“Design never disappoints”: SHINee’s KEY surprises fans with another incredible retro designed album for Killer

K-pop fans, irrespective of their favorite artist, have once again come together to shower praises on the latest album of SHINee’s KEY.

The veteran K-pop idol is making a comeback with repackage album Killer in a few days and gave fans glimpses into the retro game-inspired physical album packaging design on February 6 KST.

KEY is known for designing his own concepts and albums, with many complimenting the idol for his creativity.

His solo albums such as Bad Love and Gasoline have been a class apart from the general K-pop albums, especially as a collectible. His upcoming release, Killer, based on a retro gaming concept, is gaining attention for the same.

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SHINee’s KEY’s three-version Killer album packaging blows K-pop fans away

On February 6, SHINEE’s KEY took fans by surprise by announcing his second repackage album, titled Killer.

The teaser showed a pixel game character on a retro monitor. Although KEY has mentioned in the past that Bad Love and Gasoline (his previous solo releases) were not connected, they both found their place in Killer, as fans noticed their background aesthetics in the track reveal video.

Killer is taking things up a notch and giving fans a retro trilogy. The album, inspired by early 80s-90s game aesthetic, includes a zine version, a CRT version and a limited edition gamepack version. All three versions come with a few different inclusions and a wholly different aesthetic, which makes it a treat for K-pop collectors.

As the name suggests, the zine version makes use of zine, a small magazine-esque work of art that originated in the 1930s. The CRT version is a case version that uses the aesthetic of a 90s video game. Meanwhile, the limited version, called the game pack, is similar to a retro computer video game cartridge.

Collecting, whether an album, photocards, or any inclusion, is a big thing in K-pop culture. Many fans, irrespective of their fandom, praised the creative mind of SHINee’s KEY and commented on how collectors will be having a blast with his albums.

Fans also discussed that the CRT version looked similar to the nostalgic ROM video game cartridge.

Take a look at some fan comments gushing over Killer’s album designs below:

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More about Killer

Killer as the repackaged version of Gasoline will consist of 14 songs, including three new ones. The new songs are Killer (title track), Heartless, and Easy.

The title track is described as a tempo dance genre with a retro sound based on the 80s synth pop. The message behind it is of a painful breakup and being unable to forget the other person.

Concept photos released so far show SHINee’s KEY transformed into a bike racer. He wears a helmet and is riding a motorcycle in one while in the other, he holds a trophy up high.

The color scheme is dark and contrasting, with purple, blue, red, neon green, black and others casting a mystic vibe.

Pre-orders for SHINee’s KEY's Killer are currently open. Anticipation for Killer is at an all-time high as the idol is all set to return with his second album repackage on February 13 at 6 pm KST.