SM Entertainment Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

SHINee member and soloist Key has expressed his desire to form a duo act with Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation.Key recently appeared on ELLE Korea’s ‘Ask Me Anything’ series on YouTube, where he was asked who in SM Entertainment he would like to form a unit with. The K-pop veteran shared that he would like to form a duo with long-time friend Taeyeon.“It’s awkward for me to do [a performance] with people a lot younger than me, and they would feel uncomfortable as well,” the idol pondered aloud, before naming Taeyeon as a labelmate he wanted to form a new unit with.“I can’t do anything sensual with Taeyeon,” Key added.

SM Entertainment, HYBE has criticised a recent partnership the K-pop agency has forged with South Korean tech giant Kakao.Earlier this month, Kakao shared that it had acquired a 9.05 per cent stake in SM, which would have made it the second-largest shareholder of the company after founder Lee Soo-man. HYBE later announced that it had struck a deal to acquire a 14.8 per cent stake in SM from Lee, thus becoming its biggest shareholder.

K-pop girl group aespa performed several brand-new tracks at their first-ever ‘SYNK: Hyper Line’ concerts over the weekend.On February 25 and 26, the four-member act held their first standalone concerts at the Jamsil Arena in Seoul, with the second day also streaming on Beyond LIVE to overseas audiences.During the shows, aespa gave live debuts to several unreleased tracks including ‘Salty and Sweet’, which they previewed via their YouTube channel prior to the concert. “‘Cause I am salty and sweet / Irresistible, a different type of treat,” they sing in the chorus.In addition to ‘Salty and Sweet’, the quartet also debuted six other unreleased group tracks, namely ‘Thirsty’, ’YOLO’, ’Don’t Blame’, ‘Hot Air Balloon’, ‘I’m Unhappy’ and another untitled song.Each member of aespa also unveiled their first-ever solo tracks: ‘Menagerie’ by Karina, ‘Wake Up’ by NingNing, and ‘2HOT4U’ by Giselle, while vocalist Winter sang an untitled ballad.

SM Entertainment boyband NCT’s “infinite” expansion will come to an end in 2023, the K-pop agency has confirmed.On February 25, SM Entertainment shared the latest in its series of videos about its new ‘SM 3.0’ strategy. In this video, SM’s co-CEOs Chris Lee and Tak Young-jun answered fan questions and also announced the end of boyband NCT’s expansion in 2023.

SHINee leader Onew’s upcoming full-length album, ‘Circle’, have recently been released.According to a report by South Korean media outlet Herald Pop, Onew’s forthcoming record will feature ‘Rain on Me’, a ballad produced and arranged in collaboration with singer-songwriter Sam Kim. Rapper Giriboy, meanwhile, has production credits on B-side ‘Caramel’.온유, 첫 정규 앨범 ‘Circle’ 기리보이·샘김 작업 참여!재치 있는 재즈팝 ‘Caramel’, 서정적 발라드 ‘우중산책’ 수록!https://t.co/hBJ7lUVyT6 #ONEW #온유 #SHINee #샤이니 #Circle #ONEW_Circle #Caramel #우중산책 #RainOnMe #GIRIBOY #기리보이 #SamKim #샘김 pic.twitter.com/zowfslbMXH— SHINee (@SHINee) February 23, 2023A separate report by Newsen also revealed the title of two more B-sides to be featured on the record, ‘Anywhere’ and ‘Paradise’.

HYBE Labels CEO Park Ji-won has issued a new open letter addressing the K-pop company’s recent acquisition of the majority stake in competing label SM Entertainment.The statement was published in Korean, English and Japanese earlier today (February 22) via HYBE’s official Twitter. It announced the completion of HYBE’s acquisition of a 14.8 per cent stake in SM, a deal which the company struck with SM founder and former chief producer Lee Soo-man earlier this month.This officially makes HYBE, home to the likes of BTS, SEVENTEEN, NewJeans and more K-pop acts, the single largest shareholder in SM.

K-pop agency SM Entertainment has previewed its upcoming music release plans for the first half of 2023.On February 20, SM uploaded a report of its earnings for the fourth quarter of 2022 to its official website for investors. In the new report, SM also shared the line-up of comebacks it has scheduled for the first half of 2023.According to the report, April will see the release of Girls’ Generation leader and soloist Taeyeon’s fifth mini-album, the debut of a new NCT sub-unit with their first mini-album as well as girl group aespa’s first-ever full-length album.Meanwhile, veteran boyband SHINee are scheduled to make a comeback with their eighth studio album in May, marking their first group release since their seventh repackaged  album ‘Atlantis’ in April 2021.

SM Entertainment has released a video of its CFO Jang Cheol-hyuk explaining company leadership’s opposition to HYBE’s recent acquisition of a controlling stake in the K-pop agency.On February 20, a video titled “The reason why SM is against HYBE’s hostile takeover” was published on the agency’s official SMTOWN YouTube account, which usually only releases content for its artists. In the clip, Jang directly addressed fans of SM’s artists and its shareholders, outlining the agency’s view on HYBE’s recent acquisition and what it sees as potential consequences of the merger.In the video, Jang claimed that HYBE did not request due diligence material from SM Entertainment during the merger and acquisition disclosure process despite the large scale of the deal – a 1trillion won investment on HYBE’s part, which would require the agency to take a short-term loan in order to finance it, according to HYBE’s regulatory filing on February 10.Jang then raised this as an indication that HYBE’s corporate governance is “far from sound or rational”, claiming that SM Entertainment would “inevitably” be subject to this “weak governance” should HYBE take over the company, to the detriment of SM’s shareholders and artists.Jang also claimed that the values and interests of SM’s shareholders would likely not be prioritised in the event that HYBE successfully dominates its board of directors, and alleged that a takeover by HYBE would lead to the de-prioritisation of SM artists and their music releases due to HYBE’s roster already being “saturated” with artists from its existing subsidiaries.

SM Entertainment and its founder Lee Soo-man has widened further with the release of a video by the K-pop label’s CEO Chris Lee, in which he accuses Lee Soo-man of greed and airs suspicions that he attempted offshore tax avoidance, among several allegations.Chris Lee, who is also known as Lee Sung-soo and one of two current CEOs at the South Korean label, took to his personal YouTube channel to upload a 30-minute-long announcement regarding the current status of the company on February 16. The video was labelled the first part of a series of videos explaining why SM decided to sever ties with its founder Lee Soo-man (also Chris Lee’s uncle).In the video, Chris Lee accused Lee Soo-man of pushing SM to make unusual contract arrangements with a company he established overseas in a bid to avoid South Korean taxes.According to Chris Lee, Lee Soo-man had launched a new business in Hong Kong called CT Planning Limited, which Chris Lee claims is an offshore version of Lee Soo-man’s separate Korea-based consulting business, Like Planning.

SM Entertainment CEO Chris Lee (also known as Lee Sung-soo) has claimed the label’s founder Lee Soo-man is the reason why aespa’s new music has been delayed.On February 16, Lee, who is one of the K-pop agency’s two current CEOs, released a 30-minute statement regarding the company. In the video, which is the first part of a series, Lee made several allegations about SM’s former chief producer Lee Soo-man.According to Chris Lee’s video, Lee Soo-man was the reason why aespa’s music has been delayed.

EXO member Kai has announced his third mini-album, ‘Rover’.Earlier today (February 17), the idol released a photo teaser for ‘Rover’ via EXO’s Twitter account. According to the announcement, the mini-album is slated for release on March 13, 6pm KST.KAI 카이 The 3rd Mini Album 〖Rover〗➫ 2023.03.13 6PM (KST)#KAI #카이 #EXO #엑소 #weareoneEXO#Rover #KAI_Rover pic.twitter.com/VkXSdxoejs— EXO (@weareoneEXO) February 16, 2023Kai’s forthcoming record is set to include six songs, per Korea JoongAng Daily.

SHINee vocalist Onew will be returning with new solo music next month.On February 14, SportsSeoul reported that the idol would be releasing a solo album on March 6, shortly after Onew’s upcoming three-day concert at the Seoul Olympic Hall from March 3-5. SM Entertainment confirmed the report that same day, as Soompi notes.The new record will arrive just under a year after Onew released his sophomore mini-album ‘Dice’, which was led by the single of the same name.

EXO member and soloist Kai is set to release new music next month.On February 14, SPOTVNews reported that the idol would be releasing a new album in March. The news was later confirmed by SM Entertainment, which shared that Kai’s upcoming record will arrive in the middle of the month.“Kai is planning on releasing a new solo album in mid-March.

HYBE, which is moving to become the largest shareholder in SM Entertainment, has reportedly said the latter label will be able to retain its independence.Last week, HYBE announced that it had struck a deal to buy 3.5million shares in SM Entertainment from its founder Lee Soo-man and therefore acquire a 14.8 per cent stake in the agency, which is one of K-pop’s longtime “Big Three” labels alongside JYP Entertainment and YG Entertainment. The deal, once finalised on March 6, will make HYBE the largest shareholder in rival label SM.HYBE has also offered to purchase another 25 per cent of SM from minority shareholders.

NCT vocalist Taeil has released a new solo track titled ‘Lovey Dovey’ for the soundtrack of Netflix’s new romantic-comedy K-drama Love To Hate You.On February 10, following the release of the new Netflix original, the streaming platform unveiled a special music video to Taeil’s brand-new song ‘Lovey Dovey’ on its YouTube channel before the track was released digitally.The accompanying visual features scenes from the series between its lead actors, Kim Ok-vin and Teo Yoo, as well as shots of Taeil performing the track in a recording studio.“Baby love, Make you feel my love / Why did I realise it just now? / Baby love, Make you feel my love / I won’t let go of you forever,” he sings on the upbeat pop number.The singer is the latest K-pop idol to contribute to the series’ soundtrack, after (G)I-DLE‘s Miyeon and Yuqi dropped the track ‘Sweet Dream’ last week.Taeil’s new Love To Hate You track is the latest of the idol’s contributions to K-drama OSTs. The NCT singer also dropped the hit track ‘Starlight’ for Twenty Five, Twenty One, in early 2022, and has previously released songs for dramas like School 2017 and The Merchant, both with his bandmates and as a soloist.The 28-year-old singer is best known as part of the NCT sub-unit NCT 127, who recently made a comeback with their fourth repackaged album ‘Ay-yo’.

BamBam, Jeon Somi, EXO’s Kai, LAPILLUS, Taeyeon and Zion.T — would not be present at the festival due to “unforseen US work visa issues and circumstances outside of the artists’ and promoters’ control”. Most of these artists were scheduled to perform on the first day of the festival on October 15.A statement from KAMP Los Angeles.

SM Entertainment is set to terminate its production contract with founder and chief producer Lee Soo-man at the end of the year.According to a report by Yonhap News Agency, SM Entertainment’s board of directors have decided to terminate their production contract with Like Planning, a music production company run by Lee, by December 31 – a year earlier than initially planned. SM Entertainment has been outsourcing music production to Like Planning for over 20 years.The early termination of Lee’s contract with the agency comes off the heels of investors from Align Partners Capital Management – which owns 1.1 per cent of SM Entertainment – claiming that the ties between both companies have been “damaging shareholder value” and demanding they sever ties with Like Planning in an open shareholder letter to the company in August.A separate report by Infostock Daily notes that Align Partners Capital Management cited the royalties that the agency paid to Like Planning have been undermining the value of shareholders.

NCT 127 made their first-ever appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show with a performance of ‘2 Baddies’, making them the first K-pop act to do so.The boyband appeared on the October 11 broadcast of the American talk show, hosted by singer-actress Jennifer Hudson. NCT 127 performed their latest single ‘2 Baddies’, which first dropped in September as the title track for their fourth full-length album of the same name. Their appearance and performance on The Jennifer Hudson Show mark the first time a Korean pop act has guest-starred on the show.The nine-piece are currently in the US for ‘Neo City – The Link’ concerts in Los Angeles and New Jersey, the latter of which will take place tomorrow (October 13).Their appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show also comes hot on the heels of their Good Morning America performance of the same song, which was broadcast just a day prior.

EXO vocalist Chen will soon be making a solo return with his third mini-album ‘Last Scene’.On October 11 at Midnight KST, the idol announced via EXO’s official Twitter account that he would soon be releasing his third solo mini-album, along with an abstract drawing of a person sitting between a field and a forest. Titled ‘Last Scene’, the record is due out on October 31 at 6PM KST.CHEN 첸 The 3rd Mini Album 〖사라지고 있어 (Last Scene)〗 ➫ 2022.10.31 6PM (KST) #첸 #CHEN #엑소 #EXO #weareoneEXO #사라지고있어 #CHEN_사라지고있어#CHEN_사라지고있어_LastScene pic.twitter.com/2WIxEs9kFX— EXO (@weareoneEXO) October 10, 2022‘Last Scene’ will mark Chen’s first comeback since being discharged from two years of military service earlier this year.

EXO member D.O. will be contributing a new song to his ongoing K-drama series Bad Prosecutor next week.On October 7, SM Entertainment announced that the idol-actor is set to release the OST song ‘Bite’ for Bad Prosecutor, which he currently leads, on October 19.

NCT 127 have made their second Good Morning America appearance with a performance of their latest single ‘2 Baddies’.On October 10, Good Morning America welcomed NCT 127 to perform their latest single ‘2 Baddies’, which arrived last month alongside their fourth studio album of the same name. The boyband are currently in the United States for ‘Neo City – The Link’ concerts in Los Angeles and New Jersey.For their performance, NCT 127 wore streetwear-inspired outfits with neon green and yellow details.

Netflix has shared the first look at its upcoming K-drama, The Fabulous, starring SHINee’s Minho.The much-anticipated first glimpse at the new series was shared by Netflix on October 5, and features snippets pulled from The Fabulous encompassing the fast-paced, glamorous world of South Korea’s illustrious fashion scene. Freelance photo editor Ji Woo-min (played by SHINee’s Minho) is at the heart of its schemes, crossing paths and eventually developing a romance with PR manager Pyo Ji-eun (Rookie Cops’ Chae Soo-bin).It also features cameo appearances from several top South Korean models, most notably including Choi So-ra, best known as the winner of the third cycle of Korea’s Next Top Model. Slated to make its global premiere on the streaming platform on November 4, The Fabulous, set against the backdrop of Seoul’s fashion industry and will depict the stories of young men and women as they navigate their work, personal lives, friendships and romances, along with their struggles to stay afloat in a fast-changing and competitive fashion landscape.Other cast members previously announced to be joining Minho and Chae on The Fabulous include Kim Min-kyu, a past Produce X 101 contestant, as well as Byun Jun-seo (Woori The Virgin), Lee Mi-do (Kiss Sixth Sense, House Of Lies), Kwon Hae-sung (Cafe Minamdang, The Devil Judge) and rookie actress Ye Seon-ho, among others.The first official details of the upcoming romance series first surfaced as early as September 2021.

SHINee member Key will be making his upcoming ‘G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) in The Keyland’ concert available to online audiences.On October 3, concert streaming platform Beyond Live announced that it would be selling tickets to the online broadcast of the second day of Key’s live concert on October 23 at 4PM KST.

BoA has responded to hate comments she has received following the most recent episode of Street Man Fighter, while SM Entertainment has announced plans to pursue legal action.BoA is a judge on Mnet’s ongoing reality dance competition Street Man Fighter. In the show’s September 20 broadcast, dance crew Prime Kings were the first crew to be eliminated from the show after losing a battle to competing crew BANK TWO BROTHERS.

SM Entertainment on brand-new artist-themed attractions.According to a report from Korea JoongAng Daily earlier today (September 21), SM Entertainment announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Everland to introduce a space dedicated to content related to the SMCU (SM Culture Universe). The SMCU is a shared universe established by the music label featuring its artists engaged in fictional adventures.The collaboration will see the introduction of new SMCU-themed attractions and rides including “the Hurricane, Bumper Car, Amazon Express and Music Garden”.

Stray Kids, NCT’s Taeyong and Mark and more have unveiled new tracks as contributions to the official Street Man Fighter soundtrack.South Korean cable network Mnet took to social media on September 20 to announce seven new tracks for the upcoming ‘Mega Crew’ project mission, due to take place during the following week’s episode of the dance reality competition. The participating dance crews on the series are to choreograph dance routines to the songs as assigned for the next round of the match.Stray Kids and NCT members Taeyong and Mark were the only K-pop idols to have contributed to the Street Man Fighter tracklist, with the songs ‘HEYDAY’ and ‘LIT’ respectively.

Conan Gray recently journeyed through K-pop agency SM Entertainment’s building with a tour led by SHINee’s Key.In a new video released on SHINee’s official YouTube channel, Gray paid a visit to the K-pop agency’s headquarters while he was in South Korea for the Haus of Wonder Festival last month. The ‘Maniac’ singer met up with SHINee member and soloist Key, who led him on a tour of SM Entertainment’s building.“I’ve heard about [SM] obviously, so many of the greats have been created here,” said Gray, who shared that it was also his first time in South Korea.“Please do sign a contract with our company,” said Key, gifting the singer with a key pass to the building before commencing their tour.

Please Send a Fan Letter (literal title).On September 15, MBC announced that Girls’ Generation member Sooyoung and Forecasting Love and Weather’s Yoon Park are set to star as the leads for Please Send a Fan Letter, a romantic comedy that follows a father who wants to preserve his daughter’s innocence by sending fake replies to her fan mail.According to a report by Osen, Sooyoung will be playing Han Kang-hee, an actress who is facing a crisis over a fan letter.

NCT 127 have released the music video for their long-awaited comeback single ‘2 Baddies’.The new song’s accompanying visual dropped on September 15 at 6pm KST, ahead of the ‘2 Baddies’ album release on September 16 at 1pm KST. It features all members of NCT 127 performing the electronic hip-hop track in a cybernetic-like world.“Two baddies, two baddies, one Porsche / I don’t know what you’re saying / Look at the coolness as it is, money and manner,” they chant in the chorus.NCT 127’s upcoming album will include a total of 12 new tracks including ‘2 Baddies’, and was announced last month.

EXO’s Xiumin has been cast in a new K-drama titled Sajangdol Mart (literal translation), marking his first role in seven years.On September 14, South Korean news outlet JTBC News reported that the K-pop idol will be starring as the lead in a new K-drama titled Sajangdol Mart. The claims were later confirmed by SM Entertainment in their response via XSports News later that day, as translated by Soompi.Other details regarding the new series, including a premiere date, full cast list and visuals, have yet to be confirmed by the production company behind Sajangdol Mart. According to JTBC News’ original report, Sajangdol Mart will allegedly depict the journeys of several individuals, who were all former K-pop idols, as they endeavour to open and run a supermarket together. The series will reportedly be helmed by director and producer Lee Yoo-yeon, previously known for her work on the web drama Best Mistake. Xiumin’s highly anticipated role in Sajangdol Mart will mark the singer’s first acting project in roughly seven years, since making his acting debut in the 2015 romantic-comedy web series Falling For Challenge. He was involved in that series as its lead, starring alongside Kim So-eun, and subsequently starred in the film Seondal: The Man Who Sells The River that same year, alongside Korean actors Yoo Seung-ho, Cho Jae-hyun, Ko Chang-seok and more.

Bad Prosecutor (literal translation), starring D.O of EXO.The new 30-second teaser trailer was shared on September 14 by the South Korean cable network, and introduces the titular prosecutor Jin Jung (D.O) swaggered into a room with a motorcycle helmet on, while holding a baseball bat. “Do you know what I’ve realised while living this life?” he points out, “To catch bad guys like you, you have to be more vicious.”He begins destroying the contents of the room: throwing his helmet towards the camera and spray-paints it and using his bat to destroy the potted plants sitting on the desk.

SM Entertainment for his upcoming New York Fashion Week showcase.Set to take place on September 13 (local time), Do’s upcoming Spring/Summer 2023 New York Fashion Week show will be opened by NCT member Jeno, who is best known for being a part of its NCT Dream subunit. This will mark the first time a K-pop star has opened a NYFW runway show.“It was a natural choice to have Jeno open the show. Jeno embodies the Peter Do man – multifaceted, confident, and a trailblazer,” said Do in a press release, sharing his motivation behind the decision.“Few realise the intensity of what is happening behind the scenes to achieve the end product; it’s very similar to fashion so I identify with that process very much,” he added.Do’s new collection revolves around the theme of time, teased with personalised invitations that take the form of a memory box developed by the designer in collaboration with SM Entertainment.Contained in a cookie tin, its contents comprise various items representative of Do’s life.

Red Velvet member Seulgi will be making her official solo debut with her first mini-album ’28 Reasons’ in October.On September 13 at Midnight KST, the singer released an eerie visual for the record via Red Velvet’s official YouTube channel, revealing its title and release details. ’28 Reasons’ will be led by its title track of the same name, and is set to arrive on October 4 at 6PM KST.The trailer for ’28 Reasons’ begins with a bloodied and bruised Seulgi clipping her fingernails by an empty indoor swimming pool as an eerie whistle tune repeats itself.

Red Velvet dancer and vocalist Seulgi will be releasing her first official solo music next month, SM Entertainment has confirmed.On September 6, SM Entertainment confirmed to several South Korean news outlets that Seulgi will soon be making her official debut as a soloist, over eight years after debuting in girl group Red Velvet.“Seulgi is currently working on her solo album, with the goal of releasing it in October. Please show lots of interest [in the release],” said the K-pop agency, per Sports Kyunghang.

SHINee’s Key has shared his insights on exploring autobiographical themes for his second full-length album, ‘Gasoline’.In a press conference held ahead of the release of his latest record, the vocalist opened up about being allowed to explore personal themes in his songwriting. “Am I an adult? Can I become perfect if I marry like my parents did and make a lot of money?” Key said of the themes behind ‘Gasoline’, per Yonhap News Agency.“I wrote lyrics about such anguish of life, and SM [Entertainment] didn’t hold me back from doing it this time,” the idol, who wrote four out of the 11 tracks on ‘Gasoline’, added.During the latter half of the press conference, Key revealed that he “experienced a shortage of songs” in making ‘Gasoline’, which limited his choices for a title track.

SHINee’s Key has unveiled a new English-language track ‘Another Life’ ahead of his upcoming solo album ‘Gasoline’.A music video for the single was shared to SHINee’s YouTube channel on August 26. Dubbed a “special video” for the song, the visual sees the K-pop idol perform its choreography with a team of backing dancers against a futuristic backdrop.“Leave all the madness and let go / To another life, to another life / Up to Atlantis, let go / To another life, to another life,” Key belts in the electro-pop dance track’s chorus.Due out in full on August 30, Key’s forthcoming studio album ‘Gasoline’ will comprise a total of 11 songs, including ‘Another Life’ and its lead single ‘Gasoline’.