Shinhwa Essentials

Formed in 1998, Shinhwa creates dance-pop songs infused with a balance of R&B and hip-hop featuring their three vocalists and three rappers. Their music videos often featured striking visuals that accompanied the music. Their early music videos usually feature strong chroreography and a narrative. Shinhwa's debut video, "Haegyeolsa (Resolver/Solver)" combines a post-apocalyptic backdrop with 1990s styling and dance moves performed on a swinging platform. "All Your Dreams" is one of the group's epic narrative videos, detailing a Romeo and Juliet relationship between individuals separated by class.

Choreography is central to Shinhwa. "Wild Eyes" features the iconic Shinhwa "chair dance," imitated by later generations of K-pop idols. "Brand New" uses a camera on a crane that moves as it encircles the members as they perform the choreography. It is one of Shinwa's first music videos to feature female back-up dancers. Both songs generate dynamic live performances as well.

Shinhwa defied conventional wisdom by making a comeback after a four-year absence, challenging the so-called "five-year" curse, the notion that the lifespan of an idol group is only five years due to mandatory military enlistment for Korean men. "Venus," the comeback track, features a video with high production value. "Sniper" stands out as one of Shinhwa's most sophisticated music videos, with chic backgrounds, costumes and dynamic choreography.

Articles about Shinhwa echo the group's perceptions about their longevity. Part of their longevity can be attributed to Eric's selflessness and a model that recognizes solo projects of members: "Eric is the key factor in this group remaining whole after all of these years. He definitely had the opportunity to move on leave the rest of the members in the dust, but he put the group before himself and his own gains. I think the fact that all members now have their own management companies that allow for their solo activities helps as well because they all have someone looking out for their best interests and promoting them individually, so that they aren’t like a group under one company where the company decides who is important and worth pushing to the public" (seoulbeats).

Interviews with the group generally focus on their longevity or group perceptions about making a comeback after a four-year hiatus. In the Cosmo Korea interview, Eric shares the group's feelings as one of the most senior K-pop groups: "As for things like first place and the Daesang, I think of them simply as gifts from the fans. We are not working on activities with the goal of achieving a certain status or position, but more to achieve the objective of keeping Shinhwa going strong." Shinhwa often attributes their longevity to the interpersonal dynamics of the group and offers advice for newer groups in the Cyworld interview: "Of course activities are important, but I think teamwork between members is most important. Always talking things out and solving problems, that’s how a team can go on for a long time. I hope all of them can continue to be well-loved and become long-running groups, and not just stars who sparkle for a short while."