Though my days of swooning and idol worship are (mostly) gone, the boy band phenomenon doesn’t seem to be leaving us anytime soon. Asia and the rest of the world keeps pumping out more and more prototypes of these well known formulas-for-success—groups with a carefully selected group of five promising young men, each possessing a certain distinct charm or quirk and general dancing and singing ability whilst still being able to contribute to group cohesion (slash marketability).
Considering the formulaic qualities of these groups, it’s always nice to see one do something different. Shinee is a still-rising Korean boy group who debuted in 2008. Along with their accelerating popularity and numerous awards, they’ve stood out for their fashion style, consisting often of bright tops with skinny jeans and high-top sneakers, which has influenced many young Korean students and is being called the ‘Shinee Trend’ by the media.
But Shinee has used their clout to do something less superficial recently. According to The Phenom Penh Post, following a recent performance in Cambodia, the group stopped by one of the facilities of the Cambodian Children’s Fund, where they met 100 orphaned children, gave them a free show and then donated $10,000 to the cause.
The not-for-profit Cambodian Children’s Fund is a home for nearly 400 Cambodian children between the ages of 7-18—some of these young people have the starkest of backgrounds, including having been scavengers at a local garbage dump. Alongside providing a shelter for these youth, CCF provides them with additional resources to enhance their futures, such as Math, English language classes and vocational training.
The director of the organization, Scott Neeson, stated that Shinee’s donation would most likely be used to enhance areas of, for culture, music and dance.
This kind of boy band action still makes me swoon.