Today, Minho becomes the final SHINee member to release a full studio album. New material from SHINee is always something to cheer about, but in the past Minho’s work hasn’t often been targeted to my taste. He tends to prefer more downbeat, vibes-driven material. New single Call Back adds a driving beat, but its tone is still quite subdued.
For whatever reason, I feel like the listening public doesn’t give Minho enough credit as a vocalist. He may not be a powerful singer, but his tone is unique and incredibly pleasant. It fits this mid-tempo r&b sound quite well, even if the song’s top line could use more punch.
Call Back unleashes a solid groove that buoys every other element. The chorus is simple and relatively flat, but I think its stealth hooks will play well in the long run. I especially like the use of keys throughout the track. There are plenty of textures at play and the production is spacious enough to give them all room to shine. The instrumental build leading into each chorus is very effective, adding tension without dividing the song into predictable segments the way many K-pop arrangements do. There’s an ease to Call Back that belies the craftsmanship happening under its hood, and this can be a difficult balance to pull off.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Previously on Don’t Call Me… and now Call Back? 🤔
(typo error?)
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Oh my god 🤦♂️
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Call me baby
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Yes, I would call them stealth hooks too. It sounds almost too casual, and sing song. Perhaps a proper R&B singer or producer would have grooved it better. As is here, it is so understated and muted. Perhaps live live it will be better with ad libs and flourishes.
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It is not my vibe, but it is a well-executed vibe! Minho is definitely underrated, he is a very solid vocalist. People just get distracted by his looks!
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I also think it has to do with the fact that 1) SHINee boasts some of the best vocalists in the industry, which sets him up for an unfair comparison and 2) Minho was put into a visual/rapper/subvocal role in the group. We’ve seen the same thing happen to EXO’s Chanyeol, who has a very nice singing voice but was always overlooked in that aspect as well.
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the title track is solid but not the best from his album..is really good cohesive album..please check out other tracks, my favorite is Something about U at the moment :))
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I have a real soft spot in my heart for Minho. There is something straightforward and simple about his image and music in a good way, like a really expensive vanilla dessert, or a high-quality cotton t-shirt.
This track showcases that perfectly. It seems fairly standard, but it’s groove caught me immediately. The instrumental has a sort of understated elegance to it in the soft piano elements and that beautiful burst of shimmer that accompanies the start of the chorus. It doesn’t do all the heavy lifting though. Minho’s performance suits this track well, and I really love his delivery on “Will it be, will it be you?”. The ‘na na na’ hook is mesmerizing.
In summary this is exactly what I want from Minho: something straightforward, yet stylish and beautifully crafted. Simply solid.
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“like a really expensive vanilla dessert, or a high-quality cotton t-shirt” this is such a nice way to put it! I also agree that the delivery on “Will it be, will it be you” is lovely, it feels like the most… oomph I’ve heard from Minho’s vocals? At least in his solo work
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I get falsetto-ed out too much in k-pop so Minho’s vocals are a nice break from that. Because he said in a promo that he was leaning more into “city pop”, I lowered expectations due to the genre. However, I enjoyed the album. I don’t think it will set the world on fire but it worked well to listen to while I cleaned my office. I agree with the rating for this song and enjoyed the music more than his debut music.
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I enjoyed this song and the collaborations on the album.
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a distended sound… At the moment I give it a 7.5…
I’ll have to listen to the album to see if I can find better things to do with my time
“Oh oh oh I got better things to do with my time, to do with my time 🎶🎶”
I randomly remembered Aespa and their song from last year, which wasn’t for me… Somehow, I always end up associating some K-Pop lyrics just by remembering words
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Was this meant as a general comment? Because it seems like you replied to me by accident.
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Yes, I’m sorry. This was supposed to be a general comment. Operating this blog with a Smartphone is difficult, even though Chrome provides the option to put the screen in computer mode… it’s still not spacious
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idk why this resonates with me but it suits his full tone so well!!! and its not flashy but really a welldone rnb sound that just grooves throughout the whole song. My only critique would be that it sounds like key would sing it… Minho hasn’t established a signature sound either way its added to my playlist
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idk why this resonates with me but it suits his full tone so well!!! and its not flashy but really a welldone rnb sound that just grooves throughout the whole song. My only critique would be that it sounds like key would sing it… Minho hasn’t established a signature sound either way its added to my playlist
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I absolutely love this song. Minho’s voice is so underrated, so comforting. Love the piano and the smoothness is such a pleasure and a nice change.
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Thanks
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I like this song quite a bit but the album is fantastic, it exceeded my expectations from Minho for sure. So much variety and a nice mix of styles for him to try out. Kinda wish Something About U or even Round Kick could’ve gotten the title track treatment to really push him outside his comfort zone (after all, Taemin‘s not giving us slinky dance pop any longer, and certainly not under SM) but for now this was a very welcome broadening of his sound.
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“The new tracks from Taemin are great too, but I have to say, there’s just something about his early work that I can’t put into words. I was, am, and always will be drawn to that style —it had such a unique charm in all of Kpop that I really miss. As much as I enjoy his evolution, those early tracks will always have a special place for me.
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Don’t know why there is ” at the beginning.
I just created an account and it’s my first time using wordpress
😉
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Oh same, truly his first mini album ACE is one of my favorite EPs in all of K-pop. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to it front to back. Basically a perfect album from an era of SM songwriting and production where nearly every element of a track was its own hook and ear-catching production choices were the norm, performed by a young Taemin still hungry to prove himself as a soloist. Everything came together so well.
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“Something About U” should have been the title track; however, this one is good too. I especially like the piano. Would give it a 8.0
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