SHINee gloriously marries old and new with “Married To The Music”

I don’t know about everybody else, but with SHINee‘s “Married To The Music” I was reminded of early Michael Jackson in sound, especially during the verses, and MC Hammer and “Addams Groove” in music video concept. And unlike when I compare K-pop groups to such memorable American themes unfavorably, I couldn’t help but mean this in the best way.

If this is the effect of Bruno Mars and “Uptown Funk” on Korean music, then thank god, because like that track, this SHINee theme of marrying the older generation with modern sensibilities is working out extremely well, first with “View” and now this repackage.

I’ve read around a bit and I’ve heard people say this isn’t catchy enough, so maybe I’m just biased towards instrumentals like this, but I found it exceptionally memorable and sing-a-long-able and nod-your-head-able throughout. In fact, the song started off so well with the instrumental during the verses that I was just bracing myself for a disaster during the “drop” for the chorus, which indicates how brainwashed I’ve become from K-pop and expecting disaster from producers trying way too hard. Thankfully, the hook for “Married To The Music” did what effective pop choruses are supposed to: use the build and anticipation and explode not into noise but into something lively and catchy. Personally, I never got tired of the song during the first or subsequent listens, and I’ve listened to it about a dozen times by now.

—–

Unlike with “View”, you could argue the music video is even better than the song with its comedy/horror themes reminding me of ‘The Addams Family‘ in the best of ways.

The (maybe?) undead bride stealing face parts for WHATEVER reason is just a bonus.

I dug the concept, and the only thing that I felt was missing was the hand crawling around the table.

—–

For all the hype certain other groups have got with their comebacks, maybe it all should’ve been re-assigned to SHINee’s return and their repackage since they’ve been the ones consistently proving themselves worthy of it.