"Symptoms" (Korean상사병; RRSangsabyeong) is a K-pop song performed by the South Korean idol group Shinee. It is included as the second track in their fifth EP, Everybody, which was released digitally on October 14, 2013 under the record label of SM Entertainment and distributing label of KMP Holdings.[1]

"Symptoms"
Song by Shinee
from the EP Everybody
ReleasedOctober 14, 2013 (2013-10-14)
Recorded2013
StudioSM Studios (Seoul, South Korea)
Genre
Length3:49
LabelSM Entertainment
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)The Underdogs

Background

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The domestic music portal site Naver Music described "Symptoms" as belonging to the slow jam genre with influence from Shinee's signature contemporary R&B style.[2] The song was composed and arranged by the international music production team The Underdogs in their first collaboration with Shinee. It also marked their debut in the Korean pop music industry.[2] The lyrics were penned by Shinee's main vocalist Jonghyun.[3]

Promotion

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"Symptoms" was first unveiled through a lyric video uploaded to SM Town's official YouTube channel on October 4, 2013.[4] The first live performance of the song was included in the set-list of the Shinee Comeback Special at Gangnam Hallyu Festival on October 6, in Samseong-dong, Seoul. The performances were streamed on SM Town's YouTube channel.[5] The first broadcast live performance, however, was through Mnet's music show M Countdown on October 10, 2013.[6] This was followed by performances at KBS Music Bank on October 11,[7] MBC Show! Music Core on October 12,[8] SBS Inkigayo on October 13,[9] and MBC Mì Show Champion on October 16, 2013.[10]

Critical reception

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"Symptoms" received generally positive reviews from critics. Jakob Dorof of Vice considered it one of the best K-pop songs of the year, writing that "the RnB wooze of "Symptoms" feels especially right for 2013".[11] Billboard described it as "an evocative tune that plays up the quintet’s strengths and versatility", lauding it as "one of the best boy band songs ever crafted".[12]

Chart performance

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Weekly chart performance for "Symptoms"
Chart (2013) Peak
position
South Korea (Gaon)[13] 12
US World Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[14] 5

References

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  1. ^ ""펑키곡, 변신 예고"…샤이니, 신곡 장르 공개". www.dispatch.co.kr. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
  2. ^ a b "The 5th Mini Album 'Everybody'" (in Korean). Naver Music. October 14, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  3. ^ "샤이니 멤버 종현, 신곡 '상사병' 작사 참여…매력지수 'Up!'". enews24.interest.me. October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  4. ^ Benjamin, Jeff (October 7, 2013). "SHINee Unveil 'Symptoms,' Produced By the Underdogs: Listen". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  5. ^ Seong, Go-eun (October 6, 2013). 샤이니 쇼케이스, ‘강남한류페스티벌’ 컴백에 실시간 접속 폭주… '역시 샤이니' [Shinee's comeback showcase at the 'Gangnam Korean Wave Festival', surge of users... 'As expected of Shinee']. Seoul Economic Daily (in Korean). Retrieved April 14, 2024 – via Naver.
  6. ^ Yang, Joo-hee (October 10, 2013). "아이유-샤이니-티아라… 오늘(10일) 반가운 가수들의 컴백러시" [IU - Shinee - T-ARA... Today (10th) is the comeback rush]. Seoul Economy (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021 – via Naver.
  7. ^ Kim, Seong-hee (October 11, 2013). "샤이니, '뮤뱅'으로 컴백..'명불허전' 입증" [Shinee makes a comeback on 'Music Bank']. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021 – via Naver.
  8. ^ Jang, Young-joon (October 12, 2013). "'음악중심' 샤이니, 제복 입으니 더 멋진 다섯 남자" ['Music Core' Shinee, five men who look more handsome in uniform]. Asian Economy (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021 – via Naver.
  9. ^ Kim, Kyung-joo (October 13, 2013). "'컴백' 샤이니, 감미+섹시+카리스마..3색 매력 발산" ['Comeback' Shinee, sweet + sexy + charismatic... tricolor charm]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021 – via Naver.
  10. ^ Lim, Young-jin (October 16, 2013). "샤이니, 태풍 뚫고 무사 귀국.."스케줄 이동 중"" [Shinee returned home safely during typhoon.. 'Schedule is proceeding']. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021 – via Naver.
  11. ^ Dorof, Jakob (December 11, 2013). "The 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2013". Vice. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  12. ^ Benjamin, Jeff; Herman, Tamar; Kelley, Caitlin (December 1, 2017). "The 40 Best K-Pop Deep Cuts of the Decade So Far: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  13. ^ "2013년 43주차 Digital Chart" [Digital Chart – Week 43 of 2013]. Gaon Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 24, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  14. ^ "Shinee Chart History (World Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
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