Minho of veteran K-pop boyband SHINee will be making his long-awaited solo debut next month.
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On November 8, South Korean news outlet Sports Seoul reported that the idol will be releasing his first solo record in mid-December. The singer’s agency SM Entertainment soon responded to reports, confirming that Minho is currently preparing to release his debut solo album, per Newsen.
“Minho is preparing his first solo album with the goal of releasing it in December. Please show [him] lot of interest,” said the K-pop agency. Further details such as the record’s title, tracklist and release date are expected in the coming weeks.
Earlier this year, Minho released two Japanese-language singles, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘Falling Free. These were preceded by his Korean-language SM Station singles ‘Heartbreak’ and ‘I’m Home’ in 2021 and 2019 respectively. However, the idol’s upcoming record will mark his official debut as a soloist, nearly 15 years after debuting in SHINee.
The as-yet-unnamed release also makes Minho the fifth and final member of SHINee to go solo. Youngest member Taemin had been the first in the act to debut with his solo mini-album ‘Ace’ in 2014, followed by the late Jonghyun with ‘Base’ in early 2015. Members Onew and Key later made their first official solo releases, ‘Voice’ and ‘Face’ respectively in 2018.
SHINee’s last music as a group had been their April 2021 repackaged album ‘Atlantis’, which was a re-release of their seventh studio record ‘Don’t Call Me’ from February that year. These marked Onew, Key and Minho’s first group releases since their discharge from compulsory military service. Taemin is currently serving the final months of his term.
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In addition to his upcoming debut record, Minho is set to lead the upcoming Netflix original drama The Fabulous, which follows a group of young adults as they navigate work, passion and relationships in the competitive Seoul fashion industry.
Originally set to premiere on November 4, the series’ release date had coincided with the national mourning period in South Korea following the crowd crush tragedy that occurred in Itaewon on October 29, resulting in its postponement. Netflix has yet to announce a new premiere date for The Fabulous.