As SHINee promotes their latest comeback with their sixth mini album, “Atmos,” it’s worth taking a look back at the group’s adorable leader, Onew, and his amazing repertoire of soothing ballads and duets.
Excellent vocals serve as the backbone of any SM Entertainment group, and SHINee exemplifies that with their leader, Onew. Though the 36-year-old singer-songwriter left the Big Three agency in 2024, he remains an active member of the iconic 2nd generation boy group. He continues to show off his impressive pipes in all of SHINee’s latest releases, while most of his solo works reveal a different side that’s also worth listening to.
Onew’s voice is practically built for heart-wrenching ballads and emotional duets. Be it a K-Drama OST or a featured single from his time in SMTOWN Radio, the SHINee leader is a true-blue crooner who knows how to soothe with his rich tones alone. Case in point: these 10 amazing tracks from his extensive discography.
1. Dear My Spring
You just know that a K-Pop idol is known for their vocals when they release a K-Drama OST track. Onew himself has dropped more than a couple under his belt over the years, each more moving than the next. In 2021, he released one of his best yet, “Dear My Spring,” for the romantic drama hit of the same year, You Are My Spring. The song is as classic as it can get for the genre—an emotional ballad with beautiful melodies and heart-wrenching lyrics.
Onew doesn’t even pop off on this track as he usually would in SHINee’s discography. He surprisingly keeps it calm throughout the song, relying solely on his low tones that sound like a warm embrace on a cold night.
2. Mind Warning
Another of Onew’s most soothing K-Drama OST tracks is his 2022 release, “Mind Warning,” for Forecasting Love And Weather. The series tells the story of diligent forecaster Jin Ha-kyung (Park Min-young) and her younger, more spirited co-worker Lee Si-woo (Song Kang) falling in love as they work together in a national weather service.
Onew starts the song with his famously velvety vocals accompanied by a gentle guitar. And while he amps the energy up a bit as the track goes on, he never releases his full power in it. He doesn’t always need to, but his choice to stay serene is perfect here. It encapsulates the quiet chaos one goes through when falling in love.
3. Starry Night (ft. Lee Jin Ah)
For Onew’s first SM Station release, the agency paired him up with one of their more underrated soloists, Lee Jin-Ah. The “K-pop Star 4” alum is known for her high-pitched tones and whimsical lyrics, which surprisingly worked well with the male idol’s famously rich vocals. Their 2016 duet, “Starry Night,” is a melodic love story that leaves any lucky listener with a smile.
The song is pure slow jam, the kind you’d hear in a cool cafe in a big city. It offers refuge and solace, especially if you have love problems troubling you and you need a calm respite to go through it all.
4. Lullaby (ft. Rocoberry)
Onew and Rocoberry couldn’t have picked a more suitable title for their 2017 SM Station duet, “Lullaby.” The song is a beautiful contrast between the SHINee leader’s deep, warm tones and Oh Ji-yeon’s (of Rocoberry) light and airy melodies. They both barely change it up, too, which may sound monotone in less-than-capable hands, but far from it for these seasoned artists.
At times, Onew even manages to sync up his gentle vocals with the soft strumming of the guitar, resulting in an ear orgasm of a track that’s as scintillating as it is soothing. He and Rocoberry truly lull the listener to sleep, allowing for a calm rest that everyone deserves.
5. Under The Starlight
Now that his OST and SM Station duets are out of the way, it’s time to focus more on Onew’s solo works. He debuted as a solo artist in 2018 with his first mini album, Voice. The release’s main single may have been the very emotional “Blue,” but the side tracks feature some of Onew’s most soothing songs. The first is “Under The Starlight,” a ballad that sounds so classic, you’d think it was released in the 1990s.
The SHINee leader piles on a poignant punch that will tug on your heartstrings. Many would even compare him to his former label-mate and one of K-Pop’s finest balladeers, Taeyeon. But while the latter takes you on a tailspin of emotions, Onew shines on with sentimental sounds that’ll keep you invested.
6. Shine on You
“Shine on You” serves as another amazing track with soothing sentimentality in Onew’s Voice mini album. In it, the singer runs a whole gamut of emotions with his vocals alone. He starts it calmly with his low tones and picks it up at times when he hits those soprano notes. But throughout, he remains tranquil and encouraging.
Even the lyrics soothe with words of love, affirmation, and promise. In it, he sings that “You’re my everything. I can do all for you,” keeping up his reliable boyfriend image from his days in SHINee.
7. Always
Billboard proclaimed Onew’s Circle as the best K-Pop album of 2023, and it’s no surprise to see why. Not only was it his first full album, but it also encapsulates his entire musical artistry. The release is filled with both energetic bops and emotional ballads, finishing off with the underrated masterpiece, “Always.”
The track is pure Lee Jinki all the way—serene melodies and deep vocals. He doesn’t even go all that high in it, save for an extended soprano note by the 2:17 mark. Onew stays fairly level with his vocal poetry here, giving a much-needed calm after a musical storm.
8. Epilogue
“Epilogue” isn’t exactly a closer in the way that “Always” was, but it certainly feels like it. The track comes second to last in Onew’s most recent album, Percent, from 2025. The standard ballad in a release full of lively dips into different genres, his vocals truly take center stage here. So much so that you almost overlook how the song is yet another of Onew’s slight forays into Gospel music.
The piano and backup vocals set a faint ecclesiastical vibe to it, but Onew’s vocals pack such an emotional punch that you’ll focus solely on him. He soothes you into such a relaxing state that you’d feel you’re the only two people in the world.
9. Life Goes On
This list isn’t complete without a few of Onew’s solo Japanese releases. His debut Japanese studio album, Life Goes On, features a fun title track that’s as comforting as it is encouraging. It’s not even a ballad, too! “Life Goes On” is a fun, bouncy track that plays on Onew’s lighter vocal and highlights his infectious personality.
The clincher is also already in the title. Onew sings of how life goes on even when nothing goes your way, and you’re just about ready to give up. The song is the light push you need to continue on, preferably with a smile.
10. Uroko
Around the same time, Onew also released a mini album, Who Sings?, which features his remake of Hata Motohiro’s 2007 hit, “Uroko.” Sounding like the perfect ending theme to a lighthearted slice of life anime, his version is a perfect rendition of a J-Pop Classic. You shouldn’t even miss when Jinki invited Motohiro himself for a surprise duet for the ages.
As breezy as a spring, cherry blossom-filled day in the Japanese countryside, you can practically feel the sunshine as you listen to this track. This may be a bit of a stretch, but “Uroko” might just be Onew’s most comforting song to date.
Onew is back with the rest of SHINee for their latest album, Atmos. It’s another exciting time for K-Pop’s OG princes, but it’s also worth remembering that their leader has an entire slate of soothing ballads and duets worth listening to.
Sources: SM Town Official YouTube Page, Shinee Official YouTube Page, Onew Official YouTube Page, 1theK Originals Official YouTube Channel, SUPER SOUND Bugs! YouTube Channel, Wikimedia Commons
