerts themselves, I was filled with so many emotions but I could at least say that I felt safe. Every performance brought a different atmosphere with it, but the safety and comfort SHINee World brought was all throughout for me. Apart from being seatmates with a friend, the others around us were really kind. It felt good to finally be back and surrounded by people who understood (and were quick to help when you break down).
Are there any specific moments that stood out for you at all?
During the concert? Definitely. First would be when they used an air balloon to travel around the dome and say hi to fans who were seated in high seats. Second, is more fan specific rather than SHINee 샤이니, because it was when SHINee World would comfort each other when the tears would come. That moment, I swear, made me realize that – this. This is an amazing family, and I’m thankful I’m in it because it’s only filled with such caring and nice people. Third would be when Key 키 looked up and said “Love You” to Jonghyun 종현. The last would be the boys’ final stage when they left a space, a mic and even a rose for Jonghyun종현. I can’t say anything else about that other than that it hit me hard.
This definitely was a difficult time for the guys, without a doubt. What kind of feel did you get from Minho 민호, Taemin 태민, Key 키 and Onew 온유?
They must’ve felt pressure and perhaps nervousness as well, but they managed to do well and they did seem more warmed up when they got closer to the fans. I really felt their effort and I’m just really proud of them. If there’s a bigger word than proud, then do let me know because I felt more than extremely proud of them. The vocal power, the performances, especially the strength it takes to actually get up on stage after what happened. They’re really strong and brave men. I have so much respect for them, I just want to give them a big pat on the back and tell them that their hard work truly paid off.
inSEOULuble: I personally feel that they came back very soon, and the rest time wasn’t enough. But I commend SHINee for this, and it shows that they wanted to do this for their fans and for Jonghyun 종현. This may even have helped themselves personally. They’re strong-hearted, brave men.
I’m very interested to know how SHINee adapted the choreography and singing parts. Is there anything you can tell us about this?
Vocal wise, some parts were covered by the other boys. Because they did cover Jonghyun’s 종현 parts, they actually got to show more of their vocals. I was actually left lost for words when Jonghyun 종현’s long/high notes were covered. SHINee’s 샤이니 vocals were good to begin with, but I’d say they showcased stronger ones this tour. Choreographies were altered as well. What hit me the most was when Minho 민호 had two glasses held up for “Everybody”; one for him and one for Jonghyun 종현.
I’m sure you made some friends at the concert or met up with old friends? Could you elaborate on this?
For like an hour, I got to hang out with some international Shawols that I’ve always been meeting up with for concerts. The rest of the day was spent with J-Shawols and a Danish friend of mine. I met her online and it was her first time to both Japan and a Dome concert, so I brought her along with me, everywhere. It was actually really fun to help her out through Japan and the concert experience, and yes I got her to queue for goods with me at 5 in the morning haha! She doesn’t speak Japanese, but her encounter with the J-Shawols was pretty heart-warming. I had to translate every now and then, or they used apps when I was away; but it was nice to find that despite the language barrier, their emotions were shared. There were hugs and tissue-passing going on; and though the reason behind the tissues was heart clenching, it was nice to see how different Shawols were there for each other.
inSEOULuble: The above really touched my heart when I read it. Music really brings people together. Strangers from far and wide can bond so quickly, and comfort one another over a mutual love for something.
Did Shawols do anything special for this day?
Shawols did for Tokyo Dome. For Kyocera, we were all just left in shock.
How was the ambiance between everyone in the build-up to the show?
It was a rollercoaster ride, to be honest. We’d be going from crying to squealing, to crying again even if it was a happy song. Nevertheless, it felt good to be back with SHINee 샤이니 and SHINee World.
Were there any special segments in the show, in memory of Jonghyun 종현?
Yes. Because of the dedications to him, I ended up crying during every show lol. I do usually cry during SHINee 샤이니 concerts (the vocals hit the soul, you know what I mean?); but I only used to cry for 1 of the days. Boy, this tour was different hahaha.
Any final thoughts or words that you’d like to end with?
SHINee 샤이니 is 5. SHINee’s 샤이니의 SHINee 샤이니 is 5. That’s all I can say.
Thank you to “Yoograms” for taking the time out to answer everything so beautifully! And also for providing the photos.
inSEOULuble: It’s evident that everyone had a lovely time, emotional of course; but I feel that the concerts would have been bittersweet. As everyone came together for the first time with SHINee 샤이니, and were able to celebrate both SHINee 샤이니, Shawols and Jonghyun 종현 collectively. He touched the hearts and minds of many. Countless amounts of people, worldwide! I was one of them, and will continue to be. Thank you Jonghyun 종현 and to all of the guys.
With 2018 being their 10th anniversary since their debut, let’s make it a special one for them and each other. However they choose to commemorate this special time, I’m all for it! Congratulations to SHINee 샤이니!
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thank you so much for this account! i SO wanted to be there but i couldn’t so i want to read all i can about the concerts and the feels. i still get emotional over jonghyun’s death and wonder how they manage but they do and i am so proud of them for continuing on in the face of one of them leaving. i love theri music and dance. they are a big part of my life and i am so happy that they are doing so well in spite of the hardships and missing their brother jjong.
Thanks for this. Yoograms really came through live streaming at intervals for us. Personally, I REALLY REALLY wanted to go to the concerts but I couldn’t. I however audio and live streamed from my room in Washington DC at 3am; crying, clapping and singing along. I can’t even describe how anxious and nervous I was for the concerts, especially day 1. I guess every other Shawol felt that way. I really appreciate every blessed Shawol who live and audio streamed, and gave real-time updates about our SHinee. They’re such amazing strong people. And our dear ANGEL, I pray he continues to rest in peace. I love you SHinee (ot5) and Shawols around the world. May God comfort us all❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️