SHINee To Pay Tribute To Controversial 1990s Act Seo Taiji And Boys: Group Reportedly Performing Banned Boy Band's Hit 'Shidae Yoogam'

SHINee plans to perform a song by the controversial 1990s act Seo Taiji And Boys at a Thursday appearance on Mnet's M COUNTDOWN, according to Yahoo News Philippines.

"SHINee to Transform into Seo Taiji and Boys on 'M COUNTDOWN," reads CJ E&M enewsWorld ecstatic headline.

The band will reportedly before perform the Seo Taiji And Boys hit "Shidae Yoogam (Pity of the Era)" as part of the station's Legend 100 - Artists series, celebrating legendary artists, and apparently dress like them as well.

In 1995, "Come Back Home, the Seo Taiji And Boys album containing "Shidae Yoogam" was released without lyrics, after the song was ruled dangerous by South Korean censors.

After Seo Taiji And Boys fans protested, the ban on the controversial lyrics was lifted and the album was released with vocals.

By that point the band was no stranger to controversy.

The previous year they had been accused of having backwards-satanic messages in their songs, the same charge hurled at rock gods Led Zeppelin in the 1970s.        

The band, which consists of Seo Taiji, Lee Juno, and Yang Hyun Suk, has also been accused of ripping off other artists like Cyprus Hill and Korn, according to AllKPop.com.

Hyun Suk, like his bandmates, is clearly no longer a boy, the former pop star is now the CEO of YG Entertainment, the label of K-Pop international superstar Psy.

SHINee singer Jonghyun says many of their fans don't realize that they're also not boys anymore either.

"The misconception that the public has of us is that they think we are still teenagers," Jonghyun told Billboard Magazine earlier this month.

SHINee's  youngest member Taemin just turned 20.

Yet, Jonghyun says, it's a fan mistake that the band savors.

"It's a misconception that makes us feel good," he said with a laugh. "Our fans think that we are still teenagers. The only negative thing about that is we have more pressure when trying out new endeavors. I hope we can somehow naturally break everyone's conception of our boy-like image and age. But we are still enjoying it. We had our first club performance not too long ago, and the audiences seemed baffled. I think they thought we were too young to be at a club."

Jonghyun says it is an exciting time to be a K-pop artist.

"The barriers to the worldwide music market are slowly breaking down," the SHINee singer said. "It is now a generation where K-pop can be easily heard anywhere. K-pop doesn't necessarily have to officially debut on an extravagant scale to be accessed or heard. We are promoting in Korea, but our fans outside of Korea get to see us through many outlets. If given a good opportunity, then we want to debut in the U.S."