Sherlock

Sherlock is the fourth mini album by SHINee. It was released on March 19, 2012 on digital platforms worldwide, and the physical version was released two days later. "Sherlock (Clue + Note)" served as the album's title track. "Sherlock (Clue + Note)" is a remix of the album's two following songs "Clue" and "Note". The song is described as "having a unique and distinctive style", and tells the story of Sherlock who solving a case by combining the rational "clue" and "note". But rather than a detective, Sherlock here is meant as a reference to "oneself," and thus is the story of a person discovering him/herself. The song "Honesty" was written by member Jonghyun and its lyrics are a thank you to fans. The visuals of the albums were designed to evoke mystery. Design agency Red Dot explains that "Each illustration expresses each member's inner world and thoughts, and with their naive pictures, clues are given to the fans for their chance to interpret the mystery. It can also be considered as a device to find out more about the musician through the album."