"Way Back Home" is the sixth digital single by Shaun. It is a reworked version of the original song by Dutch DJ Sam Feldt, featuring English verses by Britsh singer Conor Maynard. It was released on December 21, 2018 under global label Spinnin' Records.
I. Accusations of sajaegi and Investigation
"Way Back Home" grew in popularity first in the Korean dance community through social media posts and fans sharing videos of Shaun's live performances at clubs and festivals. Specifically, the song was posted on a prominent Facebook page for music recommendations. The song and its videos eventually went viral, and the song appeared on digital trending charts. "Way Back Home" gradually gained playtime as the background music of cafes and TV shows as well as some celebrity promotions. The song went on to achieve a "grand slam" on the morning of July 17, 2018, by attaining the number one position on all three major Korean music services: MelOn, Genie, and Olleh Music.
However, because Shaun was a relatively lesser-known artist, the song's rise on the charts sparked allegations of "sajaegi", or chart manipulation, with some drawing comparisons to Nilo, who has previously also been accused of chart manipulation. Later that day, DCTOM Entertainment released a statement denying any chart manipulation, claiming instead to have used "viral marketing". The CEO of DCTOM Entertainment similarly denied any unlawful action. Shaun himself also denied any cheating and he isolated himself from others and experienced serious psychological anxiety as a result of the accusations. Shaun responded on July 22, 2018 stating that he hoped the truth would be uncovered and apologizing for hurting his fans.
Meanwhile on July 18, 2018 Park Jinyoung of JYP Entertainment stated that he would request an investigation from South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Fair Trade Commission. The next day, DCTOM Entertainment requested a police investigation into the issue. Shaun has also filed charges against some people for spreading rumors. An investigation by DCTOM Entertainment found no evidence of chart manipulation, but rather that the song steadily climbed the charts due to people gaining interest in it.
On January 31, 2019 the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism released the results of the investigation by a special enterprise that analyzed data from Nilo and Shaun’s tracks. The Ministry stated that there wasn’t a difference in demand or patterns in user behavior between the controversial tracks. They stated that they will be transferring the analyzed data over to an investigative agency to continue the investigations.
SHAUN's agency said in a statement: "As we have repeatedly stated, we have never taken part in any illegal acts including sajaegi which is why there is no evidence related to that, and we think that the results of the investigation by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism show this once again.
It is deplorable that we still have to prove ourselves regarding a wrongdoing we never committed even though that the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism was unable to find any proof of sajaegi or any direct links after investigating this for six months, and when online music sites have stated that there were no strange IP connections." and "So many of our artists and staff members have been hurt during this thoughtless witch hunt. We hope that no other musician gets hurt from an unfair witch hunt, and desperately hope that the digital music industry will operate more transparently and that perceptions will be changed through this incident."
II. Music Video(s)
