SHINee to make official debut in Japan in June

Korean boy band SHINee [SM Entertainment]

Korean boy band SHINee will make their official debut into the music market in Japan, following suit of a slew of other K-pop artists who have done so.

SM Entertainment announced in a press release today that SHINee will break into the music scene in Japan with the Japanese version of their hit song "Replay" which will hit stores on June 22, while the ringtone version of the song will become available starting April 28.

The boys, who have signed with EMI Music Japan (a subsidiary of British music company EMI Group Ltd), will also hold a special live performance at Abbey Road Studios in London, England on June 19 ahead of their debut in Japan, making them the first Asian singers to do so.

World-renowned artists the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Bryan Adams, Coldplay and Robbie Williams have performed at the same venue.

Meanwhile, the five-member boy band will also embark on a nationwide and fan meeting tour in Japan titled "SHINee JAPAN DEBUT PREMIUM RECEPTION" in July with shows in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Sapporo.

Composed of members Key, Minho, Jonghyun, Onew and Taemin, SHINee is one of Korea's most popular male groups who made their debut in 2008 under major talenthouse SM Entertainment. They have produced a number of hit songs including "Reply," "Ring Ding Dong" and "LUCIFER."

They previously held a concert at the Yoyogi National Stadium in Tokyo last December which attracted a total of 24,000 fans.

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Reporter : Lucia Hong luciahong@
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@