The SM Entertainment second generation K-pop boy group SHINee has always had a flair for keeping music enthusiasts on their toes, and they achieve the same with their latest Hard music video released on June 26, 2023, at 6PM KST. With their eponymously titled 8th full album, the South Korean musical quartet has come back with new music to shake the dance floor.
Staying in sync with their previous music video premieres, all four members – Onew, Key, Minho, and Taemin, also known as the “Princes of K-pop” have indeed become Kings of the K-music industry. With an endless stream of new fourth and fifth generation K-pop acts emerging left and right, the SHINee members have stayed true to their classic offbeat sound since the very beginning of their journey.
Their brand new title track marks the onset of their latest comeback era that is both new and keeping in tune with their traditional hip-hop identity. Serving “hard” with their usual choice of extraordinarily vibrant and over the top fusion of street style fashion and the new age vogue, the K-pop quartet “just can’t be stopped” with this “new hit”.
Upon releasing their 8th full-length-album, the four members (with late member Jonghyun’s love by their side) have proved yet again that nothing can bring their spirits down. Military enlistment periods are often dreaded in the K-pop biz, especially since the artists are compelled to call off their group activities and carry on the show as either soloists, or as a squad with one (or more) man down for the time being. However, now that Onew, Key, Minho and Taemin have all concluded their military stints, they’ve come back to set a new record for themselves as Hard has registered their highest sales on the first day of release yet.
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Much like the track’s title and the indomitable strength of the members, the track, too, presents itself as a powerful number, with the help of Kenzie, who’s participated in songwriting, composition and the song’s arrangement. Although it sheds a new light on the group, revealing a side of them that hasn’t long been captured in the artistic horizon, it also perfectly fits the band’s shape and style.
Conveying the message of always “going hard” and never being deterred by any challenges set in their path, the song rightly speaks of the musical act’s strengths and character. With hybrid fusion mix, the track amalgamates sounds from various genres like hip-hop dance, 90s hip-hop, R&B and boom. Staying “young and wild” throughout their musical journey, SHINee has firmly established its stance in the South Korean entertainment sphere, and to continue the sweet ride, the members will also be seen at their 6th concert series, ‘SHINee World VI [Perfect Illumination]’ at KSPO Dome, Olympic Park in Seoul from June 23 to 25, 2023. Check out the Hard MV below.
Watch the Hard Music Video
The SHINee HARD album is now streaming on all music platforms. Other songs included on the album’s tracklist are Juice, 10X, Satellite, Identity, The Feeling (their pre-release single), Like It, Sweet Misery, Insomnia and Gravity.