SHINee and the “Married to the Music” Comeback
On May 18, 2015, SHINee released their fourth full-length album, Odd. Just three months later, they released Married to the Music, a repackage of Odd featuring four additional songs, including title track “Married to the Music.” The very beginning of the track tricks you into thinking it’ll have a hip-hop sound before transitioning to a funky electro beat while the members sing about dancing with a beautiful girl and being married to that moment and the music.
The Music Videos
Much like last week’s Artist Highlight on Red Velvet’s “Peek-A-Boo,” the music video for “Married to the Music” is a far cry from the sweetness of the track. The video opens with a screen saying “MARRIAGE IS A SLOW DEATH” in neon red letters and the members speeding away in a car before transitioning to a party scene, where Jonghyun is carried in by the other four members. The video is a fun experience, with scenes of the boys partying spliced between clips of them performing the choreography. During the party scenes, the members’ features are stolen by a mysterious veiled woman who has been obsessing over the boys and clipping out pictures of them. Key loses his head to a butcher’s knife, TAEMIN’s eyes pop out when he’s hit in the back of the head with a baseball bat, Onew loses his nose after dunking his face into the bathroom sink, Jonghyun’s lips are stolen after a kiss and then placed on a cake, and finally Minho’s face is burnt away when the members and a woman blow out the candles on the same cake, though now lacking Jonghyun’s lips. At the end of the video, we see the mysterious woman once again, now sitting on a bed with the members’ bodies situated around her.
They also released a performance video for “Married to the Music,” with the boys showing off the choreography in front of one of the barely-seen sets from the music video. A true highlight of this performance video is Jonghyun’s cute apple hair, but honestly watching SHINee dance is always a highlight, especially with all of the innovative moves that only SHINee can pull off (like Onew flying over a prone Minho and when the members lean on their backup dancers’s hands for one spot). Whenever SHINee dances, you can tell they’re having fun, but that is especially prominent in the “Married to the Music” performance video.
The Comeback Performance
SHINee had their comeback performance for “Married to the Music” on August 8, 2015 on Show! Music Core. Each of the members donned black slacks and white button-ups. TAEMIN, Jonghyun, and Key each wore suit jackets with their outfits while Onew had a vest on. Minho wore a suit and jacket as well as a baseball cap. All five members also wore fun bowties and had playing cards in their jacket or vest pockets. The stage design was slightly industrial looking, with SHINee dancing in front of Tim Burton-esque buildings. The screens behind the buildings displayed animations of creepy trees with bats flying around. One of the main screens also showed the moon with a vine or branch spiraling in front of it, a slight nod to Nightmare Before Christmas.
The Legacy
Married to the Music peaked at No. 1 on the Gaon Weekly Albums Chart, No. 2 on the Gaon Monthly Albums Chart, and No. 5 on the Billboard U.S. World Albums Chart. “Married to the Music” peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard U.S. World Digital Song Sales Chart.
“Married to the Music” earned SHINee three music show wins three days in a row—the first on Show Champion on August 12, then on M!COUNTDOWN on August 13, and finally Music Bank on August 14. The repackaged album was not nominated for any end-of-year awards, though “Married to the Music” was nominated for “Best Music Video” and “View,” the single from Odd, won “Best Dance Performance - Male Group” at the Mnet Asian Music Awards. SHINee was nominated at the Mnet Asian Music Awards for “Best Male Group” but did not win; however, they were part of the 2015 Melon Music Awards “TOP 10” winners.
Even though the track didn’t win any end-of-the-year awards, “Married to the Music” and its music video will always live on not only as a bop but the perfect bop for Halloween.
