Shinee World VI: Perfect Illumination is the sixth concert tour by South Korean boy band Shinee. It began on June 23, 2023, at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul, and continued on to Japan later in the year. The tour is Shinee's first in several years, after a hiatus brought on by mandatory military service and the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been well received by critics, who have praised Shinee's live singing and performance skills, and was awarded Stage of the Year at the 2023 Melon Music Awards.
Background
Due to military service and the COVID-19 pandemic, Shinee had not held an in-person concert in South Korea since 2016,[1][2] though they had staged concerts in Japan in 2018[3] and an online concert using the Beyond Live platform in 2021.[2]Taemin became the final member of the group to complete his military service in April 2023, bringing their hiatus to an end.[4] The group's sixth Korean concert, Shinee World VI: Perfect Illumination, was announced soon afterwards, taking place over three days at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul. Tickets went on sale for members of Shinee's fan club on June 5, and opened to the general public on June 8.[2]Onew was forced to withdraw from the Seoul dates due to health issues.[5] The concert was directed by Hwang Sang-hoon and themed around light.[6] Shinee performed songs from their new album, Hard, which was released the day after the concerts concluded and was intended to commemorate the group's 15th anniversary.[7][8] The final show was streamed online through Beyond Live and was viewed in 94 countries.[9]
On June 26, it was announced that Shinee would continue their tour in Japan from September, covering four cities.[3] Onew was again unable to participate.[10] Their Japan tour closed with two performances at Tokyo Dome in February 2024.[11] They held further concerts in Singapore, their first since 2012, and Hong Kong.[12] Shinee held encore performances at Inspire Arena in Incheon to mark their 16th anniversary, featuring the return of Onew after a year's hiatus.[13]
Critical reception
The tour was met with positive reviews from critics. Writing for The Korea Times, Jung Da-hyun praised both the quality of Shinee's "mesmerizing" performances and the stage production, drawing attention to the use of lighting effects and laser beams.[7] Hong Yoo of The Korea Herald lauded Shinee's "commanding presence" and "remarkable teamwork". He considered their performance of "An Encore" to be the highlight of the show, stating that it proved "that they are just as good singers as they are performers".[1] Eoh Hwan-hee of The JoongAng said that Shinee transcended the usual idol group role divisions of vocalist, rapper and dancer, stating that even Minho, the rapper of the group, proved himself a capable vocalist during the ballad numbers.[9]Newsis reporter Lee Jae-hoon felt that Shinee were still able to deliver strong performances despite the absence of Onew and their late bandmate Jonghyun, who died in 2017, living up to their reputation for excellent live singing.[14] This was echoed by Lim Ji-woo of Yonhap News Agency, who commended Shinee's passion and energy on stage.[15] Shinee were awarded Stage of the Year at the 2023 Melon Music Awards in recognition of the tour.[16]
Set list
This set list is representative of the show on November 29, 2023. It does not represent all concerts for the duration of the tour.[17]
^ abEoh, Hwan-hee (June 27, 2023). 7년 기다린 무대, 셋만으로도 '샤이니' [After seven years of waiting, Shinee performed with three members]. JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023 – via Naver.
^SHINeeオンユ、日本アリーナツアー不参加「回復に集中するため」 6月から活動休止中 [Shinee's Onew will not be participating in the Japan arena tour "to focus on recovery"; on hiatus since June]. Oricon News (in Japanese). August 31, 2023. Archived from the original on September 21, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
^Lee, Jae-hoon (June 25, 2023). 태초에 빛이 있었다…다섯·넷·셋 모두 샤이니 [In the beginning there was light... Five, four, three are all Shinee]. Newsis (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023 – via Naver.
^Lim, Ji-woo (June 25, 2023). 3명으로도 완벽히 빛난 샤이니 "빛과 호흡으로 완성한 무대" [Shinee shining perfectly even with three members. "A stage completed with light and breathing."]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023 – via Naver.
^＜ライブレポート＞SHINeeの輝きが眩しすぎた5年ぶりツアー最終日、来るドーム公演の内容も自らネタバレ [(Live Report) On the final day of Shinee's first dazzling tour in five years, the contents of the upcoming dome performance are spoiled]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). December 1, 2023. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
^Hwang, Hye-jin (November 30, 2023). 샤이니, 日 아레나 투어 퍼펙트 매진…내년 2월 도쿄돔 재입성 [Shinee's Japan arena tour completely sold out... Re-entering Tokyo Dome in February next year]. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2023 – via Naver.
^Park, Gye-ol (March 4, 2024). 샤이니, 12년 만의 싱가포르 콘서트 성료…1만명 한국어 떼창 [Shinee successfully completes Singapore concert for first time in 12 years... 10,000 people sing along in Korean]. Newsis (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024 – via Naver.
^Yoo, Jeong-min (March 18, 2024). 샤이니, '샤월♥'과 아시아 투어 성공적 마무리…화려한 피날레 [Shinee successfully concludes Asia tour with 'Shawol'… a spectacular finale]. MBC Entertainment (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024 – via Naver.
