"ONDREW IS BACK" — Fans thrilled as SHINee's Onew announces first English song release, 'MAD'

SHINee's Onew has announced a new single, MAD, his first English-language song. The track will be released by his label, Griffin Entertainment, on April 21, 2025, at 6 PM KST. The news came as a surprise to fans.

While the official release is set for April 21, individuals attending the upcoming concert ONEW THE LIVE: CONNECTION in Taipei will get to listen to the song in advance. According to an update on the idol's official X account, the singer will perform the song live at his solo concert on April 5.

Fans were stunned by the announcement of an original English-language composition from the Shinee member. Many speculated that the song might be a high-energy rock number, based on the teaser image. They also recalled Onew's role as a rock musician, Drew, in the 2010 musical Rock of Ages. Fondly calling him 'Ondrew,' one fan on X tweeted:

"ONDREW IS BACK"

From anticipating the song's genre to being wistful over the month-long wait, fans had a range of reactions to the song's announcement.

"onew finally releasing a full english song NOBODY MOVE" a user wrote

"please let it be rock inspired" a fan replied

"Waittt we have to wait for 1 month?" another fan wrote

Fans even speculated if the caption on his recent Instagram post was a spoiler for the song. The song's teaser photo features the song name written in a red-colored gothic-like font against a black background.

"MAD = MOM AND DAD???? Were the captions to this post a spoiler all these time?!?!" a fan replied

"OMG ORIGINAL ENGLISH OHMYGOD AND THE VIBE???????? we r going to d*e istfg" another fan wrote

"No way?? These days in SHINee World are full of surprises" a user wrote

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SHINee member Onew's ongoing and upcoming activities

Lee Jin-ki, popularly known as Onew, debuted in 2008 as the leader of the K-pop group SHINee under SM Entertainment. Over the years, he has contributed as a singer, songwriter, and composer for both group songs and his solo releases. He stayed with the label until April 2024, when he switched to Griffin Entertainment. However, he continues to be an active member of SHINee.

In September 2024, he released FLOW, his third overall and first mini-album with his new label. In January 2025, the singer made a comeback with his fourth overall and second mini-album with Griffin, CONNECTION. The album features the title track Winner. He participated in songwriting and production for this album.

In February 2025, he embarked on his solo concert tour, Onew the Live: Connection, with a maiden two-day performance in Yokohama, Japan. This was followed by a three-day event in Seoul in the same month.

The concert will head to Taipei on April 5 and Macau on April 20. After wrapping the Asia leg, the tour will continue in the US, with an opening show in New York on April 24 and a concluding show in Los Angeles on May 9.