''Romeo'' ( ko, 로미오) is the second
EP by South Korean boy group
Shinee
Shinee ( ; ko, 샤이니, Syaini; ja, シャイニー, Shainī; stylized as SHINee) is a South Korean boy band formed by SM Entertainment in 2008. The group's musical impact in their native country has earned them numerous accolades and th ...
. It was released on May 25, 2009, in South Korea under the seal of the label
SM Entertainment
SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies where it was established in 1995 by record executive and record producer Lee Soo-man. The company ha ...
. The EP consists of six tracks including the title song "Juliette" and is Shinee's first Korean release after a seven-month hiatus. On August 29, 2011, a Japanese version of "Juliette" was released as Shinee's second Japanese single with the original Japanese song "Kiss Kiss Kiss" as a B-side. The release peaked at number three on the weekly
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nov ...
chart.
The album was commercially successful in South Korea—it topped the Hanteo Album Chart for three consecutive weeks. However, there are no known cumulative chart records for albums sold in 2009. Prior to the establishment of the
Gaon Music Chart
The Circle Chart (), previously known as the Gaon Music Chart or the Gaon Chart (), tabulates the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in South Korea. It is produced by the Korea Music Content Association and sponsored by South Korea's ...
in 2010, South Korea's music charts were supplied by the Music Industry Association of Korea (MIAK), which stopped compiling data in 2008. According to Gaon, the EP has sold over 20,000 copies since 2011.
Background and release
''Romeo'' was Shinee's first Korean release since the
reissue
In the music industry, a reissue (also re-release, repackage or re-edition) is the release of an album or Single (music), single which has been released at least once before, sometimes with alterations or additions.
Reasons for reissue
New aud ...
''
Amigo
Amigo(s) (Portuguese and Spanish for ''male friend'') may refer to:
People
* Carlos Amigo Vallejo (born 1934), Spanish Roman Catholic archbishop emeritus of Seville
Places Facilities
* Amigos School, a bilingual primary school in Cambridge, Mas ...
'' on October 31, 2008. The EP was originally scheduled for release on May 21
but was delayed to May 25 due to
Onew
Lee Jin-ki (; born December 14, 1989), better known by his stage name Onew, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, actor and host. Born in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi-do, Onew was discovered at the 2006 SM Academy Casting and signed a contract with ...
damaging his teeth.
The choreography for the title song is the work of
Rino Nakasone
is a Japanese dancer, choreographer, artistic director and actor. Nakasone and her dance crew, Beat Freaks, participated in the third season of '' America's Best Dance Crew'', where they finished in second place. Nakasone has worked as a choreog ...
, who also choreographed previous Shinee songs such as "
Replay" and "
Love Like Oxygen
"Show the World" is a song by the first Danish X Factor winner, Martin. It is the second single off his same-titled debut album, ''Show the World'' (2008). It was written by the Danish songwriting and production team of Thomas Troelsen, Remee a ...
". The lead single "Juliette" is a remake of "
Deal with It" by
Jay Sean
Kamaljit Singh Jhooti (born 26 March 1981), better known by the stage name Jay Sean, is a British singer and songwriter. He debuted in the UK's Asian Underground scene as a member of the Rishi Rich Project with "Dance with You", which reached ...
and
Corbin Bleu
Corbin Bleu Reivers (; born February 21, 1989), known professionally as Corbin Bleu, is an American actor and singer. He made his acting debut in the 2004 adventure comedy film ''Catch That Kid''. He has since appeared in the Discovery Kids dra ...
. Executives at
SM Entertainment
SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies where it was established in 1995 by record executive and record producer Lee Soo-man. The company ha ...
bought the rights to the song from
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Records l ...
. The song was slightly re-arranged by
Cutfather
Mich Hedin Hansen (born 9 April 1968), known professionally as Cutfather, is a Danish music producer, songwriter, remixer and DJ based in Copenhagen. Cutfather has a studio on Njalsgade, Copenhagen.
Career
Cutfather is perhaps best known for his ...
and, as the original song's lyrics were not purchased, the Korean lyrics were penned by Shinee members
Jonghyun and
Minho.
On May 22, the group started their official promotions and performed the title song for the first time on ''
Music Bank
Music Bank may refer to:
* ''Music Bank'' (TV program), a South Korean music program by KBS
**''Music Bank World Tour
The ''Music Bank'' World Tour is a worldwide live concert tour of South Korean music show '' Music Bank'' by the Korean Broa ...
''.
The Korean music video was released on May 22 and features
f(x)'s
Krystal
Krystal may refer to:
People
* Krystal Ann Simpson (born 1982), American poet, fashion blogger, DJ, reality television personality, and musician
* Krystal Ball (born 1981), American political commentator
* Krystal Barter, Australian activi ...
as the female lead, while the song's Japanese music video features actress
Go Ara
Go Ara (; born February 11, 1990) is a South Korean actress and model. She is best known for starring in the television series ''Sharp'' (2003), ''Heading to the Ground'' (2009), ''Reply 1994'' (2013), ''You're All Surrounded'' (2014), '' Hwara ...
. The Korean music video was shot in early May in
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
and
Ilsanseo-gu
Ilsanseo-gu (literally “Western Ilsan district”) is a district in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Ilsan-gu was divided into Ilsandong-gu
Ilsandong-gu (literally “Eastern Ilsan district”) is a district in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Kore ...
and was directed by Lee Sang-kyu.
Concept and composition
The album concept was inspired by
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's tragedy ''
Romeo and Juliet
''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
''. The band members portray the Romeo of the 21st century, confessing their love to their Juliet. The album consists of six tracks, and songwriters such as
Kenzie,
Young-hu Kim
Young-hu Kim is a South Korean music producer, songwriter and software engineer. He works mainly with SM Entertainment artists, and has written songs for Girls Generation, Exo, TVXQ, BoA, Shinee, f(x), Super Junior, Shinhwa, and Fly to th ...
,
Jung Yeop and Eco Bridge participated in their composition.
Two of the six songs are named after ''Romeo and Juliet''—the title song "Juliette" and the last track on the album, "Romeo + Juliette". The title track, which is described as an urban dance song with "sophisticated" rhythm and acoustic drums, is written by Jonghyun, who took on the job of writing lyrics for the first time since debut. He stated that after listening to the demo of the title track he went to look for a romance story that "will make everyone interested but also a story which everyone can identify with" and was inspired by the classic movie ''
Romeo and Juliet
''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
''.
SM's creative director
Min Hee-jin
Min Hee-jin (; born 1979) is a South Korean art director and graphic designer. She is the current CEO of ADOR, a subsidiary of entertainment company Hybe Corporation, where she previously served as chief brand officer. She was formerly a creati ...
, who had worked with the group since the beginning, called ''Romeo'' a turning point for the group, visually as well as musically, saying, "The visualisation of the album reflected their identity the best. I aimed to put the group's signature colour (pearl aqua) on the map, as well as each member's individual style." In the music video for the title song "Juliette", the members wear bright clothes and clashing accessories to accentuate their youthfulness.
Track listing
Accolades
Release history
References
{{Authority control
2009 EPs
SM Entertainment EPs
Korean-language EPs
Shinee EPs