A selection of artists and songwriters tell Music Week what makes SM Entertainment so special…
Aespa: “We’re so grateful for all the love we’ve received from fans around the world. We’ll keep working hard to return that love and show people the many different sides of us. We’re always grateful for the support of the artists who came through SM before us, it gives us so much strength as we move forward. We’ll work hard to do the same for those who come after us.”
signings], instead of planning to launch another boy band in the UK, we are focusing on DearAlice and making sure they succeed in a way that everybody is aiming for.”
You’ve recently launched Hearts2Hearts, your first new girl group since Aespa in 2020. Is that how long it takes to launch a new act?
“It’s not just for female groups; there was a five-year gap between Aespa’s debut and Hearts2Hearts, but even for Riize, there was a
seven-year gap after NCT. We are very precise in how we want to present our new artists. We don’t want to rush into the market because other competitors are launching new groups until we feel we are ready. That’s why we have a training system, to make sure they are prepared and that they will have great success.”
It sounds like there’s no such thing as an overnight success in K-pop. Can you shed some more light on how your training programmes are set up?
“In a nutshell, the system starts by discovering the artists and we go through many channels for the casting process of trainees. [Western] bands usually build fandom from playing small venues and recently, SM and other large K-pop companies have been doing the same thing. We do in-person auditions, global auditions, street casting and social media casting, too. After finding the right potential artist, we put them through a sophisticated system of training, developing their vocal skills, dance skills, languages, and other essential skills for them to develop into an artist. After that, we look at developing their concept, musical direction and then at that point we go into musical production.”
musicweek.com
That sounds like an incredible amount of work…
“The system is really designed to empower aspiring artists and to give them the best potential and possible foundation for them to succeed. What sets K-pop apart from the traditional Western ways of developing an artist – where you start in very small venues – is that major K-pop companies, including SM, invest heavily in music videos and
social content, even from the moment an act debuts. With the system that SM has built, fans have a certain level of expectation. Once we launch a new artist, they feel like it is going to meet their expectation because we have a very long legacy of artists, content and music. So when we launch an artist, we already have a very solid fanbase that supports the artist, which is I think the biggest difference. Although there are some artists who can generate that kind of support through TikTok or through the boost of having one hit song and some touring, I think [our system] is what distinguishes K-pop from other genres.”
Finally, looking back over your time at SM Entertainment so far, what has been the most memorable moment and why?
“AI can add value, but we value human
creativity more” DANIEL JANG
SM ENTERTAINMENT
“I have a teenage daughter, who is a big K-pop fan and knows all of the artists on SM Entertainment. She’s what we call ‘pink blood’, she’s been with SM for her entire life. Every moment has been very special for me because, by working at SM and working with all of these great artists, it also helps me be a good father. In K-pop, and especially at SM, we’re creating something valuable that lasts for people’s whole lives.”
Riize: “We’re really excited to be performing on stage in London for the first time at SMTown Live. It means a lot to finally see our UK fans in person, and we’re especially thrilled that we’ll have the chance to perform songs from our first full-length album, Odyssey, which came out last month. We hope to make it an unforgettable experience by connecting with everyone through our music and energy.”
NCT Dream: “We literally grew up in SM; now, we’re already heading towards our 10th year at SM, and the company itself has turned 30! It feels weird to have a lot of artists coming up behind us, too – it is great to experience the different generations and the diversity of the music.”
DearAlice: “It’s an honour to be a part of the SM family, and we feel blessed to be the first UK act to work with them – we can’t wait to show what we can do.”
Karen Poole: “I’ve been working on K-pop for a while now as part of my songwriting as a whole. I value it greatly. I was early to be introduced to it, working on early Girls’ Generation and more, and just love the flexibility and freedom it gives to the writers and creators. It’s an incredible achievement for Korean music and in particular SM to have such an impact in global markets with so many of their artists. They are always creatively pushing boundaries, making incredible visuals with amazing performers.”
LDN Noise: “Working with SM Entertainment has been an incredible experience. When we first began working with SM, their style had strong Michael Jackson influences. Our challenge was to maintain that energy and performance level while helping to evolve the sound. The fusion of bold visuals, intricate choreography, and a darker, more experimental tone helped carve out a unique space for them in the industry. It feels amazing to contribute to something that brings joy to so many people.”
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