Thanks to all the hard work of SubKulture Entertainment and the dedication of thousands of K-Pop fans around the world, SHINee's first fan-meeting in the U.S. was a huge success.
Despite their busy schedule, SHINee graciously set aside a few minutes of their time to sit down and talk with KPopStarz about their current schedule, their individual activities and their brief time in Chicago.
KPopStarz: You've just come from the Korea Times Music Festival in Los Angeles. How does it feel to be holding your first fan-meeting here in Chicago?
Minho: It's been a long time since we last performed in L.A. so we were really happy to meet our fans there. We're also really excited about our Chicago fanmeeting and we hope to give you all a great performance.
KPopStarz: You've traveled a lot over the course of your career but is there one place in the world you haven't visited yet but would like to? What would you like to see and/or do there?
Jonghyun: We've never been to places like Egypt and Africa so we'd really like to see what it's like to perform there and be able to experience the culture.
KPopStarz: Have you had a chance to try Chicago's famous deep-dish pizza yet?
Key: We had a pizza party today! We ate all kinds of deep-dish pizza. It was really good.
Jonghyun: We ate it as soon as we got here. It was really thick!
KPopStarz: Did you like it?
Onew: Yeah.
Minho: Yeah, I liked it.
Jonghyun: Back in Korea I once looked up a recipe for deep-dish pizza and tried to make it but after today I realized real Chicago pizza is so much better. Now I'm kind of embarrassed by the pizza I made before.
KPopStarz: If it makes you feel any better, it took me 5 years to master the Chicago style pizza.
(group laughter)
KPopStarz: Onew, you've been in various musicals and dramas, your most recent being Descendants of the Sun. What was the most challenging part of your role as Dr. Lee Chi Hoon?
Onew: This was my first real drama so getting used to this role was a little difficult but I would definitely like to take on a different role in the future.
KPopStarz: Key, you've performed in several different musicals over the past few years. Which role has been the most difficult, so far?
Key: Anatoly from Chess. He's a Russian chess player and a 40 year old married man. That was the most difficult role I've ever played.
KPopStarz: Which role has been your favorite?
Key: Ummm... Obviously, Usnavi from In the Heights.
KPopStarz: Is there a role you'd like to play in the future?
Key: I've performed Bonnie and Clyde, the musical, in Korea before but I want to play it once more. I liked the songs, really.
KPopStarz: Minho, you're scheduled to star in a new historical drama this September. Is there any special training you've had to take on to prepare for this role?
Minho: I've been practicing horseback riding and also martial arts. I'm actually filming it right now and am really looking forward to it airing and I really hope that fans will like it as well.
KPopStarz: You also have a new movie opening this month. Are you excited?
Minho: I'm really looking forward to the movie's debut and I'm happy that I've gotten to try out new things.
KPopStarz: Can you tell us a little bit about the film?
Minho: It's better for you to find out in the theaters.
KPopStarz: Jonghyun, we heard you're going to be releasing a new album soon. When can we expect it to be released?
Key: (whispers) Right now!
Jonghyun: No, not yet! (laughter) I'm still preparing right now. I want it to be perfect. You'll just have to wait a little longer for this new music.
KPopStarz: Taemin, you released your first full-length album earlier this year. Congratulations! You put a lot of work into this album, writing lyrics, preparing stages, shooting MVs and such. What was the hardest part of this solo comeback?
Taemin: Mmm... How do I say this? The responsibility of having to find that middle ground between the company and what everyone wanted to do with it. Even though they had a common goal, just trying to gather all of the ideas and make them work was difficult. And also bearing the responsibility of the end results is difficult.
KPopStarz: Do you have a favorite moment or memory, either during preparation, production or while promoting?
Taemin: We filmed in LA and it was really rainy and cloudy while we were there, which was how the weather was when we first got here in Chicago. The weather here really reminds me of my time filming in LA.
KPopStarz: Will we see more of your lyric writing talent in the future?
Taemin: Nope! (group laughs) I think my thoughts and feelings can be portrayed through other methods, rather than lyric writing.
KPopStarz: Is there a chance we might get a full SHINee U.S. concert tour sometime in the future?
Taemin: Though we've traveled and toured in a lot of different countries in Asia, we haven't had an opportunity to tour here in the U.S. yet; however, if the chance ever came up, we would really like to.
Minho: I would really like for this Chicago fan-meeting to be the start of something more here in the U.S.
KPopStarz: Is there anything you'd like to say to your fans?
Jonghyun: It's taken us a long time to have a fan-meeting here in Chicago so we'd like to treat them to a really good performance.
True to their word, SHINee delivered a memorable performance during their fan-meeting in Chicago, leaving fans with a million happy memories and a desperate wish for this beloved group to make it back to the States very soon.
