Dice (EP)

Dice is the second extended play by South Korean singer Onew. It was released on April 11, 2022, through SM Entertainment. It consists of six tracks, including the lead single of the same name.

Dice
Digital and Rolling version cover
EP by
Onew
ReleasedApril 11, 2022
GenrePop
Length20:59
LanguageKorean
Label
Producer
  • Hitchhiker
  • Cha Cha Malone
  • Cook Classios
  • Sam Klempner
  • Scott Quinn
  • Lostboy
  • The 6
  • Dirty Rice
  • M. Lee
Onew chronology
Voice
(2018)		 Dice
(2022)		 Life Goes On
(2022)
Singles from Dice
  1. "Dice"
    Released: April 11, 2022

Background and release

Onew released his debut solo EP, Voice, in 2018, after which he enlisted in the military.[1] His second EP was initially scheduled for a September 2021 release,[2] before eventually being confirmed for April 2022, four years after Voice.[3] Promotional materials, including video and image teasers, were released beginning March 31.[4] Onew hosted a countdown livestream on Shinee's YouTube channel on April 11 to celebrate the EP's release.[5]

Composition

"I wanted to show that Onew is a person who can do not only calm songs, such as ballads or drama soundtracks, but also can dance and try something new."

Onew at a press conference about the selection of songs on the EP[6]

Onew included songs from a wide range of genres in order to showcase his diversity as an artist.[6] Lead single "Dice" is a pop song that contains rhythmical guitar plucking and synth sounds. It is about betting on love despite knowing it's a game one will lose.[7] "Sunshine" is an upbeat electronic pop song about embarking on a spontaneous trip and escaping from the monotony of daily life. It is guided by a bassline which is aided by an electric guitar.[8] "On the Way" is a romantic song with a fantasy sound that utilises piano and guitar adlibs. The lyrics detail losing sleep at night, thinking about another person and wanting to go to them.[9] "Love Phobia" is an alternative pop song that expresses scepticism about love.[10] "Yeowoobi" is an emotional break-up song with a dreamlike yet lonely atmosphere. The lyrics compare feelings of love that are warm but sad to a rain shower in the sunlight.[11] "In the Whale" is a midtempo pop song with lyrics written by Onew. The lyrics express that he will always be by his fans' side, even in the darkness.[12]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
NME[13]

Tássia Assis from NME gave Dice a 5 out of 5 stars, describing the EP as "multifaceted" as it offered a variety of sounds yet all six tracks sat together cohesively, which allowed Onew to showcase his true talent. She states that: "for a long time, and despite his proven talent, it felt like Onew stood in the shadows – or inside a whale, if you will – but the skies have cleared now. There’s a whole ocean to explore ahead. By taking a chance and trusting his own experience, Onew allows himself to shine in all his multifaceted glory."[13]

Track listing
Dice track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Dice"Kang Eun-jung
  • Will Lobban-Bean
  • Griffith Clawson
  • Jesse Fink
  • Cook Classios
  • Hitchhiker
3:06
2."Sunshine"Jo Yoon-kyung
  • Klempner
  • Quinn
  • Hitchhiker
3:49
3."On the Way"Hwang Yu-bin
Malone3:58
4."Love Phobia"Jo Dong-hee
  • Sakima
  • Danny Casio
  • Peter Rycroft
  • Richard Boardman
  • Lostboy
  • The 6
3:10
5."Yeowoobi" (Korean: 여우비; RR: Yeoubi; lit. Fox Rain)Kim Bu-min
  • Hitchhiker
  • Kim Bu-min
  • Charles "Chizzy" Stephens
  • Robert Edward Stribling
Hitchhiker3:34
6."In the Whale"
  • Dirty Rice
  • M. Lee
  • Cru Alxndr
  • Dirty Rice
  • M. Lee
3:19
Total length:20:59

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album liner notes.[14]

  • Onew – vocals, background vocals
  • Hitchhiker – producer, director, guitar (tracks 1–2, 5), keyboard (tracks 1, 5), vocal directing (track 5), bass (track 5)
  • Kenzie – vocal directing (track 1)
  • Lee Min-gyu – recording (tracks 1, 4), mixing (track 4), digital editing (track 4), engineering for mix (track 5)
  • No Min-ji – recording (tracks 1–2), digital editing (track 3)
  • Lee Ji-hong – digital editing (track 1), recording (track 3)
  • Jeong Eui-seok – mixing (track 1)
  • Jeon Seung-woo – vocal directing (track 2)
  • Kang Eun-ji – digital editing (track 2)
  • An Chang-gyu – digital editing (track 2), digital editing (track 6)
  • Kim Han-gu – mixing (track 2)
  • Pollen – vocal directing (tracks 3, 6), background vocals (track 3)
  • Jeong Yu-ra – recording (tracks 3–4, 6), digital editing (tracks 4, 6), mixing (track 6)
  • Kim Cheol-sun – mixing (track 3)
  • Sam Kim – background vocals (track 3)
  • Adrian McKinnon – background vocals (track 3)
  • Kim Yeon-seo – vocal directing (track 4)
  • Kim Bu-min – vocal directing (track 5)
  • Kwon Yu-jin – recording (track 5), digital editing (track 5)
  • Jin Nam-koong – mixing (track 5)
  • Kwon Nam-woo – mastering

Charts
Chart performance for Dice
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[15] 15
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[16] 8
South Korean Albums (Gaon)[17] 3
UK Digital Albums (OCC)[18] 44

References
  1. "Shinee's Onew takes hiatus to serve in military". The Korea Times. Yonhap News Agency. December 10, 2018. Archived from the original on December 10, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  2. Ziwei, Puah (April 12, 2021). "Shinee's Taemin, Key and Onew to release new solo material this year". NME. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  3. "Shinee's Onew to drop new EP 'Dice' next month". Yonhap News Agency. March 29, 2022. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  4. Kim, Ju-hee (March 30, 2022). 온유, 솔로 앨범 '다이스' 스케줄 포스터 공개…내달 컴백 [Onew releases the schedule poster for solo album 'Dice'... Comeback next month]. Newsis (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022 – via Naver.
  5. Yang, Haley (April 8, 2022). "Shinee's Onew to hold 'Dice' countdown event on April 11". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  6. Shim, Sun-ah (April 11, 2022). "Shinee leader Onew says 'diversity' is keyword for his new EP". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  7. Lee, Da-gyeom (March 31, 2022). 샤이니 온유, 신곡 '다이스'로 청량 매력 예고 [Shinee's Onew shows refreshing charm on new song 'Dice']. Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022 – via Naver.
  8. Kang, Da-yun (April 5, 2022). 샤이니 온유, 수록곡 '선샤인' 하이라이트 클립 공개…믿듣 청량 보이스 [Shinee's Onew releases highlight clip of B-side track 'Sunshine'... A refreshing voice]. My Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022 – via Naver.
  9. Lee, Seung-hoon (April 6, 2022). '컴백 D-5' 샤이니 온유, 솔로 앨범 수록곡 'On the way'로 로맨틱한 설렘 예고 ['Comeback D-5' Shinee's Onew displays romantic excitement with 'On the way' from his solo album]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022 – via Naver.
  10. Son, Ji-na (April 7, 2022). 샤이니 온유, 솔로 앨범 수록곡 'Love Phobia' 세련된 바이브 예고 [Shinee's Onew heralds a sophisticated vibe with 'Love Phobia' in solo album]. MK Sports (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022 – via Naver.
  11. Oh, Yoon-joo (April 1, 2022). 샤이니 온유, '여우비'로 이별 감성 예고 [Shinee's Onew describes break-up feelings in 'Yeowoobi']. My Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022 – via Naver.
  12. Koh, Young-jun (April 3, 2022). 샤이니 온유, 솔로 앨범 수록곡 'In the whale' 작사 참여 [Shinee's Onew participated in writing lyrics for 'In the Whale' on his solo album]. Sports Dong-a (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022 – via Naver.
  13. Assis, Tassia I. (April 15, 2022). "Onew – 'Dice' review: a stately revelation of his true, shining talents". NME. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  14. Dice (Liner notes). South Korea: SM Entertainment. 2022.
  15. "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2022-05-02/p/2" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  16. "Billboard Japan Hot Albums: 2022/04/20 公開". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  17. "Gaon Album Chart – Week 16, 2022". Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  18. "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
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