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Sherlock (Clue + Note)

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"Sherlock (Clue + Note)"
Japanese edition cover
Single by Shinee
from the EP Sherlock
LanguageKorean
ReleasedMarch 19, 2012
Length3:59
LabelSM
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)
Shinee singles chronology
"Lucifer"
(2011) 		"Sherlock (Clue + Note)"
(2012) 		"Dazzling Girl"
(2012)
Music video
"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" on YouTube

"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band Shinee as the lead single for their fourth extended play, Sherlock. It was released on March 19, 2012, through SM Entertainment. A mashup of two different tracks, "Sherlock (Clue + Note)" is often considered K-pop's first "hybrid remix". It was composed and arranged by Thomas Troelsen, Rufio Sandilands, Rocky Morris and Thomas Eriksen, with lyrics penned by Jo Yoon-kyung. The song was commercially successful, reaching number one on the Gaon Digital Chart. A Japanese version was released on May 16, 2012.

Development and composition

[edit]

"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" is the combination of two separate album tracks spliced together: "Clue" and "Note". It is credited as K-pop's first ever "hybrid remix".[1][2][3] The song was produced by a team of around 30 people in SM's A&R department, who sifted through over 100 songs, taking them apart and putting them together again. Each song was divided into parts so they could be combined together, and the same process was followed with the lyrics to create a cohesive track. Lee Sung-soo, head of SM's A&R department, described it as "one of the most difficult experiences" but "very rewarding".[4]

"Clue" forms the "bulk of the instrumentation",[5] and has been described as both new jack swing and hip hop.[1][2] It features "a beat made out of a digitized kettle, little spurts of brass, and the recurring sound of shattered glass".[5] In contrast, "Note" is "striding, percussive"[1] and vocal-driven.[2] It features most prominently in the "incendiary" chorus,[5] which is carried by explosive harmonies.[1] The beginning of the song also incorporates "soaring strings" that later reappeared in Shinee's 2013 song "Spoiler".[5] The lyrics contain a Sherlock Holmes theme; the Sherlock character depicted in the song uses the reason of "Clue" and intuition of "Note" to solve a case.[3]

Release and promotion

[edit]

"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" was Shinee's first Korean single since "Hello" (2010), following a year's absence due to touring and Japanese promotions.[1] It was released on March 19, 2012, alongside the rest of the EP.[6] Shinee promoted the song for four weeks, beginning with an appearance on March 22 on M Countdown.[7] A Japanese version, titled "Sherlock", was released on May 16, 2012, with the song "Keeping Love Again" as a B-side.[8] It was later included on Shinee's second Japanese album, Boys Meet U.[9]

Critical reception

[edit]

"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Rolling Stone cited it as an example of "how innovative and experimental K-pop can get, even for its most mainstream acts".[2] They twice named it one of the greatest boy band songs of all time, first in 2015 and again in 2020.[2][10] Writing for Dazed, Taylor Glasby praised the song's complexity and the "confrontational energy" of Shinee's performance. She said that it "signalled a coming of age for the band" and "allowed Shinee to step into a sphere that was entirely their own".[1] According to Billboard, ""Sherlock"" places a magnifying glass over the ways the Korean industry’s innovation is pushing music forward". They named it one of the best K-pop songs of the 2010s.[5]

"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" on critic lists
Publication List Rank Ref.
Billboard 100 Greatest K-Pop Songs of the 2010s 6 [5]
The Dong-a Ilbo Best Male Idol Songs from the Past 20 Years 5 [11]
IZM Best Korean Singles of 2012 — [12]
Melon Top 100 K-pop Songs of All-Time 11 [13]
Popjustice Top 15 K‑Pop Singles of 2012 14 [14]
Rolling Stone 75 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time 14 [2]
Spin Top 20 K-pop Singles of 2012 4 [15]

Accolades

[edit]
Awards and nominations for "Sherlock (Clue + Note)"
Ceremony Year Category Result Ref.
Mnet 20's Choice Awards 2012 20's Performance Nominated [16]
Mnet Asian Music Awards 2012 Best Dance Performance – Male Group Won [17]
Song of the Year Nominated [18]
Singapore Entertainment Awards 2013 Most Popular Music Video Nominated [19]
Music program awards
Program Date Ref.
Show Champion March 27, 2012 [20]
April 3, 2012 [21]
M Countdown March 29, 2012 [22]
Inkigayo April 1, 2012 [23]
April 8, 2012 [24]
April 15, 2012 [25]
Music Bank April 6, 2012 [26]
April 13, 2012 [26]

Commercial performance

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"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" debuted at number one on the weekly Gaon Digital Chart.[27] It also peaked at number three on the K-pop Hot 100.[28] The song recorded 1,720,124 downloads in South Korea in 2012, ranking at number 74 on the year-end Gaon Download Chart.[29] It also placed 81st on the year-end Gaon Digital Chart.[30] In the U.S., it reached number four on Billboard World Digital Song Sales and charted for ten weeks.[31] As of December 2017, "Sherlock (Clue + Note)" has received 30,000 downloads in the U.S., making it Shinee's fourth best-selling single in the country.[32]

Music video

[edit]

The music video was filmed in early March in Namyangju and was directed by Cho Su-hyun. It is set in a museum and shows the members taking on the role of detectives solving a case. Jessica of Girls' Generation makes an appearance as the mysterious female lead.[33] A teaser for the music video was uploaded to SM Entertainment's social media accounts on March 21,[34] followed by the music video's release on March 22.[33] It received over a million views in one day.[35]

The choreography was created by Tony Testa. It was his first time choreographing for a K-pop group. Testa tried to "create the illusion" that the members were "alone, retracing memories, their blurred bodies trailing behind as if trying to piece together their lives".[1]

Credits and personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from Melon.[36]

  • Shinee – vocals
  • Jo Yoon-kyung – lyrics
  • Thomas Troelsen – composition, arranged
  • Rufio Sandilands – composition, arranged
  • Rocky Morris – composition, arranged
  • Thomas Eriksen – composition, arranged

Charts

[edit]

Korean version

[edit]
Chart performance for "Sherlock (Clue + Note)"
Chart (2012) Peak
position
South Korea (Gaon)[27] 1
South Korea (K-pop Hot 100)[28] 3
US World Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[31] 4

Japanese version

[edit]
Chart performance for "Sherlock"
Chart (2012) Peak
position
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[37] 4
Japan (Oricon)[8] 2

Release history

[edit]
Release history and formats for "Sherlock (Clue + Note)"
Region Date Format Version Label Ref.
Various March 19, 2012
Korean
[36]
Japan May 16, 2012
  • CD
  • digital download
  • streaming
 Japanese EMI [8]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g Glasby, Taylor (July 18, 2018). "Looking back at K-pop group Shinee's extraordinary 10-year career". Dazed. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Spanos, Brittany; Sheffield, Rob; Shaffer, Claire; Pipia, Alexa; Martoccio, Angie; Chan, Tim; Johnston, Maura; Stevens, Kat; Murray, Nick; Benjamin, Jeff; Walters, Barry; Blistein, Jon; Bernstein, Jonathan (July 24, 2020). "75 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Yoon, Seong-yeol (March 13, 2013). 샤이니 신곡 '셜록', 두곡을 하나로 합쳤다 [Shinee's new song 'Sherlock' combines two songs into one]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
  4. ^ A Conversation on K-Factor: An Orchestral Exploration of K-pop at Lincoln Center. The Korea Society. June 21, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2023 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "The 100 Greatest K-Pop Songs of the 2010s: Staff List". Billboard. November 25, 2019. Archived from the original on April 4, 2021.
  6. ^ Lim, Young-jin (March 12, 2012). 샤이니, 19일 새 미니앨범 전세계 동시 오픈 [Shinee's new mini album will be released worldwide on the 19th]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
  7. ^ Yoon, Seong-yeol (March 22, 2012). '성공컴백' 샤이니 "韓무대, 빨리 서고 싶었다"(인터뷰) [Shinee's successful comeback: "I wanted to stand on the Korean stage" (Interview)]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
  8. ^ a b c "Sherlock – Shinee". Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  9. ^ SHINee 6月に待望の2ndアルバムリリース [Shinee's long-awaited second album to be released in June]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). May 15, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  10. ^ Benjamin, Jeff; Johnston, Maura; Murray, Nick; Spanos, Brittany; Stevens, Kat; Walters, Barry (September 24, 2015). "50 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 3, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  11. ^ Lee, Ji-hoon (September 1, 2016). "반짝반짝 눈이 부셔"… 빅뱅-소녀시대 역대 최고 아이돌 ["My eyes are blinded"... BigBang and Girls' Generation are the best idols ever]. The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  12. ^ 2012년 올해의 가요 싱글 [2012 Song of the Year Single]. IZM. December 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  13. ^ "K-pop 명곡 100: 11위 Sherlock.셜록 (Clue+Note) – SHINee" (in Korean). Melon. August 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  14. ^ Myers, Owen (December 30, 2012). "The Top 15 K-Pop Singles of 2012". Popjustice. Archived from the original on January 2, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  15. ^ Bevan, David (December 12, 2012). "K-Pop Fizz Fizz: Life After Psy". Spin. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  16. ^ Lee, Nancy (June 8, 2012). "20's Choice Awards Nominees Announced, Voting Open". CJ E&M enewsWorld. Archived from the original on October 7, 2015. Retrieved January 26, 2022 – via Mwave.
  17. ^ "Winners from Past Years: 2012". Mnet Asian Music Awards (in Korean). February 2, 2012. Archived from the original on October 29, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  18. ^ "Nominees for Song and Artist of the Year". enewsWorld. CJ E&M. October 23, 2012. Archived from the original on October 27, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  19. ^ "SGE Awards 2013 - Most Popular Kpop MV". Singapore Entertainment Awards. Archived from the original on June 28, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
  20. ^ Seo, Hyun-jin (March 28, 2012). 샤이니 민호, 트로피 키스로 '셜록' 1위 자축 [Shinee's Minho celebrates Sherlock's first place win with a trophy kiss]. My Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
  21. ^ Cho, Seong-jin (April 3, 2021). [포토] 존박-김신영 '꼭 샤이니에게 전달하겠습니다' [[Photo] John Park-Kim Shin-young: 'I'll definitely pass it on to Shinee']. Financial News (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
  22. ^ Lee, Kyung-ho (March 29, 2012). 샤이니 '엠카' 1위..."많은 사랑에 감사" [Shinee wins first place on 'M Countdown..."Thank you for the love"]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
  23. ^ Kim, Hye-jin (April 1, 2012). '인기가요' 샤이니 1위, 키-종현 얼싸안고 '방방' [Shinee wins first place on 'Inkigayo']. Hankyung (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  24. ^ Kim, Hye-jin (April 8, 2012). '인기가요' 샤이니 1위, 2주 연속 1위에 온유-종현 '방방' [Shinee wins first place on 'Inkigayo' for the second week in a row]. Hankyung (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  25. ^ Kim, Hye-jin (April 15, 2012). '인기가요' 1위 샤이니, 심재원에 감사인사 "심재원 보고 있나?" [Shinee wins first place on 'Inkigayo' and thanks Shim Jae-won, "Are you watching, Shim Jae-won?"]. Hankyung (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  26. ^ a b Pyo, Jae-min (April 13, 2012). 샤이니, 씨엔블루 제치고 2주 연속 '뮤직뱅크' 1위 [Shinee beats CNBLUE to first place on 'Music Bank' for two weeks in a row]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
  27. ^ a b 2012년 13주차 Digital Chart [Digital Chart – Week 13, 2021]. Gaon Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 10, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  28. ^ a b "Korea K-pop Hot 100 – Week of April 7, 2012". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 28, 2015. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  29. ^ "2012년 Download Chart" [2012 Download Chart]. Gaon Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  30. ^ "2012년 Digital Chart" [2012 Digital Chart]. Gaon Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  31. ^ a b "Shinee Chart History (World Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 14, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  32. ^ Benjamin, Jeff (December 18, 2017). "Jonghyun's Top Chart Hits: 'Base,' 'Lucifer' & More". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  33. ^ a b Kwon, Su-bin (March 22, 2012). 샤이니 '셜록' 뮤비 오늘(22일) 드디어 공개, 소시 제시카 특별출연 [Shinee's 'Sherlock' music video will be released today, featuring Jessica of Girls' Generation]. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  34. ^ Sunwoo, Carla (March 22, 2012). "Shinee's 'Sherlock' teaser keeps fans guessing". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  35. ^ Kwon, Su-bin (March 23, 2012). 샤이니 '셜록' 뮤비, 공개 하루 만에 조회수 100만 건 돌파 [Shinee's "Sherlock" music video surpasses one million views in a single day]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 22, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2012 – via Nate.
  36. ^ a b "Sherlock (Clue + Note)". Melon (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  37. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot 100 [2012/05/23 公開]". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved November 16, 2021.
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