After the big blowout with EXO’s Kris deciding to leave the group and the resulting outrage (from both the remaining members and netizens), tensions simmered down and the boys fell into their roles as an eleven member group. In August, the group even launched their official fanclub EXO-L, and we all fell back into their grasps. The storm had cleared, and the group was back to normal…or so we thought.
Last week, SM, the record label EXO is signed to, officially announced that member Luhan was suing to have his contract nullified, following in the steps of Kris. This announcement not only shocked EXO fans, but it apparently shocked SM Entertainment as well. Along with confirming the rumor of Luhan’s leaving, they also stated that they were completely blindsided by the lawsuit as they had been in talks with Luhan about beginning his solo activities. But they didn’t stop there. SM continued by saying that because Luhan filed an identical lawsuit with the same law firm as Kris, they believe that he is using his acquired fame with group to promote himself as a solo artist and that they believe that someone else is pulling the strings.
It gets worse, though. All K-pop, the go-to site for all things K-Pop, also suggested that Lay and Tao, the remaining Chinese members, may be plotting to leave as well to join Kris and Luhan! So, there’s basically a big conspiracy floating around the internet that this was all a part of the plan! Oh the shade of it all!
And to add to the already dastardly effects of Luhan’s departure, former bandmate Tao has the audacity to kiss a girl…and the internet exploded. Sohu Entertainment, a Chinese media outlet, filmed and reported a story where Tao allegedly kisses a female as she, along with a large group of people, depart. SM has threatened to sue the media outlet for these false allegations claiming that she was only a friend. It’s sad, really. After losing two friends, he tries to seek solace in another and is penalized. Poor Tao!
After being hit with scandal after scandal after scandal, SM is losing quite a bit of credit, leaving the door open for many other conspiracy theories.
Another shocking group departure is that of MBLAQ’s Lee Joon. The group’s label released an official statement saying that Lee Joon has decided not to renew his contract in order to pursue his acting career. There are also rumors that Thunder, a fellow (or should I say former) bandmade of Lee Joon’s, will be following in his footsteps. This is especially heartbreaking to me. Their single “Oh Yeah” was one of the first K-Pop songs that I’d ever listened to! But that’s beside the point. I wish the best for the boys!
On another note, JYP’s boyband GOT7 has done extremely well in such a short period of time. After debuting in only January, the group has already gained a large fanbase and made several appearances on a large number of variety shows. Following in the steps of their sunbaes, the boys are expanding into Japan. On September 30, the group released the music video for their first Japanese single entitled “Around the World” to kick off their Around the World Tour.
A lesser known rookie group named Lip Service, signed to KT Music, released a dance practice for their third single “Puppy Love.” I have had mixed feelings about Lip Service since their debut. I thought their song “Yum Yum Yum” was a cute, playful song that allowed the girls to have fun and show off their rapping skills while also presenting a powerful message about the pressures to be thin in the Korean Pop industry.
However, I hoped that was not their only sound. The group started out with two members, Cora and Bipa. But, when they came back with their second single “Too Fancy,” they’d added a third member named Anna. I’ll be the first one to admit that I wasn’t feeling her at all; I liked the original duo and I didn’t think Anna’s voice blended too well in the song. Well, I’m happy that she proved me wrong with “Puppy Love.” This song is everything netizens have been waiting for from the group!
Besides that, the K-Pop world has been fairly quiet in terms of major debuts. EXO is rumored to be planning a comeback before the end of the year. It’ll be interesting to see how the group adjust to yet another choreography change! I’m excited for what K-Pop has to offer 2014!
