Tag: SM Entertainment

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Exo’s ‘Travel the World on a Ladder 4’ to Premiere in August 11

Mark your calendars, EXO-Ls because K-pop boy group EXO is returning with a new season of their hit variety show Travel the World on a Ladder! 

Travel the World on a Ladder is a reality-variety series wherein EXO members make their travel decisions based on the results of a ladder game. 

 

Its first season, which aired in 2018, starred EXO-CBX members Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin. The second and third season featured the whole group. 

This upcoming fourth installment will see members Suho, Xiumin, D.O., Baekhyun, Chanyeol, Chen, and Sehun. Kai won’t be part of it since he enlisted in the military in May. 

SM C&C Studio also released individual photos of the members posing with an airsoft gun in a field. Although details about the show have yet to be released, fans are already anticipating the adorable ruckus the EXO members will create while playing this outdoor game. 

The first two episodes will premiere on August 11 on Wave. There will be a total of twelve episodes, with two episodes airing every Friday until September 15. 

The ‘Travel the World on a Ladder 4’ release comes after EXO wrapped up the promotional activities for their seventh full-length album EXIST. 

EXIST, which served as EXO’s first album as a full-group in two years, has a total of nine songs, with “Cream Soda” as its title track. 

Originally a 12-piece act, EXO debuted under SM Entertainment in April 2012. Chinese members Kris, Tao, and Luhan have left the group, while Lay left SM Entertainment in April 2022. 

EXO is known for songs “Growl,” “Monster,” “Love Shot,” “Overdose,” and “Tempo.” 

Featured image from EXO’s Twitter

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Smtown Live 2023 Is Coming to Jakarta in September

Rejoice, Indonesian K-pop fans because SM Entertainment is bringing their highly-anticipated company-wide concert SMTOWN LIVE 2023 to Jakarta! 

The agency announced on Wednesday, July 26, that the concert featuring artists from SM Entertainment will be held at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia on September 23. 

The one-night show will feature performances and appearances from eight acts, including TVXQ!, Super Junior, Red Velvet, NCT 127, NCT Dream, WayV, aespa, as well as SM Entertainment’s upcoming new boy group. 

The label added that the celebration is even more special as 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Indonesia. “With our upcoming show, we will reflect on the meaning of harmony while promoting more active cultural exchange between the two countries.”

The SMTOWN LIVE 2023 in Jakarta might serve as the first international schedule for SM’s new boy group. Although the agency remains tight-lipped about the upcoming act, a representative has earlier confirmed that said group is gearing up for a September debut. 

SM Entertainment’s CEO Jang Cheol Hyuk has also revealed that the new boy group will have former NCT members Sungchan and Shotaro and SM Rookies Eunseok and Seunghan as part of its lineup. The seven-piece act will also feature other members of Korean and American nationalities. 

First staged in 2008, SM TOWN LIVE is a concert tour held by SM Entertainment artists. It had stops in Japan, China, Singapore, Thailand, and the United States. 

The last SM TOWN LIVE 2023 concert in Jakarta will be the second time it’ll be held in Indonesia, with the first being in September 2012. 

Featured image: Red Velvet’s Facebook

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Is Riize the Name of SM Entertainment’s New Kpop Boy Group?

Fans are already looking forward to the debut of SM Entertainment’s new boy group and they can’t help but look for any development about it. 

Eagle-eyed netizens took to social media to discuss what could be the possible name of the said group, especially that some users have discovered that SM Entertainment has applied for a new trademark over the phrases “Rise&Realize” and “RIIZE.” 

Online users pointed out how the agency applied for the trademark on May 24, 2023 — the same day wherein SM Entertainment released their statement about their plans for upcoming groups, as well as Shotaro and Sungchan’s departure from the group NCT. 

This prompted fans to search for “Rise&Realize” and “RIIZE” on social media platforms, which led to them discovering Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok accounts that carry the name RIIZE_OFFICIAL. Said social media accounts were registered in April 2023. 

 

Although SM Entertainment remains tight-lipped about their upcoming boy group, a representative from the agency has earlier confirmed that it is gearing up for a September debut. 

“The new boy group is currently filming their music video and at the final stage of preparations,” the agency said. 

SM Entertainment’s CEO Jang Cheol Hyuk has revealed that the new boy group will have former NCT members Sungchan and Shotaro and SM Rookies Eunseok and Seunghan as part of its lineup. The seven-piece act will also feature other members of Korean and American nationalities. 

Meanwhile, aside from the new boy group, SM Entertainment is also currently forming the last unit of NCT. Through the reality series, NCT Universe: LASTART, they will be looking for members of NCT Tokyo. 

Featured image: SM Rookies’ Facebook

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Exo Sets New Personal Record With ‘Exist’

The wait is over, EXO-Ls! K-pop powerhouse EXO made their highly-anticipated comeback on Monday, July 10 with their seventh full-length album EXIST. 

EXO also released on Monday the music video for its title track “Cream Soda,” a dance-pop song with heavy brass and drum sounds. 

The music video of “Cream Soda” only featured members Suho, Xiumin, Chen, Baekhyun, Chanyeol, D.O., and Suho. 

 

Member Kai, who enlisted in May, was absent. But he was present in the music videos of the two earlier released songs “Hear Me Out” and “Let Me In.” 

EXIST, which has a total of nine tracks, also includes songs “Regret It,” “Private Party,” “Cinderella,” “No Make Up,” “Love Fool,” and “ Another Day.” 

Within hours of its release, EXIST recorded a total of 1,074,914 sales, making it EXO’s highest first day sales. It’s also the first album of the group to surpass 1 million first-week sales. 

Meanwhile, “Cream Soda” placed no 1. on the worldwide ITunes song chart after topping the chart in more than 60 countries on its first day. 

 

EXIST served as EXO’s first album as a full-group in two years, following the extended play Don’t Fight This Feeling that was released in June 2021. 

The group comeback came after three members – Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin – had a legal dispute with agency SM Entertainment about their settlements. The two parties reached an agreement in June, saying that they’ve resolved their differences and agreed to continue their activities as EXO. 

Aside from the new album, EXO is also confirmed to star in a new reality show. 

Originally a 12-piece act, EXO debuted under SM Entertainment in April 2012. Chinese members Kris, Tao, and Luhan have left the group, while Lay left SM Entertainment in April 2022. 

EXO is known for songs “Growl,” “Monster,” “Love Shot,” Overdose,” and “Tempo.” 

Featured image: EXO’s Facebook

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SM Entertainment Announces Upcoming Reality Show NCT Universe: LASTART

In an exciting announcement, SM Entertainment revealed its plans to launch a reality show titled NCT Universe: LASTART, through which they will handpick new members for their highly popular boy group, NCT.

The show, set to commence on July 27, aims to provide a transparent and captivating glimpse into the process of selecting members for the upcoming NCT NEW TEAM.

The name LASTART is a clever combination of “LAST” and “START.” It symbolizes the conclusion of NCT‘s infinite expansion concept while signifying the beginning of a fresh chapter with the new team. The press release from SM Entertainment to Herald Pop shed light on the show’s premise and objectives.

Viewers will have the chance to witness the intricate procedures involved in member composition, rigorous training, intensive practice sessions, and, ultimately, the formation of the final team. The show is set to captivate global audiences, as it will be broadcasted on multiple platforms, including ENA and TVING in Korea, Nippon TV in Japan, and KOCOWA+ in North, Central, and South America.

As anticipation builds for NCT Universe: LASTART, fans worldwide eagerly await the unveiling of talented new members who will contribute to the continued success and evolution of the esteemed NCT family.

Featured Photo Credit: NCT Official Twitter Account

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Watch: SM Entertainment Reveals New SM Rookies Yushi, Sion

Meet Yushi and Sion, the newest trainees that joined SM Entertainment’s pre-debut team called SM Rookies. 

On Wednesday, June 28, the agency released two videos featuring Yushi and Sion. The almost one-minute clips teased fans on the visuals and skills of both aspiring idols. 

Although SM Entertainment didn’t provide any additional details about the two, Yushi and Sion’s introduction came a month after the agency unveiled its plans about a new NCT unit and the debut of several SM Rookies. 

In May, SM Entertainment CEO Jang Cheo-hyuk shared that the new NCT sub-unit will be the group’s last. Currently, NCT has 20 members that are scattered along several sub-units: NCT 127, NCT DREAM, WayV, and NCT U. NCT127 also has its own sub-unit, which is DoJaeJung. 

At the time, Jang said that SM Entertainment will soon introduce two new members – one Korean and one Japanese – that will become part of NCT’s new unit. Other members of the said sub-unit will be selected from a pre-debut reality show. 

It was also then when the CEO mentioned that Shohei, who was introduced as part of SM Rookies, won’t be joining NCT’s new unit due to health reasons. He will pursue individual activities, instead.

Meanwhile, former NCT members Shotaro and Sungchan are confirmed to debut as a new boy group under SM Entertainment later in 2023, alongside SM Rookies Eunseok and Seunghan. The lineup for the new boy group will also include members of Korean and American nationalities. 

Stay tuned for more updates on which SM Entertainment group Yushi and Sion are debuting.

Featured Image from SMTOWN’s YouTube account

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EXO-CBX Members Reach Agreement With SM Entertainment

The ongoing legal battle is finally over. EXO-CBX members Xiumin, Baekhyun, and Chen have come to an agreement with SM Entertainment. The members of EXO also issued a joint statement with their agency.

EXO-CBX Members and SM Entertainment Issue Joint Statement

SM Entertainment released a joint statement with the three EXO-CBX members. It confirms that the agency and the idols have resolved their differences and agreed to continue forward as EXO with their contracts.

“Recently, the agency and the agency’s artists continued to publicly raise issues with our different stances. Regarding this, the agency and the three artists sincerely apologize for causing concern to the many people who support EXO,” the statement read.

“Afterwards, the agency and three artists had ample time in which we candidly discussed all the issues,” it continued. “Through this, we resolved the differences caused by misunderstandings, and we are pleased to inform you that we have reached a mutually amicable agreement.”

In the statement, it was confirmed that the EXO-CBX members have discussed the contracts thoroughly with the agency. Moreover, they “will carry out a process of mutually equal discussion as well as corrections” and “promised to strengthen our future relationship further.”

SM Apologizes For Third Party Involvement Claims

SM Entertainment also addressed the “third party” misunderstanding.

“The agency initially received a tip-off that a third party was approaching the three artists with unjust intention, and we stated that this was the main cause of the dispute,” the statement read.

“However, through this discussion, we learned that there was a misunderstanding about the involvement of a third party,” it continued. “We would like to take this opportunity to apologize to those involved for causing concern with our announcement.”

Finally, SM Entertainment stated that the incident gave them the chance to “think about the personal concerns of artists.” They also confirmed it would influence “the direction of our agency’s growth following the launch of SM 3.0.”

“Thanks to fans’ support, we would like to plan the future of SM 3.0 that is more developed and mature,” the statement added. “Under the changed and developed new values of SM 3.0, we will further strengthen and solidify mutual cooperation and respect with our artists.”

Earlier this month, Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen notified SM Entertainment regarding the termination of their exclusive contracts. The agency responded by claiming that a third party influenced the termination. Since then, both parties have issued statements responding to each other through the EXO-CBX members’ legal representative.

EXO will release their seventh full album EXIST on July 10, 2023.

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(G)I-DLE’s Yuqi Reveals Why She Chose CUBE Over SM Entertainment

Yuqi has opened up about some important decisions she made in her career. The (G)I-DLE member revealed that she turned down SM Entertainment to debut in CUBE Entertainment’s girl group.

Here’s Why Yuqi Decided Against Signing With SM Entertainment

Yuqi was recently a guest on the MBC talk show Radio Star. During the show, the hosts pointed out that Song Yu Qi had always been a huge K-pop fan.

She confirmed, “In middle school, I was in a dance team. We even held a K-Pop festival.”

The (G)I-DLE main rapper then revealed that her initial goal was to become a trainee for SM Entertainment.

“I am a very big fan of Super Junior. So it was always my dream to go to SM Entertainment,” Yuqi said. “I auditioned for SM Entertainment’s global auditions in Beijing four times.”

She added, “After the fourth time, I saw that CUBE Entertainment was also having auditions the week afterwards, so I went ahead and auditioned for CUBE too. But then, I got a call back from both companies.”

It’s not surprising that both agencies wanted Yuqi to sign with them. However, it also meant that the Chinese idol had a huge decision to make.

“It was a huge struggle, choosing which company to go to,” she admitted. “SM was always my dream, after all. But then at that time, 4minute was making it big at CUBE.”

Yuqi continued, “So then I thought, ‘Well, it’s true that I’m cute and pretty and my visuals fit SM, but my voice is so CUBE. It is husky and more fitting for a girl crush concept’.”

So what made Yuqi decide to sign a contract with CUBE Entertainment? It was a simple offer.

“At the time, the director at Cube promised me, ‘Yuqi, if you sign with us, you will be able to debut by next year’. That was why I chose Cube,” she admitted.

It’s a relatable reason and we can’t blame Yuqi for making the decision. After all, most trainees have to wait several years before they could debut. Luckily for Song Yu Qi, she debuted as one of the talented members of (G)I-DLE.

(G)I-DLE is currently promoting their sixth EP I Feel. The group will begin their I AM FREE-TY World Tour in Seoul on June 17, 2023.

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EXO Confirmed For New Reality Show Without Kai

EXO is ready for a new project. The remaining active members will begin filming for a new reality show. This will be their first group effort after Kai’s military enlistment and EXO-CBX’s ongoing dispute with SM Entertainment.

SM Entertainment Confirms EXO Will Begin Filming As A Group For New Reality Show

On June 8, SM Entertainment announced that EXO is planning to film a group reality show in Korea. The details of the project have not been revealed. However, it was confirmed that the remaining seven members will participate.

On the same day, Xiumin, Suho, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., and Sehun were spotted at the Gimpo Airport. It is believed that the EXO members will begin filming for the reality show soon.

The upcoming show will be EXO’s first group project after Kai enlisted for mandatory military service in May 2023. It might be one of the projects Kim Jongin was referring to when he tearfully announced his military enlistment.

Prior to his enlistment, Kai held a free fan meeting that was also broadcast on EXO’s YouTube channel. Kim Jong-in famously celebrated with EXO-Ls after successfully convincing SM Entertainment to organize the fan meet.

The announcement of the upcoming project also confirms that the EXO-CBX members will continue promoting with the rest of the group. Earlier this month, Xiumin, Baekhyun, and Chen notified SM Entertainment about the termination of their exclusive contracts. In response, the agency claimed that the idols were being influenced by a third party.

Since then, the EXO-CBX members and SM Entertainment have been going back and forth with statements regarding the matter. However, it is agreed that Xiumin, Baekhyun, and Chen will continue as members of EXO.

EXO is also set to a comeback later in the year. However, the comeback date and details have not yet been announced. Stay tuned for more updates on this story.

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EXO’s Baekhyun, Xiumin and Chen Demand SM’s Settlement Reports

Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen continue to face off against SM Entertainment. The EXO members are now demanding that the agency fulfill their promise to provide settlement reports.

EXO Members Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin Still Waiting For Settlement Reports From SM Entertainment

On June 5,  the EXO-CBX members‘ legal representative announced that they have filed a complaint to the Fair Trade Commission. The complaint is against SM Entertainment for “abuse of superior bargaining position.”

SM Entertainment soon responded with a statement on their decision.

“We have decided to provide copies of the settlement reports with the consent and understanding of EXO members on the premise that the three artists and legal representative do not use them for unjust purposes,” it read. The agency also stated that they “will do our best to not interfere with EXO’s activities.”

Chen, Baekyun, and Xiumin have since confirmed that they are still waiting for the reports. A new statement revealed that SM Entertainment has failed to provide the settlement reports.

“Today (June 5) at 8 a.m. (KST), SM shared a press release stating that they will provide copies of settlement reports, and in accordance, our legal representative shared the artists’ signed copy of a confidentiality agreement to SM,” the new statement read.

“However, even by the current time of 6 p.m. (KST) today when work hours are over, SM has not provided any settlement reports stating ‘the settlement reports are not ready yet’,” it continued.

For now, SM Entertainment has not yet responded to the EXO-CBX members‘ latest statement. Stay tuned for more updates on this story.

On June 1, Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen notified SM Entertainment regarding the termination of their exclusive contracts. The agency responded by claiming that a third party influenced the termination. Since then, both parties have issued statements responding to each other through the EXO-CBX members’ legal representative.

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