"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 composed and arranged 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)" 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][2][3] The song was produced by a team of around 30 people in SM's A&R department, who sifted through over 100 songs, taking them apart and putting them together again. Each song was divided into parts so they could be combined together, and the same process was followed with the lyrics to create a cohesive track. Lee Sung-soo, head of SM's A&R department, described it as "one of the most difficult experiences" but "very rewarding".[4]
"Clue" forms the "bulk of the instrumentation",[5] and has been described as both new jack swing and hip hop.[1][2] It features "a beat made out of a digitized kettle, little spurts of brass, and the recurring sound of shattered glass".[5] In contrast, "Note" is "striding, percussive"[1] and vocal-driven.[2] It features most prominently in the "incendiary" chorus,[5] 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".[5] 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.[3]
"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.[6] Shinee promoted the song for four weeks, beginning with an appearance on March 22 on M Countdown.[7] A Japanese version, titled "Sherlock", was released on May 16, 2012, with the song "Keeping Love Again" as a B-side.[8] It was later included on Shinee's second Japanese album, Boys Meet U.[9]
"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".[2] They twice named it one of the greatest boy band songs of all time, first in 2015 and again in 2020.[2][10] 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.[5]
"Sherlock (Clue + Note)" debuted at number one on the weekly Gaon Digital Chart.[27] It also peaked at number three on the K-pop Hot 100.[28] The song recorded 1,720,124 downloads in South Korea in 2012, ranking at number 74 on the year-end Gaon Download Chart.[29] It also placed 81st on the year-end Gaon Digital Chart.[30] In the U.S., it reached number four on BillboardWorld Digital Song Sales and charted for ten weeks.[31] 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.[32]
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. JessicaofGirls' Generation makes an appearance as the mysterious female lead.[33] A teaser for the music video was uploaded to SM Entertainment's social media accounts on March 21,[34] followed by the music video's release on March 22.[33] It received over a million views in one day.[35]
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]
^ abYoon, Seong-yeol (March 13, 2013). 샤이니 신곡 '셜록', 두곡을 하나로 합쳤다 [Shinee's new song 'Sherlock' combines two songs into one]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
^Lim, Young-jin (March 12, 2012). 샤이니, 19일 새 미니앨범 전세계 동시 오픈 [Shinee's new mini album will be released worldwide on the 19th]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
^Yoon, Seong-yeol (March 22, 2012). '성공컴백' 샤이니 "韓무대, 빨리 서고 싶었다"(인터뷰) [Shinee's successful comeback: "I wanted to stand on the Korean stage" (Interview)]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
^Lee, Ji-hoon (September 1, 2016). "반짝반짝 눈이 부셔"… 빅뱅-소녀시대 역대 최고 아이돌 ["My eyes are blinded"... BigBang and Girls' Generation are the best idols ever]. The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved June 13, 2023.
^2012년 올해의 가요 싱글 [2012 Song of the Year Single]. IZM. December 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
^Seo, Hyun-jin (March 28, 2012). 샤이니 민호, 트로피 키스로 '셜록' 1위 자축 [Shinee's Minho celebrates Sherlock's first place win with a trophy kiss]. My Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
^Cho, Seong-jin (April 3, 2021). [포토] 존박-김신영 '꼭 샤이니에게 전달하겠습니다' [[Photo] John Park-Kim Shin-young: 'I'll definitely pass it on to Shinee']. Financial News (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
^Lee, Kyung-ho (March 29, 2012). 샤이니 '엠카' 1위..."많은 사랑에 감사" [Shinee wins first place on 'M Countdown..."Thank you for the love"]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
^Kim, Hye-jin (April 1, 2012). '인기가요' 샤이니1위, 키-종현 얼싸안고 '방방' [Shinee wins first place on 'Inkigayo']. Hankyung (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
^Kim, Hye-jin (April 8, 2012). '인기가요' 샤이니1위, 2주 연속1위에 온유-종현 '방방' [Shinee wins first place on 'Inkigayo' for the second week in a row]. Hankyung (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
^Kim, Hye-jin (April 15, 2012). '인기가요' 1위 샤이니, 심재원에 감사인사 "심재원 보고 있나?" [Shinee wins first place on 'Inkigayo' and thanks Shim Jae-won, "Are you watching, Shim Jae-won?"]. Hankyung (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
^ abPyo, Jae-min (April 13, 2012). 샤이니, 씨엔블루 제치고2주 연속 '뮤직뱅크' 1위 [Shinee beats CNBLUE to first place on 'Music Bank' for two weeks in a row]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Naver.
^ abKwon, Su-bin (March 22, 2012). 샤이니 '셜록' 뮤비 오늘(22일) 드디어 공개, 소시 제시카 특별출연 [Shinee's 'Sherlock' music video will be released today, featuring Jessica of Girls' Generation]. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
^Kwon, Su-bin (March 23, 2012). 샤이니 '셜록' 뮤비, 공개 하루 만에 조회수 100만 건 돌파 [Shinee's "Sherlock" music video surpasses one million views in a single day]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 22, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2012 – via Nate.