SHINee and IU take a trip down memory lane in 'IU's Palette'
As fellow artists who made their debut in the late 2000s, K-pop boy group SHINee and IU prove that they have so much more in common as they talk about their early days in IU's web show “IU's Palette.”
During the 40-minute broadcast, SHINee members Onew, Minho, Key, and Taemin received praise from their fellow hitmaker, who said that she'd often watch their rehearsals as it was rare for a rookie group to be skilled in singing and dancing at the same time.
IU said, “We debuted in the same year, 2008. But they [SHINee] debuted months earlier -- four months to be exact.
“Back then, you were already SHINee, and I was only a newbie. To tell you how it was at the time, SHINee would do a dry run, and all the other singers would come and watch.
“At the time, it was so shocking to see a new group singing live and do a group dance at the same time. So I, too, watched whenever you'd rehearse. You guys were so special.”
The group returned the compliment and said that they'd often hear rave reviews about IU and that Onew, SHINee's leader, described her voice as “something new.”
He said, “You came out alone and rehearsed. It was a surprise and felt new.”
The superstars then reminisced about how they'd interact with one another as IU had performed with Key and Taemin and starred in a K-drama with Minho.
Turning to Onew, IU revealed that he is her favorite male vocalist as his voice resonated with her the most.
She explained, “If I were a guy, your voice is very similar to how I wish mine would sound. I don't think your tone changes.
“When you get older, your voice changes a lot. But your voice has stayed the same since its debut. It has pure boyishness.
"So when you sing ballad songs, you'd sing a high note, you don't seem to do anything fancy with it, but it has a nice resonance. That's how I felt a lot of the time.”
IU added, “You are my favorite male singer. When I talk about who I'd want to collaborate with, I mention you. I wish we could collaborate soon.”
The two groundbreaking acts then placed their best foot forward as they covered each other's songs with IU performing her version of “Sherlock” and SHINee singing their rendition of IU's “Dear Name.”
SHINee also spoke about their long-awaited comeback and even taught IU how to dance the key choreography of their latest track, “Don't Call Me.”
Take a look at their performances below:
Over on SHINee's YouTube channel, the “Celebrity” singer was then invited to react to the K-pop boy group's latest music video, “Don't Call Me.”
Upon seeing a glimpse of Minho's abs, IU couldn't help but gush over the singer's marvelous body that prompted him to say, “This is embarrassing!”
IU then added, “As a person who is also preparing to make a comeback, I'm really curious about the director of the music video. To think that the four of you came out really well, in the best way. I think you guys came out really well and pretty good.”
SHINee's Key then jokingly said, “Thank you so much for watching this with us. It's quite late now, but if you want us to react to 'Celebrity,' we're here for you anytime. We can do it anytime.”
Get to know the two K-pop superstars in these galleries: