music.wikisort.org - Composition

"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band Shinee as the lead single for their fourth extended play, Sherlock. It was released on March 19, 2012, through SM Entertainment. A mashup of two different tracks, "Sherlock (Clue + Note)" is often considered K-pop's first "hybrid remix". It was written and produced by Thomas Troelsen, Rufio Sandilands, Rocky Morris and Thomas Eriksen, with lyrics penned by Jo Yoon-kyung. The song was commercially successful, reaching number one on the Gaon Digital Chart. A Japanese version was released on May 16, 2012.

"Sherlock (Clue + Note)"
Japanese edition cover
Single by Shinee
from the EP Sherlock
Language	Korean
Released	March 19, 2012
Length	3:59
Label	SM
Songwriter(s)	Jo Yoon-kyung Thomas Troelsen Rufio Sandilands Rocky Morris Thomas Eriksen
Producer(s)	Thomas Troelsen Rufio Sandilands Rocky Morris Thomas Eriksen
Shinee singles chronology
"Lucifer" (2011) "Sherlock (Clue + Note)" (2012) "Dazzling Girl" (2012)
Music video
"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" on YouTube

Background and release

"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" was Shinee's first Korean single since "Hello" (2010), following a year's absence due to touring and Japanese promotions.[1] It was released on March 19, 2012, alongside the rest of the EP.[2] Shinee promoted the song for four weeks, beginning with an appearance on March 22 on M Countdown.[3] A Japanese version, titled "Sherlock", was released on May 16, 2012, with the song "Keeping Love Again" as a B-side.[4] It was later included on Shinee's second Japanese album, Boys Meet U.[5]

Composition

"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" is the combination of two separate album tracks spliced together: "Clue" and "Note". It is credited as K-pop's first ever "hybrid remix".[1][6][7] "Clue" forms the "bulk of the instrumentation",[8] and has been described as both new jack swing and hip hop.[1][6] It features "a beat made out of a digitized kettle, little spurts of brass, and the recurring sound of shattered glass".[8] In contrast, "Note" is "striding, percussive"[1] and vocal-driven.[6] It features most prominently in the "incendiary" chorus,[8] which is carried by explosive harmonies.[1] The beginning of the song also incorporates "soaring strings" that later reappeared in Shinee's 2013 song "Spoiler".[8] The lyrics contain a Sherlock Holmes theme; the Sherlock character depicted in the song uses the reason of "Clue" and intuition of "Note" to solve a case.[7]

Critical reception

"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Rolling Stone cited it as an example of "how innovative and experimental K-pop can get, even for its most mainstream acts".[6] They twice named it one of the greatest boy band songs of all time, first in 2015 and again in 2020.[6][9] Writing for Dazed, Taylor Glasby praised the song's complexity and the "confrontational energy" of Shinee's performance. She said that it "signalled a coming of age for the band" and "allowed Shinee to step into a sphere that was entirely their own".[1] According to Billboard, ""Sherlock"" places a magnifying glass over the ways the Korean industry’s innovation is pushing music forward". They named it one of the best K-pop songs of the 2010s.[8]

"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" on critic lists

Publication	List	Rank	Ref.
Billboard	100 Greatest K-Pop Songs of the 2010s	6	[8]
The Dong-a Ilbo	Best Male Idol Songs from the Past 20 Years	5	[10]
IZM	Best Korean Singles of 2012	—	[11]
Melon	Top 100 K-pop Songs of All-Time	11	[12]
Popjustice	Top 15 K‑Pop Singles of 2012	14	[13]
Rolling Stone	75 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time	14	[6]
Spin	Top 20 K-pop Singles of 2012	4	[14]

Commercial performance

"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" debuted at number one on the weekly Gaon Digital Chart.[15] It also peaked at number three on the K-pop Hot 100.[16] The song recorded 1,720,124 downloads in South Korea in 2012, ranking at number 74 on the year-end Gaon Download Chart.[17] It also placed 81st on the year-end Gaon Digital Chart.[18] In the U.S., it reached number four on Billboard World Digital Song Sales and charted for ten weeks.[19] As of December 2017, "Sherlock (Clue + Note)" has received 30,000 downloads in the U.S., making it Shinee's fourth best-selling single in the country.[20]

Music video

The music video was filmed in early March in Namyangju and was directed by Cho Su-hyun. It is set in a museum and shows the members taking on the role of detectives solving a case. Jessica of Girls' Generation makes an appearance as the mysterious female lead.[21] A teaser for the music video was uploaded to SM Entertainment's social media accounts on March 21,[22] followed by the music video's release on March 22.[21] It received over a million views in one day.[23]

The choreography was created by Tony Testa. It was his first time choreographing for a K-pop group. Testa tried to "create the illusion" that the members were "alone, retracing memories, their blurred bodies trailing behind as if trying to piece together their lives".[1]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Melon.[24]

• Shinee – vocals
• Jo Yoon-kyung – lyrics
• Thomas Troelsen – composition, production
• Rufio Sandilands – composition, production
• Rocky Morris – composition, production
• Thomas Eriksen – composition, production

Charts

Korean version

Chart performance for "Sherlock (Clue + Note)"

Chart (2012)	Peak position
South Korea (Gaon)[15]	1
South Korea (K-pop Hot 100)[16]	3
US World Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[19]	4

Japanese version

Chart performance for "Sherlock"

Chart (2012)	Peak position
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[25]	4
Japan (Oricon)[4]	2

Accolades

Awards and nominations for "Sherlock (Clue + Note)"

Ceremony	Year	Category	Result	Ref.
Mnet 20's Choice Awards	2012	20's Performance	Nominated	[26]
Mnet Asian Music Awards	2012	Best Dance Performance – Male Group	Won	[27]
		Song of the Year	Nominated	[28]
Singapore Entertainment Awards	2013	Most Popular Music Video	Nominated	[29]

Music program awards

Program	Date	Ref.
Show Champion	March 27, 2012	[30]
	April 3, 2012	[31]
M Countdown	March 29, 2012	[32]
Inkigayo	April 1, 2012	[33]
	April 8, 2012	[34]
	April 15, 2012	[35]
Music Bank	April 6, 2012	[36]
	April 13, 2012	[36]

Release history

Release history and formats for "Sherlock (Clue + Note)"

Region	Date	Format	Version	Label	Ref.
Various	March 19, 2012	Digital download streaming	Korean	SM KT	[24]
Japan	May 16, 2012	CD digital download streaming	Japanese	EMI	[4]

References

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