Key (SHINee) Profile

• BIOGRAPHY
• SHINEE
• TOHEART
• SOLO CAREER
• DISCOGRAPHY
• SONGWRITING CREDITS
• FILMOGRAPHY/ VIDEOGRAPHY
• ILLUSTRATION
• FUN FACTS
• OUR FAVOURITE PERFORMANCE

BIOGRAPHY

Key (키) was born on September 23, 1993 in Daegu, South Korea. He was raised by his grandmother because both of his parents were working. His mother was also ill after giving birth. In October 2014, Key announced on his personal Instagram account that his grandmother passed away on his birthday, September 23rd.

He applied to SM Entertainment several times and was accepted as a trainee in 2005. He studied film and musicals at Myongji University. He then attended Woosuk University, where he majored in culture and educational content development. In addition, he even gave special seminars at middle schools.

On May 25, 2008, Key debuted as a member of the five-member boy band SHINee. The debut single “Replay” from the album of the same name was a huge hit and is still considered by fans to be one of the best debut songs in K-Pop. The other four members of SHINee are Onew, Jonghyun, Minho and Taemin.

SHINEE

The five-member boy band SHINee debuted on May 25, 2008 with the mini album “Replay” and the title song of the same name. The boy band won their first Rookie Award in June, just a month after their debut! Thanks to their success and influence, SHINee was given the title “Princes of K-Pop” very early on, by which they are still known today. With the studio album “The First” Onew, Jonghyun and Co. also started a very successful career in Japan.

SHINee are known for not following trends, but rather creating them. This applies not only to music, but also to fashion. Many would even argue that the group is ahead of the trends. As one of the few second-generation groups, SHINee has always remained relevant and is still very popular over 15 years after their debut.

In December 2017, SHINee had to cope with a severe blow of fate when lead singer Jonghyun took his own life. The remaining four members stuck together and were on stage together again in 2018. The members repeatedly emphasize that SHINee is still a five-piece and regularly show this on social media or in their choreographies. Among other things, they often leave a space in photos or their dances that is clearly intended for Jonghyun.

• In 2009, SHINee became the first K-pop group ever to achieve the so-called “Rookie Grand Slam”. This means that they have been awarded the Rookie Award at all major Korean award shows.
• The members of SHINee are known for their great live vocals. Fans often joke that they are so good because they swallowed their CDs and therefore affectionately call the group “CDnee”.
• SHINee have released over 30 albums in Korea and Japan and regularly top the charts.
• SHINee’s hit “View” from the 2015 Studio Album “Odd” is considered K-Pop's first foray into the deep house genre. “View” is one of SHINee members’ favorite songs. Jonghyun wrote the text.
• SHINee is also very popular among idols. One of their biggest fans is Hoshi from Seventeen.
• The last SHINee song with Jonghyun called “Lock You Down” was released in June 2018 on the Mini Album “The Story of Light EP.3” as a Special Track.

Find out more about SHINee's story here!

Key is SHINee’s all-rounder.

He is not only a talented singer, but also a rapper, dancer, actor, entertainer and fashion icon. In 2018 Key started his solo career. He also founded a unit called “Toheart” with Woohyun from Infinite in 2014.

TOHEART

The “Toheart” unit consists of Key and Woohyun from the boy band Infinite. It quickly gained attention because it was a collaboration between different entertainments: SM Entertainment & Woollim Entertainment. The duo came about because Key and Woohyun are close friends. Originally they only thought about photo shoots and similar projects, but on March 10th they released a joint mini album called “Delicious”. The project was so well received that Toheart even won the “Popularity Award” at the 29th Golden Disk Awards!

Toheart never officially disbanded, but has not presented any further projects since the album.

SOLO CAREER

10 years after SHINee's debut, Key was finally ready for his solo debut! In October 2019, he performed a brand new song called "Chemicals" at Seoul Fashion Week. A music video for the pre-release single “Forever Yours” with Key’s close friend Soyou (Sistar) will also be released on November 6th. This was finally followed by the release of the debut album “Face” on November 26th. It contains 10 songs, including “Chemicals”, “Forever Yours” and the title track “One of Those Nights”. The album reached number 5 in the Gaon Album Chart (today's Circle Chart) and was the start of a successful solo career.

Fans had to wait a long time for Key's solo debut, but things picked up quickly from then on. Before 2018 ended, the singer presented his first Japanese mini album “Hologram” including the title song of the same name. On March 4, 2019, Key celebrated his first comeback as a solo artist in Korea with the repackage album “I Wanna Be”. On the same day he began his military service and fulfilled his duties as a member of the military band.

Key was officially released on October 7, 2020, but he returned home on September 24. He actually only had one day off, but like many other soldiers, he didn't have to go back afterwards because of the global corona pandemic.

After military service, Key first worked on a new SHINee album. “Atlantis” was released on April 12, 2021. He then returned to his solo career and released his first mini album “Bad Love” in September. The album has a retro space theme and is an expression of Key’s unique style. The title track “Bad Love” also earned Key his first music show trophy!

Key continued to conquer the charts regularly over the next few years. The studio album “Gasoline” was released in 2022, followed by the repackage album “Killer” (2023), the mini album “Good & Great” (2023) and the Japanese single album “Tongue Tied” (2024).

Key is not only active as an idol, but also as a musical singer and actor. In 2012 he made his musical debut as “Frank Abagnale Jr.” in the Korean production of the Broadway musical “Catch Me If You Can.” This was followed by many other leading roles such as “Clyde” (Bonnie & Clyde), “D'Artagnan” (The Musketeers) and “Zorro” (Zorro). In 2015, Key also starred in “School Oz,” a hologram musical from SM Entertainment.

Key can also look back on a number of projects as an actor. In 2016 he made his acting debut in the drama “Drinking Solo”. He played a student who has been studying for an exam for three years. In 2017, Key portrayed a hacker named “Gong Kyungsu” in the series “The Guardians.” For his achievements he was named “Best New Actor” at the Grimae Awards.

In Korea, Key is best known as an entertainer. He can be seen regularly in entertainment shows and has been a regular member of the popular variety show “DoReMi Market” and the reality show “I Live Alone” for several years now. His popularity is also reflected in the awards Key has won throughout his career. Among other things, he was named “Best Male Idol Entertainer” several years in a row.

And if all that wasn't enough, Key is also a talented designer. He has often created stage outfits for himself and SHINee and was even appointed fashion director by SM Entertainment.

DISCOGRAPHY

YEAR	SONG
2011	"Bravo" (with Leeteuk) - History of Salary Man OST
2016	“School Oz – Hologram Musical OST” (Soundtrack Album)
2016	"Key of Secret" - Magic Adventure - The Crystal of Dark OST
2016	"Cool" (with Doyoung) - Squad 38 OST
2018	“Face” (Studio Album)
2018	“Hologram” (JP Mini Album)
2019	“I Wanna Be” (Reissue)
2019	"Cold" (ft. Hanhae) (Single) - SM Station Season 3
2021	“Bad Love” (Mini Album)
2022	“Gasoline” (Studio Album)
2023	“Killer” (Reissue)
2023	“Good & Great” (Mini Album)
2024	"Tongue Tied" (JP Single Album)

SONGWRITING CREDITS

Key made his songwriting debut back in 2009 with the song “Get Down” from SHINee’s album “2009, Year of Us”. He wrote the lyrics together with his bandmate Minho and other songwriters. Even after that, Key was involved in the lyrics for SHINee songs several times. He also wrote some songs himself for his solo albums.

FILMOGRAPHY/ VIDEOGRAPHY

Key is not only a singer but also an acclaimed entertainer and actor who has won several awards for his performances.

YEAR	TITLE	ROLE
2007	Attack on the Pin-Up Boys (Film)	Guest appearance
2010	Raising Idol (Variety Show)	Regular Member
2011	Moon Night '90 (Variety Show)	Lee Hyundo (Two Episode)
2012	Salamander Guru and The Shadows (K-Drama)	Guest appearance
2012	I Am (Documentary)	He himself
2014	7 Hungry Houseguests (Variety Show)	Regular Member
2014	Stargazing (Variety Show)	Regular Member
2014	We Got Married Global Edition (with Alissa Yagi) (Reality Variety Show)	Regular Member
2015	SM Town the Stage (Concert Film)	He himself
2015	Make An Order (Variety Show)	Co-Moderator
2015	My Little Television (Reality Show)	Regular Member
2015-2017	M Countdown (Music Show)	Moderator
2016	Seoul Fashion (Documentary)	He himself
2016	Drinking Solo (K-Drama)	Kim Kibum
2017	The Guardians (K-Drama)	Gong Kyung Soo
2017	Master Key (Variety Show)	Regular Member
2018	Keyword#BoA (Reality Show)	He himself
2018	Breakers (Music Competition)	Moderator
2018	Cheongdam Key-chin (Reality Show)	He himself
2018-Today	DoReMi Market (Variety Show)	Regular Member
2019	Hit-and-Run Squad (Film)	Dong Soo
2021-2023	SBS Gayo Daejeon (Music Festival)	Moderator
2021-Today	I Live Alone (Reality Show)	Regular Member
2023	Boys Planet (Survival Show)	Mentor (Ep.8-10)
2024	Crime Scene Returns (Variety Show)	Regular Member

ILLUSTRATION

Key is known for his unusual looks and has also designed several stage outfits for himself and SHINee. With his fashion sense, it's no wonder Key is regularly featured on the cover of fashion magazines. In August 2021, for example, he graced the cover of Marie Claire magazine and in January 2024 he was on the cover of DAZED.

FUN FACTS

• Key has two dogs: Comme Des & Garçons. They are named after the Japanese fashion label “Comme des Garçons”.
• He can cook very well.
• His fans call themselves “Lockets” or “Lil’ Freaks”.
• Key regularly donates money to good causes. Back in 2012, he and his fans donated rice to “World Vision” to help malnourished children and elderly people.
• He is known for being very cheeky and makes his colleagues, fans and viewers laugh.
• Key only needs to see a choreography a few times to be able to copy it. In entertainment shows he often impresses with covers of girl group choreographies.
• His nicknames include “Almighty Key” and “Key Umma”. “Umma” means “mother”. Key is often referred to as SHINee's mother because of how much he nags.

OUR FAVOURITE PERFORMANCE

Key is one of the most versatile idols in the K-pop scene and rightly deserves the title "Almighty Key". His numerous talents and diverse activities have given him a broad and cross-age fan base. Whether as a singer, dancer, actor or presenter – Key inspires people of all ages and proves again and again why he is one of the most outstanding artists of his generation.

MORE SHINEE PROFILES

TAEMIN

Sources: Social media channels from SHINee & Key, SM Town, Youtube, Gaon Chart (Circle Chart), kmca, Naver