SM Entertainment has been home to several vocal powerhouses in K-pop. Since the 2nd generation, groups like Girls’ Generation (SNSD), SHINee, soloist BoA, 3rd generation’s Red Velvet, EXO, and NCT, up to their 4th generation’s aespa. Significantly, SM would not be SM without its founder, Lee Soo Man. However, in recent issues, the current CEO of SM, Lee Sung Soo claims that Lee Soo Man delays aespa’s comeback. Here’s what we know so far about the issue.
Lee Soo Man delays aespa’s comeback
The claim of Lee Soo Man delaying the comeback of the 4th generation girl group of SM, aespa, came from its CEO. In a video posted on February 16, Lee Sung Soo started the recent issues, aespa’s comeback, and between the company and Soo Man.
- Sung Soo shared how Soo Man “ruined” aespa’s supposed comeback on February 20th. A new album should be coming on the said date, before their first Seoul concert from February 25 to 26.
- During the album production, the SM founder ordered Yoo Young Jin and aespa’s A&R team to revise the song lyrics and add about planting trees, and sustainability.
- If you’ve known aespa, you know how far these concepts are from the group’s AI concept. Nonetheless, Young Jin and the A&R team proceeded to change the lyrics. They ended up adding “just sustainability”, “greenism”, and “decrease by just 1%”.
- CEO Lee Sung Soo came to the decision to halt the comeback of aespa after the song became “ruined”. He even shared that the four members of the girl group cried after knowing that their upcoming song became scrapped.
Soo Man and SM
Furthermore, SM’s current CEO, Lee Sung Soo happens to be Lee Soo Man’s nephew as well. In the video posted on YouTube, the CEO addresses the state of SM Entertainment.
- Sung Soo shared that Soo Man made the executives of the board should express that SM needs him. Along with this, a contract would give legitimacy to his initiatives (a consulting contract).
- A second production with Lee Soo Man or a separate business entity to handle the artists for their Korea or overseas promotions.
Photo Courtesy of Soompi
- Moreover, he adds that for the next 70 years, SM Entertainment has a contract that should pay Soo Man. The contract offers 6% of revenue sales from artists’ albums, and 3% of management revenue for three years starting this year. Sung Soo believes it should be around 80 billion KRW.
- If you want to know the issues raised between SM Entertainment and Lee Soo Man, you may refer to the video below. This also talks about the HYBE label, Lee Soo Man, and SM’s contract.
More about aespa
As of this moment, aespa has yet to release a schedule for their comeback. Hopefully, the four-member girl group can drop a new album anytime soon.
- aespa includes Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning and debuted last November 2020 with the single “Black Mamba”.
- They released their 2nd mini album way back in July 2022 titled Girls. MYs (aespa’s fandom) hopes to hear new music from the girls.
- In a recent live, they may have leaked a song that fans got hyped for. Winter, one of the members, seems to be hiding or resting under a desk while on live. A song plays in the background as fans believe the girls are in the practice room.
Any thoughts about the delay of aespa’s comeback?
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