2008: Debut and The Shinee World

Prior to the group's debut, the label company, SM Entertainment, introduced an upcoming contemporary R&B boy group with its goal to be trendsetters in all areas of music, fashion and dance.[3] The group's Korean name, Shinee is a new coined word and explained as a combination of shine meaning light, and the suffix ee, therefore meaning "one who receives the light".[4] On May 22, 2008, the group's first EP, Replay, was released,[1][5][6] which debuted at number ten on the Korean music charts[7] and peaked at number eight,[8] selling 17,957 copies in the first half of 2008.[9] In May 2008, Shinee had their first stage performance on SBS's Inkigayo with their single "Replay".[10]

In June, 2008, the group won their first award, "Rookie of the Month", at the Cyworld Digital Music Awards,[11] and were also awarded with the "Hot New Star" award at the Mnet 20's Choice Awards 2008 in August, 2008.[12] In the same month, Shinee subsequently released their first full-length album, The Shinee World,[13] which debuted at number three, selling 30,000 copies.[14] Its title track "Sanso Gateun Neo (Love Like Oxygen)" is a cover of "Show the World" by Martin Hoberg Hedegaard,[15] originally written by the Danish songwriting and production team of Thomas Troelsen, Remee and Lucas Secon.[16] On September 18, 2008, the song won first place on M! Countdown making it the group's first win on Korean music shows since debut.[17]

Shinee participated in the 5th Asia Song Festival, where they received the "Best New Artist" award along with Japanese girl group Berryz Kobo.[18] The group attended the 2008 Style Icon Awards on October 30, 2008, where they received the "Best Style Icon Award".[19] On the same day, a repackaged version of The Shinee World, titled A.Mi.Go, was released, which includes three new songs: "Forever or Never", a remix of "Love Should Go On", and the title track "Amigo".[20] "A.Mi.Go" is a shortened version of the Korean phrase "Areumdaun Minyeoreul Joahamyeon Gosaenghanda", which can be translated to "The heart aches when you fall in love with a beauty".[21]

In November, 2008, Shinee won the "Best New Male Group" award at the 10th annual Mnet Asian Music Awards, beating fellow newcomers U-KISS, 2PM, 2AM and Mighty Mouth,[22] the group also won the award for "Newcomer Album of the Year" at the 23rd Annual Golden Disk Awards.[23][24]