All to Know About SHINee Members: The Pioneers of K-pop of the late 2000s

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The Origin Story of the Legendary SHINee Kpop Group

SM Entertainment had a clear vision when they announced SHINee in 2008: they wanted a contemporary R&B boy group that would set trends instead of following them.

The group’s name itself was a newly coined word, combining “shine” (meaning light) with the suffix “ee” to create “one who receives the light.”

SHINee officially debuted on May 22, 2008, with their first EP Replay, and made their first stage appearance three days later on SBS’s Inkigayo.

The original lineup consisted of five members: Onew, Jonghyun, Key, Minho, and Taemin.

So what do we know about them?

You want to know how much we love SHINee ourselves, we’ve even created a dedicated SHINee page!

All You Need to Know About SHINee Members

SHINee carries a legacy that’s earned them the title “Princes of K-pop.”

And to those who are unfamiliar with the K-pop industry, you really don’t get titles like these if you’re no good.

Let’s dig a little deeper into SHINee members to uncover some details that hardcore SHINee fans might not even know!

1. Key (키)

Image Source: Billboard

Birth Name: Kim Ki-bum
Birthday: Sep 23 1991
Height: 175 cm
Weight: 62 kg

Key was born in Daegu, South Korea, and grew up as an only child. His grandmother actually raised him from birth since his mother was recovering from illness and his father was working long hours.

He secretly harbored dreams of becoming a singer, but his parents had other plans; they wanted him to pursue medicine. Very relatable if you are from an Asian household.

In 2005, he auditioned for SM Entertainment behind their backs. After he was accepted as a trainee, his parents spent three sleepless nights before eventually accepting his decision.

Every weekend, Key took a two-hour train ride from Daegu to Seoul for training, then traveled back home at the end. In 2008, he was selected as a member of SHINee, and the group debuted on May 25, 2008, with their first mini album Replay.

Key is widely recognized as the group’s fashion icon. He’s even helped design many of the stage outfits that SHINee has worn at concerts over the years.

Beyond his work with the group, he formed the duo Toheart with Woohyun from Infinite and has appeared in several Korean musicals and television dramas.

He made his solo debut on November 6, 2018, with the digital single “Forever Yours” featuring Soyou. His first studio album Face followed later that month.

2. Onew (온유)

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Birth Name: Lee Jin Ki
Birthday: Dec 14 1989
Height: 177 cm
Weight: N/A

The leader who never actually auditioned.

Story is, Onew was notably shy about putting himself out there, so he skipped the whole audition circuit entirely.

Instead, SM Entertainment discovered him at their 2006 Academy Casting. One audition later, he had a contract. It’s basically written in the stars that he is destined for SHINee.

He became SHINee’s leader when the group debuted on May 25, 2008. His stage name means “warm” and “flowing.”

As a vocalist, Onew’s known for his rich, stable tone. However, he did face a setback in 2015 when he had vocal polyps removed and had to retrain his voice from scratch. Not ideal, but he worked through it.

Aside from music, he’s also appeared in musicals and dramas, including a memorable role in the wildly popular Descendants of the Sun (2016), which earned him a Rookie award.

3. Taemin (태민)

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Birth Name: Lee Tae-min
Birthday: Jul 18 1993
Height: 175 cm
Weight: N/A

Taemin joined SM Entertainment in 2005 after passing an open audition. He was only 11 years old at the time, training for three years before debuting with SHINee in May 2008 at just 14.

As the youngest member, he took on the role of main dancer and sub-vocalist, quickly becoming known for his exceptional dance skills.

Born in Seoul, Taemin’s inspiration for dancing actually came from watching his older brother. He started piano lessons in elementary school and trained extensively in both vocals and dance.

He made history as the first SHINee member to debut solo in August 2014 with the mini album Ace and title track “Danger.”

His solo career flourished alongside SHINee, with critically acclaimed releases like Move (2017), known for its distinctive choreography, and Never Gonna Dance Again (2020), which critics recognized as one of the best K-pop releases that year.

Taemin also speaks Japanese, enjoys horror movies despite being easily scared, and likes discussing quantum dynamics. Yes, really.

4. Minho (민호)

Image Source: IDN Times

Birth Name: Choi Min-ho
Birthday: Dec 9 1991
Height: 181 cm
Weight: 60 kg

Funnily enough, Minho got into SM Entertainment because of a chance encounter on the street in 2006.

Initially, he wanted to pursue football as a career due to his father being a professional football coach.

But his father had other ideas. He told Minho to give up that dream, and it was the first time he’d ever said no to something his son wanted. So Minho pivoted. He joined SM as a trainee and modeled briefly before SHINee’s debut in May 2008.

As the group’s main rapper and visual, Minho brought what fans call “flaming charisma” to the stage. He worked with rap instructor JQ on SHINee’s early albums and eventually started writing his own rap parts alongside Key.

Outside of SHINee, he’s built a solid acting career with roles in dramas like To the Beautiful You, Hwarang, and Netflix’s The Fabulous. He’s also appeared in films including Derailed and Illang: The Wolf Brigade.

Minho served in the Marine Corps from April 2019 to November 2020. After his discharge, he released his solo debut EP Chase in December 2022, followed by his first full album Call Back in November 2024.

Remembering Jonghyun: A SHINee Member Forever

Kim Jonghyun was born on April 8, 1990, and debuted with SHINee in 2008 as the group’s main vocalist. He passed away on December 18, 2017, at age 27, leaving behind a legacy that still resonates with fans and fellow members today.

Here’s a little more about him:

Image Source: OUTin Perth

Jonghyun (종현)

Birth Name: Kim Jong-hyun
Birthday: Apr 8 1990
Height: 171 cm
Weight: N/A

Jonghyun was born in Seoul and discovered his love for music during middle school when he played bass in a school band.

He credits Japanese rock star Yoshiki and X Japan for sparking his interest in composing. At 15, SM Entertainment scouted him after a school song festival performance.

He trained with SM Entertainment starting in 2005 before debuting as SHINee’s main vocalist on May 25, 2008. His vocal ability quickly established him as one of K-pop’s most respected singers.

Beyond his work with SHINee, Jonghyun carved out a remarkable solo career. He released his first EP Base, in January 2015, which topped both the Billboard World Albums Chart and the Gaon Album Chart. His solo discography included Story Op.1, his studio album She Is, and Story Op.2.

He was also a prolific songwriter, not just for SHINee but for other artists too. He wrote “Gloomy Clock” for IU, “Breathe” for Lee Hi, and “Playboy” for EXO.

From February 2014 to March 2017, he hosted the popular MBC radio show Blue Night, where he even created songs based on listener stories.

Jonghyun published a novel titled Skeleton Flower: Things That Have Been Released and Set Free in 2015. He participated in SM the Ballad, a project group focused on ballads, and held multiple sold-out solo concert tours.

Jonghyun passed away on December 18, 2017. His final album, Poet | Artist, was released posthumously on January 23, 2018, with profits going toward the Shiny Foundation, established by his family to support struggling young artists.