Yes, SM Entertainment is responsible for bringing things like Super Junior and “sexy” into the same sentence, making So Nyeo Shi Dae use lollipops as actual props, and allowing Dong Bang Shin Ki’s “Tri-Angle” to even see the light of day — but SM has also got the industry down pat, and much moreso than any of three major entertainment labels in Kpop.
About a decade before Korean entertainment had a “wave,” SM was already plowing away at what it saw to be the most marketable portion of teenage consumption — pop idols. H.O.T. and S.E.S. was there for the girls and boys who needed something more than the mundane school-home-food-study-sleep routine, and they were both successful groups in their own rights. Before long, Shinhwa came along and to this day, they’re still the longest running boyband in Korea, even if enough of them are in the army, and the rest of them have active solo careers.
By today’s standards, even if HOT, SES, and Shinhwa’s old music is nothing that sounds “mainstream,” their songs have long since entered the realm of Kpop classics — then fans know by them by heart, and new fans hear about through idol boys and girls of the now.
H.O.T’s “We are the Future” (1997)
SHINee performing “We are the Future” for MBC’s 2008 Star Dance Battle
Shinhwa in a 2008 performance of their then hit “T.O.P”
Despite the hugeass “SM Town” family, there are almost no artists that I can think of who both can’t dance AND can’t sing (Heechul is an exception). Sure, you have your weak ones — Yoona can’t do much singing, Ryeowook can’t really dance, Kibum doesn’t really talk and Yunho can’t really calm the eff down, but I bet my dollars that as a group entity, SM’s artists are the best performers on the KPop block.
SM has the most impressive resume in the Kpop scene:
1996 H.O.T.
1997 S.E.S.
1998 Shinhwa
1999 Fly to the Sky
2000 BoA
2003 Dong Bang Shin Ki
2005 Super Junior
2007 So Nyeo Shi Dae
2008 SHINee
BoA is an unprecedented artist in Asia. The girl started in 2000 when she was only 13, and has debuted in three countries to date: Korea, Japan, United States. She has audiences at her feet when she performs in Korea, smashed all foreign records in Japan known to man, and is the only Korean artist currently succeeding with the so-called US crossover. Sure, her home base and comfort zone is still in sunny-side California at the moment, but SM is smart with marketing her, they were efficient with release dates, and BoA is just BoA. Have you ever seen her perform? I get chills every time I watch this:
BoA performing “Bad Drive” at THE FACE Tour
Dong Bang Shin Ki. Need I say more? They’ve been active for five years now, and are probably the most widely accepted boy band in Asia and beyond. Once they conquered their homeland, they moved onto Japan and after two solid years of slaving away, their hard work paid off. They have more number 1 weekly singles than any other foreign artist and I can only see more coming their way. While they still have a long way to go in terms of earning recognition that’s equal to, let’s say, Johnny’s Entertainment’s boys, they’re sitting pretty at the top.
Even if some of their recent performances have left much to be desired (ahem, lookin’ at you, Park Yoochun), they are proof that this boyband is way more than just pretty boys. Yes, Jae Joong’s “dancing” is absolutely laughable and Changmin can only reach his imperfect falsetto notes by gesturing the bejesus out of his right hand, but they can put on some of the most impressive performances.
DBSK singing “Begin” at their Five in the Black tour
“You’re My Melody” at 4th album showcase
The idea of Super Junior is something people who aren’t into Kpop just don’t really understand, and even as someone who is into Kpop, I still try to wrap my mind around it. And well, I haven’t quite reconciled the fact that there are 13 boys: I can’t pay attention to “Sorry, Sorry” without being distracted by the sheer size of the group.
But it’s okay, because I don’t believe the point is to “get” Super Junior because that’s not what SM set out to do with this group. This group, if you take away all those heartwarming Sukira episodes and “omgz SuJu is a FAM!” thinking, is meant to divide and conquer. And divide and conquer they have. The moment various members started having their own activities, even if none of them were music related, SuJu as a whole sealed the deal in putting all their 13-member group activities to the back burner. Otherwise, Kangin (through radio DJ-ing, show hosting, variety show participating), Heechul (through variety show participating, DJ-ing, drama making) and others, would not be half as adored as they are now, because I’m sure as hell that those two are about as useful at performing as eunuchs are to furthering a population.
That’s also where all the subgroups come in. Super Junior M was meant for breaking into the Chinese market and they are still the most successful group to do so. BoA and DBSK were meant for Japan and SuJu was meant for China. SM says he wants China, and SM goddamn got China. China loved Super Junior M and they were wildly successful with their first album. The promotion around the album wasn’t half-assed and they have serious plans on putting out a second Mandarin album. Even if ELFs didn’t like what that the group was separated, to be honest, the group was never that together anyway. They were apart pursuing their own interests more than they were together.
Super Junior M performing “At Least I Have You”
And finally, SHINee. SHINee was probably the best new thing to come out of Kpop in 2008, and they are the reason all other newbie groups (A’ST1, U-Kiss, etc) look like jokes. Not that I’m underestimating how much blood, sweat, and tears went into other entertainment groups’ training, but no one came out on top like SHINee did. They are probably the most disciplined thing to come out of SM in a long time, and they are by far, much better than all their sunbae boyband groups at the time of their own debuts. Big claim to make, but if you really want to compare DBSK’s Hug days with SHINee’s Noona days, you do that and get back to me on it.
SHINee’s performances are absolutely airtight for their young ages and relatively little training (Key’s 1 year compared to some of SuJu’s multiple years). Jonghyun is also one of the most disciplined singers SM has put out. He has a long way to go in terms of stage experience, but just watch this performance of “Romantic.” From about 1:55 all the way to 2:40, Jonghyun essentially sings all his lines in one breath. That is something singers have to take note of.
SHINee performing “Romantic”
Before I start a flaming war for not mentioning Cheon Sang Ji Hee, Zhang Li Yin, or So Nyeo Shi Dae, let me say this:
SNSD is, like Super Junior, not meant to be regarded for their music and music alone. While there is no doubt that they are probably the most popular females in SM outside of BoA, they are a group of 9 nice girls with made-for-TV personalities. I’ll admit that “Gee” is a helluva catchy song and all of them are up to task to perform much more than the sugar sweet crap they’re given, but that’s it at the moment. I’ve yet to be absolutely blown away by SNSD’s work.
CSJH and Zhang Li Yin are all ladies I adore to death, but in a company like SM where boys have dominated and where boys continue to dominate, the girls, unfortunately, are pushed aside. I believe all five of the girls are competent singers and performers but because SM Entertainment places so much of their concentration on the groups meant for a predominantly female audience, we don’t get to see the full potentials of the five of them . CSJH debuted the same year as Super Junior and collectively, they have two albums to their name. They’re like a flower that SM has neglected, and now it has wilted.
CSJH doing an acapella
Similarly, I don’t even have the energy to be mad about Zhang Li Yin’s current progress in SM. She constantly gets the short end of the stick when it comes to huge SM Town gatherings — 3 measly songs in a 5+ hour SM Town event is just a little incomprehensible. For someone who has debuted since 2006, she gets almost no promotion. But, she definitely has potential and I only hope she isn’t eventually forgotten completely like The Trax or Blackbeat.
Zhang Li Yin performing “One More Try”
Take out with full credits.
Credits:Seoulbeats
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