Warning: i might just be overreacting since I got overwhelmed by A20 Lite and Soul debut (it was that good) so pls don’t take this seriously.
I have been a long time SM-stan since 2008. Since SHINee debuted. I know exactly the standard of SM groups: Their brand, genre, music, visual and most importantly the TALENT.
At first, when Lee Sooman was ‘kick-out’ by SM themselves and Yoo Youngjin also left SM, I was coping and thought the future SM groups should still be fine and will remain to have those SM ‘sounds’ that we all knew since they literally have the formula from the older SM groups. Current SM still have Kenzie and other amazing producers/composers/writers that makes SM “SM”.
But then, ever since LSM left SM, things just went downhill: BOA left, CBX vs SM lawsuits issue, RIIZE with Seunghan issue, Taemin left, just LOTS of SM artists started to leave the company left and right and I’m sure there were more issues that i couldn’t remember.
Then RIIZE’s, NCT WISH and H2H’s debut: don’t get me wrong, i LOVE these groups. In fact, ICONIC HEARTS by H2H is probably one of the best kpop releases this year. But I can’t deny that something about RIIZE, NCT WISH and H2H are missing. You might not get what I mean (i hope you get what i mean) because if we talk about talents, these new SM groups are talented af. We can’t deny that and when it comes to arts, things are subjective.
But that’s exactly the thing. Talent is not exclusive. It’s not enough to make me impressed. The problem within RIIZE, NCT WISH and H2H right now is that they are so…..generic. Now, generic doesn’t mean it’s not good. Hell the most popular kpop group right now is generic. But SM groups don’t do generic. Every SM groups got their own genre, brand and identity. But RIIZE and H2H are just not….it. You could say RIIZE and H2H are HYBE groups and people will see no difference to it. NCT WISH despite in a group where the main genre is NEO….is barely NEO.
Now i understand the current SM might just try ‘something new’ and this ‘something new’ isn’t my taste. It could be just that. But then the current SM prove that they actually can still do SM-like music with EXO, Red Velvet and aespa comeback this year. So….why can’t they do this with their newer groups??
Today, I finally got my answer. When Yoo Youngjin left SM to join Lee Sooman, there was an article where he mentioned that SM will not be SM without LSM. I disagreed before but guess what? He was right and that statement is proven more with A2O LITE and A2O SOUL debuting today. I immediately saw their brand, identity and their genre is already known as “ZALPHA POP” which means Gen Z and Alpha pop.
When i watched A20 performances, all i can think of “this is what the new SM groups should be like.”
I think i have to mention that I don’t like Lee Sooman nor this post is glazing about him. He’s like an evil scientist that does immoral experiments but the results you get? It’s fucking good. You can’t help but praise his work sometimes. Anyway, thanks to him, my love for kpop this year has been revived. Fuck him though.
submitted by /u/koko503
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