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She Is (Korean: 좋아; RR: Joh-a) is the debut studio album by South Korean singer-songwriter Jonghyun. It was released on May 24, 2016, by SM Entertainment and distributed by KT Music, and is the only studio album to be released during Jonghyun's lifetime. The album was commercially successful, reaching number one on South Korea's Gaon Album Chart, and received acclaim from music critics. It was nominated for an Album Bonsang at the 31st Golden Disc Awards.
Background and release
Jonghyun released the album through a variety of music sites on May 24 and officially began promotions with his appearance on Mnet's M Countdown on May 26. The album consists of nine songs and is described by Jonghyun as the album where one "can feel his passion as a singer-songwriter" and covers various genres such as electro-funk, EDM and R&B. Eight out of the nine songs are composed by the artist himself. Jonghyun's fashion style for the promotions reflect elements of Shinee's known trend, including colourful outfits and skinny jeans, demonstrating a 1990s-inspired look.
Composition
Jonghyun decided to emphasise storytelling on this album, adopting the persona of a "sweet, witty and sly" man who has fallen in love. Each song is from the perspective of this character. He cited Prince, Jamiroquai and Maxwell as musical influences. The lead single, "She Is", is an electro-funk song with future bass elements. It contains a repetitive melody and lyrics so the listener can easily sing along. "White T-Shirt" is an uptempo song that blends tropical house with urban pop and features a country-style piano melody. In "Orbit", Jonghyun uses space imagery to portray a romantic relationship; he describes himself orbiting his lover like a celestial object. "Moon" is a "dreamy" yet "sensual" electro R&B song that was inspired by a lucid dream. "Aurora" belongs to the neo soul genre. "Dress Up" is an uptempo EDM track that contains distorted vocals, synths, and "thumping electro-hip-hop beats". "Cocktail" is an R&B ballad in which Jonghyun compares falling for his lover's charms to drinking a cocktail. "Red" is an urban R&B song that was inspired by traffic lights. Jonghyun described the song "Suit Up" as being about the "first night after marriage." It is a downtempo R&B song influenced by future bass.
Commercial performance
In South Korea, She Is entered and peaked atop the Gaon Album Chart on the chart issue dated May 22–28, 2016. The album spent a total of three weeks in the top 10 of the chart and a total of five weeks in the top 100. In the US, She Is entered and peaked at number four on Billboard's World Albums during the week of June 11, 2016, being the highest ranking debut of the week. On the same week, the album entered and peaked at number 20 on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums. She Is entered at number eight on the Gaon Album Chart for the month of May 2016 with a total of 45,415 copies sold. For the month of June 2016, the album placed at number 10 with 10,574 copies sold. The album has sold 90,790 copies since release.
Critical reception
She Is was met with positive reviews by music critics. Taylor Glasby of i-D labelled it one of the best releases of the year, praising it as "a remarkably cohesive experience that's both mature—such as the gloriously sensual track "Moon"—yet playfully able to pack the dancefloor ("White T-shirt")". IZM critic Jo Hae-ram noted that Jonghyun utilised his voice like an instrument to embody the character of each song; in "She Is", he changes his tone to match the electro-funk beat, while in "Orbit", his pronunciation is deliberately slurred and sticky. Jo described the album as a "masterpiece of contemporary R&B", concluding that the "idol" label can be removed from Jonghyun. Writing for Weiv, Mimyo felt that the organic integration of future bass and future R&B elements placed the album one step ahead of mainstream pop music. He stated, "This album may be a rediscovery of a singer-songwriter whose strength is that he started out as an idol". Kim Hak-seon of The Hankyoreh praised the album's consistency and was impressed by the collaborations with songwriters such as Deez. He situated it within the wider context of idol songwriting, arguing that Jonghyun was the artist who best exemplified the growing trend for idols to write their own music. According to Billboard, "a sense of vibrancy permeates each listen of Jonghyun's first LP, offering up a kaleidoscopic listening experience that is part sunshine, part desire, and all good." They named it one of the best K-pop albums of the 2010s.
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"2016년 Album Chart (see #52)". Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
Jo, Hae-ram (January 2017). 좋아 - The 1st Album. IZM (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
[SHORTLIST] 6월 상반기: 종현, 빈지노, 루나, 사비나앤드론즈, 쏜애플 외 [ First Half of June: Jonghyun, Beenzino, Luna, Savina & Drones, Thornapple, etc.]. Weiv (in Korean). June 20, 2016. Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
Kim, Hak-seon (June 19, 2016). '샤이니' 종현의 빛나는 재능을 담다 ['Shinee' Jonghyun's shining talent]. The Hankyoreh (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
首張正規專輯『喜歡』台壓版 [She Is – The 1st Album (Taiwan version)]. Avex Taiwan (in Chinese). Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
