One of the major pillars of K-Pop and its global influence can be credited to SM Entertainment, founded by Lee Soo Man in 1989.
The Korean music industry was just evolving from the previous era of ballads, traditional, and trot genres while being liberated Chun Doo Hwan government’s media censorship laws. Hip-hop, electric music, and Western influence was slowly seeping into Korean culture.
Lee Soo Man was already a known name as a solo artist. He was one of the most sought-after composers, producers, and songwriters. But the creative restrictions discouraged him from pursuing music, and he instead went to the US for higher education.
With the rising MTV stars and the popping music scene in the States, Lee Soo Man got a vision of how he could transform Korea’s music industry. He returned to his homeland and established his agency under SM Studio. He pioneered the first generation of K-Pop with the famous band HOT.
And then came the golden era of SM entertainment in the 2000s when the company reached insurmountable heights, establishing itself as one of the Big-3 companies. Super Junior, TVXQ, Girls’ Generation (SNSD), and Shinee were reigning in the second generation of K-Pop.
SM Entertainment became one of the most desired agencies for aspiring idols. Meticulous auditions, rigorous training, and binding 7-year contracts made the agency credible yet grueling. Although there is no denying that once you join the agency, your life is about to transform to an unimaginable level.
But as the third generation of K-pop arrived, the agency upgraded to SM 2.0. However, Lee Soo Man stepped down from his position as one of the board of directors, retaining his role as executive producer for “management and artist development.”
With NCT and Aespa representing the current generation of K-Pop, something shifted drastically in SM Entertainment. Lee Soo Man made a deal and sold his SM shares to Hybe (who manages BTS), thus making Hybe the biggest shareholder of SM Entertainment. This waged a war between Lee Soo Man and SM executives. Lee Soo Man announced his departure from the company, ending a crucial era of K-Pop.
The SM restructuring and evolving creative take for the new generation have left the veteran artists in splits. Several idols are not renewing their contracts with SM Entertainment.
After being associated for almost two decades, Super Junior’s Kyuhyun and Girls’ Generation’s Sunny have decided to part ways with the agency. Both idols wish to pursue their individual goals, which don’t align with SM Entertainment. However, both will continue with their respective group activities.
Kyuhyun Super Junior
Kyuhyun joined Super Junior one year after the band’s debut in 2005. Super Junior quickly rose to popularity with their hit song “Sorry Sorry,” and the mega-band of 13 members became the talk of the K-town. Kyuhyun was the band’s lead vocalist, lending his melodious voice to the pumping songs.
He then ventured solo with his first EP, “At Gwanghwamun,” in 2014, earning accolades for his soft and smooth vocals. He quickly established himself as one of the superior vocalists in K-Pop.
Subsequently, he was cast in several renowned musicals, including “Mozart!”, “Frankenstein,” and the upcoming play “Ben-Hur.” Meanwhile, his quick-witty, quirky, and approachable personality also landed him several variety shows like “New Journey to the West” (2015-18) and “Kang’s Kitchen” (2017-19), and he has a winning streak in the hit reality show “King Of Mask Singer.”
But after almost 17 years, Cho Kyuhyn left SM Entertainment after his contract expired in July, along with two of his members, Eunhyuk and Donghae.
Kyuhyun has signed with the new agency, Antenna, who released a statement–
“We recently signed an exclusive contract with Kyuhyun, the main vocalist of Super Junior, ballad singer and a star in many entertainment shows.”
“We aim to support Kyuhyun’s wide range of activities. We ask for your support as he begins a new chapter in his journey.”
Sunny Girls’ Generation
Girls’ Generation is a sentiment! “Into The New World,” released in 2007, is an anthem for every young generation, which echoes even today. Most aspiring idols audition with this song.
Girls’ Generation, or SNSD, was the first girl group that broke the record within months of its debut. Each of their songs is iconic and shattered all charts, earning triple crowns. The band was so popular that people equated K-Pop to SNSD.
Each member enjoyed the heights of popularity and made hefty checks. It was among the first few bands to break into global markets, especially in Japan.
Here’s an exhibit to understand the peak of their influence–
Sunny was one of the members of SNSD, known for her cheerful, bubbly personality and honey voice.
However, she is also known as the niece of Lee Soo Man, founder of SM Entertainment. But she broke out from the shadows of this tag and made a name for herself through her talent.
After being in SM Entertainment for 16 years, she announced her departure in a hearty Instagram post.
Hello! I’m Sunny from SNSD.
I am writing this because I have a story I want to convey along with my thanks for the 16th anniversary of SNSD’s debut. Looking back, there are so many people I am grateful for over the past 16 years. Precious members like myself, my loving family, the staff who silently stayed by my side, and the fans who gave me strength just by being there. Today, I would like to express my gratitude and greetings to SM Entertainment, which helped 19-year-old Lee Soonkyu debut as Sunny of SNSD.
I would like to thank the managers who worked hard together during the 16 years of entertainment activities as well as all of the staff who helped me give positive energy to many people through various stages and content. Debuting as SNSD, meeting the members, and meeting SONE makes me happy every day beyond measure.
Now I muster up the courage to see myself in a different light and in a new environment. It is thanks to the interest and support of the grateful fans who have been unchanging for a long time. No matter what kind of days come in the future, we will continue to move forward with a sunny image full of energy.
I will become a Sunny who shares good news in the future. Thank you!
Why Are Sunny and Kyuhyun Leaving SM Entertainment?
SM 3.0 began at the start of this decade. The current CEOs, Lee Sung Su and Tak Young Jun have entirely different visions for the new idol groups. In a recent broadcast video for updates, the two executives expressed their plans for the company, hoping to “expand the Korean, Asian, and global fandom and respond to changes in the market.”
The drastic restructuring and new vision might not be enough for the previous artists to sustain themselves in the fast-paced industry. Many artists are looking for options where their goals can be materialized. This could be one of the reasons why 2nd generation artists are leaving SM Entertainment for better opportunities, PR, and promotions.
SM Entertainment issued a formal statement–
“Eunhyuk, Donghae, and Kyuhyun will be continuing their Super Junior promotions together with SM.”
“We will be cheering the three of them on as they take on new challenges, and we plan to communicate closely with them so that they can effectively carry out both their group activities and their solo activities at the same time.”
Meanwhile, Sunny’s bandmate Sooyoung supported her decision with a post–
“Sunny, I’ll always cheer you on, and I’ll always be with you.”
And former labelmate BoA also showed her support for her junior, “We’ll always cheer on Sunny whenever.”
Fans have poured in immense support for their decision to leave the company and pursue their individual goals.
What are your thoughts on this case? Do you think it was the right choice for both? Would you still support the artist even if they no longer have the SM tag?
Let us know in the comments section below.
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