Vocals and Dance

Shinee are acknowledged for their innovative approach to music and peerless choreography and are considered as one of the best live vocalists and dancers in Korean pop,[144] known for their good vocal performances and complex choreographies as well as a unique kind of music that is quite different from usual K-pop.[1][145] At S.M. Entertainment's showcase in New York in October 2011, Jon Caramanica of the New York Times summarized them as "the most ambitious" of the evening and also complimented the group's strong vocal performance. Furthermore, he stated: "Their music, especially Replay, Ring Ding Dong and Juliette, felt the riskiest, even if it only slightly tweaked that polyglot Pop formula".[146] Kim Joo-hyun of Beff Report considers Shinee’s greatest strength the dismantling of the boundaries between the role of main vocal and subvocal. He positively emphasised the harmony between the two main vocals, Onew and Jonghyun, saying they sing with an aesthetic of "contrast", meaning they can't be separated from each other; on the contrary, they actually suit each other when brought together but he also praises the vocal development of Taemin, the youngest member in the group.[147] Jakob Dorof of the monthly British style magazine Dazed, described Shinee with the words "technicolor visuals", "choreography as coordinated as ballet" and "wildly adventurous hit songs", stating they are a group that embodies the harmony of these qualities better than anyone else.[1] Tamar Herman of Paste Magazine described Shinee's as one of K-pop's most popular dance groups, "with cutting edge dance moves that are just as technically creative as the song’s they’re performed".[148]

Shinee have worked with top choreographers such as Rino Nakasone, who has choreographed Shinee's early songs like "Replay"[149] and "Love Like Oxygen" in 2008,[150] "Juliette" in 2009[150] and the groups hit single "Lucifer" in 2010,[150] which was nominated for the Best Dance Performance at the Mnet Asian Music Awards in 2010.[40] Misha Gabriel choreographed the song "Amigo" (2008)[151] and also "Ring Ding Dong" (2009).[152] Tony Testa worked on Shinee's later hit songs like "Sherlock" (2012) and "Dream Girl" (2013) which are characterized by a unique and distinctive style,[153] while Ian Eastwood worked on "View" (2015) – breaking away from the groups usual powerful and precise choreography and working instead with a groove style that showcases the teamwork of the group.[154] All three songs were awarded with the Best Dance Performance Award at the Mnet Asian Music Awards in 2012, 2013 and 2015.[155][156][157]