The Story of Light (Shinee album)
The Story of Light refers to the set of three EPs and a reissue compilation that make up South Korean boy group Shinee's sixth Korean studio album. This album release marks the group's first in South Korea since 1 of 1 in November 2016, and the first since member Jonghyun's death in December 2017. It also celebrates the groups tenth anniversary since their debut on May 25, 2008. The Story of Light EP.3 is the last Shinee release to feature Jonghyun following his death.
The album is divided into three parts, with each EP consisting of five songs and a separate lead single. The first EP with its lead single "Good Evening" was digitally and physically released on May 28, 2018 under SM Entertainment and distributed by IRIVER. The second EP of the trilogy was released on June 11 with the lead single "I Want You" and the third and final EP of the album was released on June 25 with its lead single "Our Page". On September 10, 2018, Shinee released a repackaged version of the album titled The Story of Light: Epilogue, combining the previous three parts with a new track, "Countless".
Background and release
The Story of Light
Reports of a Shinee comeback first surfaced in May 2017, where it was stated that Shinee would be one of four groups returning in the final quarter of 2017. However, no further updates were released on this. In May 2018, SM Entertainment announced Shinee would return with a new album to celebrate the groups tenth anniversary, including a fan meeting on May 27, 2018. It marks the group's first release since the repackaged album 1 and 1 in November 2016, and the first since member Jonghyun died in December 2017. Shinee's sixth full-length album, titled The Story of Light, was confirmed to be divided into three parts with each part consisting of five songs and separate lead singles. Member Key noted that the reason why they wanted to release three lead singles is to show that the group is still here, working hard and doing well in coping with things as they are, referring to the grief they suffered from Jonghyun's death.The first part of the album, led by the lead single "Good Evening," was released on May 28. The dance for the song was choreographed by Japanese choreographer Koharu Sugawara, who had previously worked with Taemin on his single "Move" in October 2017.
The second part of the trilogy was released on June 11 with the single "I Want You". According to group, the second part of the album represents the group's view of themselves, while the first part reflected what others think of them. The third and last part of the album is fronted by the single "Our Page" and was released on June 25.
The first and second EPs also made a double appearance on Billboard's World Albums Chart on June 20, 2018. The Story Of Light: EP.2 debuted at number four, while The Story Of Light: EP.1 ranked at number eleven for its third week on the chart. The double appearance of different albums from one act on World Albums makes the group the fifth K-pop act to score two simultaneous entries on the chart for the same week.
On August 1, 2018, Shinee released the Japanese version of "Good Evening" and "I Want You" as part of their 15th Japanese single, "Sunny Side".
The Story of Light-Epilogue
On September 10, 2018, the group released the finale of their 10th anniversary album series, a repackaged album titled The Story of Light: Epilogue featuring sixteen tracks, including its lead single "Countless" and past singles "Good Evening", "I Want You" and "Our Page".Composition
"Good Evening" gives off deep house vibes and recalls Shinee's 2015 hit "View" but unlike "View" it draws more heavily on a classic R&B sounds and incorporates 112's 1997 classic "Cupid" into its melody. The lead track of the second part, "I Want You" is a tropical house tune that offers a more energetic vibe than its previous single. The third part of the album is led by the lead track "Our Page" and is described to be a medium-tempo R&B song, which is in stark contrast to the tracks from previously-released parts like "Good Evening" and "I Want You". "Our Page" is written by Shinee's members and songwriter Kenzie. Onew, Taemin, Key, and Minho participated in writing the lyrics with Jonghyun in mind. The song contains the message, "This unfinished novel, we'll fill it until the last page". Additionally "Our Page" is titled "The Words You Left Behind" in Korean and according to SM Entertainment, it reflects the group's message of "We will be together until the end". The song also incorporates references to the group being a five membered act and their debut date, May 25, 2008. The special track "Lock You Down" also contains Jonghyun's voice.Music video
The music video of "Good Evening" is using a color scheme consisting of green, blue and pearl aqua. It shows the four members and their dancers perform on a set filled with forestry, film equipment, and other various items. The video also features a more laid-back choreography atop of chairs, which was choreographed by Koharu Sugawara, who previously choreographed Taemin's solo tracks like "Flame of Love" and gives off a sense of almost accidental flailing and falling motions and like the music video for "Good Evening", the music video for "I Want You" features a CGI fox. It also showcases old school green screen graphics recalling '80s sci-fi tropes and while "Good Evening" featured a loose choreography, the dance moves to "I Want You" are more playful and tightly-angled. The accompanying music video to "Our Page" shows the four members working on their own and doing various activities before they eventually come together to perform the song atop of stairs with a fifth mic standing and left untouched.Promotion
On May 31, 2018, Shinee began their promotion performances for the first part of their sixth album, performing their lead single, "Good Evening", and "All Day All Night"on Mnet's M Countdown. The group also performed on KBS2s Music Bank and MBCs Show! Music Core during their promotional cycle. The group also appeared on Radio Star to promote their new album on May 30, 2018. They used the opportunity to open up about the death of their bandmate Jonghyun, stating that it was painful to be asked if they were feeling okay from everyone they met after the incident, which is why the members requested their fans and people around them to treat them the way they used to before to help them to acknowledge Jonghyun's death and to move on with their lives. Member Minho admitted they've struggled after the tragic loss, but they are willing to move forward.Track listing
Credits adapted from the official homepage.Charts
Awards and nominations
Accolades
| Critic/Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
| Billboard | The 25 Greatest K-Pop Albums of the 2010s | 11 |