SHINee’s Key has spent nearly two decades refining his artistry, and he wants to leave no room for misinterpretation: His achievements are all thanks to his own blood, sweat and tears. While casual fans know the K-pop industry functions like a well-oiled machine, Key wants observers to understand that artists are still taking charge of their own work.
“I don’t want them to think I’m a little puppet from this industry,” the singer, 34, exclusively tells Us Weekly. “I’m a producer of myself. I’m an artist. I’m making my own path, and I know what I’m doing.”
After debuting with the quintet SHINee in 2008, the “Hunter” singer released his first solo project in 2018 and has continued evolving both within the group and as a soloist. It’s clear he’s in a league of his own, and, with his first-ever solo world tour Keyland: Uncanny Valley, he’s bringing fans along for the ride.
Like his fans (known as Shawols), he wonders why it took almost 20 years to finally embark on a solo tour, but the timing feels right. “I think this was [the] right time to come here, and I could see my fans’ faces, like, ‘We’ve been waiting for you, like, [a] million years!’ So, I’m trying to enjoy every second,” the singer says.
He’s especially in awe of the increasing diversity of his audience and admits he’s particularly surprised by the amount of men at his shows. “I asked a lot of questions to them in L.A. and Oakland,” he tells Us with a smile. “Like, ‘Why are you here? Who brought you here? Your girlfriend or your wife or your sister, who?’”
Fans online have enjoyed his onstage banter, with countless clips of him humorously interrogating audience members going viral over the past few weeks. Another aspect of his shows that has left him amazed is the effort fans put into their outfits. He likens the experience to Comic-Con, sharing that he’s seen fans arrive in elaborate makeup and nails and dress in costumes meant to resemble his original character BOK-SILLee. “They’re so serious about it,” he adds, describing the whole affair as “very interesting.”
The extravagant costumes happen to mirror Key’s own performance wardrobe, which he’s fully hands-on with designing. Though the singer is known for staying up to date on the latest styles, the inspiration behind his costuming isn’t necessarily influenced by whatever’s trending on TikTok.
“As a person, Key is very sensitive about trends, and he loves to wear something trendy,” he shares, noting that his personal creative vision still comes first. “I don’t force ‘trendy’ as an artist.”
It’s only natural that he’s evolved into the main architect of his musicianship, but it’s something that came with time.
“We were perfectly produced by a producer when we first debuted, because it’s how it works in K-pop. But from that, I educated myself,” Key says. He hopes K-pop fans both old and new give credit to artists for their involvement in their craft, saying it’s a common misconception that most remain creatively uninvolved. “[Idols] can compose or write lyrics, each have their own character and talents. I hope people can see that too.”
Key exudes confidence, and his discography reflects this sentiment. His most recent project, Hunter, was released in August, and he’s previously said it’s his most well-made album to date. While he’s always been self-assured, he notes his 2021 EP, Bad Love, was pivotal for helping him build his confidence as a soloist. “I was so proud of it, and I thought, ‘F*** the result,’” he says, laughing. “I felt something new. … I have to make something [that] makes me proud of myself.”
His confidence has slowly increased over time, but he admits it’s still a work in progress. “It isn’t because my mother always said, ‘You’re the most beautiful kid in this world.’ It never worked like that!” he quips, noting that he wasn’t naive enough to let his parents’ words sway him — his confidence is ultimately something he had to discover within himself.
It certainly helps that he had a handful of industry pioneers to look up to when he was just starting out. He cites soloist and labelmate BoA as his prime role model. “She was the first one who became popular in Japan as a K-pop artist … and after that, TVXQ followed her path,” he explains, recalling their Tokyo Dome performances.
A solo performance at the 55,000-seat stadium is often the mark of success for many K-pop groups, and Key finally had the chance to grace its stage alongside the rest of SHINee in 2015. “I still remember [thinking], ‘Wow, I’m standing here.’ I felt like that,” he recalls.
The singer is also appreciative of the groups that have followed in his footsteps, helping bring K-pop to the global stage. Citing the success of acts like BTS and NCT as well as the cultural phenomenon of KPop Demon Hunters, he says it’s still hard to believe K-pop has found such a large audience internationally. “These days, I still cannot believe this is happening,” he tells Us. “It’s like living in a dream.”
Key’s influences extend beyond K-pop, and, while on tour, he had a chance run-in with one of his idols, Cynthia Erivo. “She was an angel,” he marvels, still in disbelief as he recalls their interaction. After Erivo, 38, offered him some words of advice, the singer found himself starstruck — which is the same way his own fans feel when meeting him.
While Key has been a superstar for a long time, there’s still a lot more he’d like to achieve, and those goals have carried him through the nearly two decades he’s been an active idol.
“I couldn’t stop, because there’s a lot of things that I wanted to do,” he tells Us, adding that he wouldn’t have believed 10 years ago that he’d still be performing. “I couldn’t imagine I would do the same s*** at my age,” he quips, saying that he still feels 18 despite it all.
Key is one of a kind, and he remains confident that — even in an age of AI — he’s not going anywhere, because the human connection provided by live music “will never disappear.” For him, old-school is the way to go. “Humans on the stage, what they’re showing cannot be replaced [by] robots or AI.”
He already struggles to comprehend K-pop’s current popularity, which makes conceptualizing anything beyond its current success feel impossible. When asked what his hopes are for the future of the genre, he’s unsure how it could get any bigger, laughing and asking, “Isn’t this enough?”
It makes sense that someone whose career began when K-pop had just barely made it beyond the borders of South Korea would still be in awe of its current global success. He feels incredibly proud of newer K-pop artists who have made U.S. television appearances, scored No. 1 on international charts and sold out stadiums worldwide. “Even [though] I’m not there, I feel proud of them,” he tells Us, expressing that his colleagues have gone further than he ever thought possible.
The future of K-pop continues to look promising, if, as Key notes, “[people] can accept this is not a genre — this is a culture.” In the past, it was necessary to approach different markets in different ways, but now that domestic and international audiences have started to merge, he imagines a future in which everyone can enjoy K-pop for all it has to offer. “I hope that kind of day will come.”
As a part of Us Weekly’s Make Us a Mixtape series, we asked Key to share a few of his favorite songs from over the years. Keep scrolling to find out which songs he selected as part of the soundtrack to his life:
Song That Reminds Him of Childhood
“When You Wish Upon a Star” from Pinocchio. Pinocchio was my first Disney [movie]. I still listen to this song. Even these days … when I listen to this song, I go straight to 5 years old.
Song That Reminds You of Your Favorite Place
“Both Sides Now” from Joni Mitchell. Not my favorite place, [but] like it or not, I have to spend my time in a plane a lot. [This song] made me really relax when my heart pounds a lot.
Song to Get Everyone Dancing
“Thriller” by Michael Jackson. I miss him. Who can say no to MJ, you know?
Song That He Sings in the Car
“Wake Me Up When September Ends” by Green Day. September 23 is both my birthday and the anniversary of my grandmother’s passing, so it’s an emotional day for me. This song has become my way of finding peace when I need to sit with those feelings. It’s my go-to for comfort and reflection.
Song He Wishes He Wrote
“Pop” by ‘NSync! I don’t know why, but it was such a strong memory. I was watching that on MTV, kid Key. I was so shocked.
