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#SM Entertainment
42 articles
aespa and G-Dragon Turn WDA Into Lemonade's Real Opening Statement
aespa's WDA featuring G-Dragon arrives May 11 before Lemonade on May 29, turning a prerelease single into a true K-pop event play.
Jaehyun's Mono Fan-Con Tour Starts in Seoul One Month After Military Discharge
Jaehyun is moving fast after military service. His Mono fan-con tour opens in Seoul on June 6 and 7 before heading to Macau, Jakarta, Bangkok, and Taipei, with ticket sales starting May 11.
SM Entertainment Just Opened Its First Official Offline Merch Store in China
SM Entertainment has opened SMTown Store Shanghai, its first official offline merchandise store in China, turning K-pop merch demand into a live retail test in one of Shanghai’s busiest commercial zones.
TVXQ's U-Know Yunho Sets First Solo Concert Tour After 23 Years
TVXQ's U-Know Yunho will open the first solo concert tour of his 23-year career in Seoul this July, with U-KNOW PROJECT 26 : SCENE#1 leading a wider global rollout.
Ningning Becomes Gucci's Newest Global Brand Ambassador
Ningning has officially joined Gucci as a global brand ambassador, turning a months-long fashion build into a confirmed luxury-house relationship just ahead of aespa's May 29 LEMONADE comeback.
Taeyong Announces First Full-Length Solo Album WYLD
Taeyong's first full-length solo album WYLD lands May 18 with 10 tracks and major self-writing credits, giving his post-discharge era a much bigger frame.
Lucas Leaves SM Entertainment, Closing His Last NCT-Era Tie
Lucas officially ended his SM Entertainment contract on April 24, closing the final formal tie to his NCT and WayV era after a long stretch of solo limbo.
XngHan's First Mini Album 'Glow' Drops April 27 With Fanmeeting, Full Xoul Crew
Former RIIZE member Seunghan releases his debut mini album 'Glow' under the XngHan&Xoul brand on April 27, 2026. The five-track EP blends pop house with R&B, preceded by a fanmeeting at XSCALA Seoul.
Sumi Jo signs with SM Entertainment for 40th anniversary album Continuum
Sumi Jo joins SM Classics as its first exclusive recording artist, with Continuum set for May and a reported EXO Suho duet adding crossover intrigue.
aespa Maps 25-Stop 2026-2027 World Tour Starting in Seoul
aespa has announced a 25-stop 2026-2027 world tour starting in Seoul on August 7 and 8, with dates across Asia, the Americas, and Europe.
Billboard Women in Music 2026 Spotlights Five K-Pop Executives
Billboard Women in Music 2026 recognized five executives across BigHit Music, HYBE x Geffen, JYP Japan, ONE Label, and SM Entertainment, underscoring K-pop's growing corporate power.
SMTR25's 'We Go Up' sharpens the Reply High School rookie rollout
SMTR25's We Go Up turns Reply High School into more than a trainee show, giving SM Entertainment a clean, high-control pre-debut momentum play.
HYBE, SM, JYP, and YG Are Building Fanomenon, the K-Pop Festival Korea Hopes Can Rival Coachella
HYBE, SM, JYP, and YG are discussing Fanomenon, a proposed 2027 mega-festival that could become K-pop's most ambitious live-business project yet.
SUPER JUNIOR-83z Debuts in July With 1983 Fan-Con Tour
SUPER JUNIOR-83z, the new Leeteuk and Heechul unit, debuts in July 2026 and opens its 1983 fan-con tour in Seoul before heading across Asia.
Taeyong's First Post-Military Single Pairs Him With Anderson .Paak on 'Rock Solid'
Taeyong returns on April 17 with Anderson .Paak collaboration 'Rock Solid,' a first post-military single that feels built for bigger crossover impact.
Irene Gets First Solo Music Show Win for Biggest Fan
Irene took her first solo music show trophy on the April 10 episode of Music Bank, where Biggest Fan beat BTS's SWIM with 7,062 points.
EXO's EXhOrizon Seoul Run Turns 14 Years Into a Live Reset
EXO turns its 14th anniversary into a live statement with EXhOrizon in Seoul, pairing a long-awaited solo concert return with fresh momentum from Reverxe.
NCT 2026 Is Official as SM Starts NCT's 10th Anniversary Era
NCT has launched NCT 2026, a 10th-anniversary project that already points to albums, tours, fan meetings, and a bigger full-brand reset.
NCT's SM Exodus Is Here as Mark, Ten, and Taeyong Exit
Mark, Ten, and Taeyong all concluded their SM Entertainment contracts on April 8, 2026, turning NCT's long-running expansion model into its biggest real-world stress test yet.
Mark Leaves NCT and SM Entertainment After 10 Years
SM Entertainment confirmed on April 3, 2026 that Mark will conclude his exclusive contract on April 8, ending his membership in NCT, NCT 127, and NCT Dream after a 10-year run.
SM Entertainment and UNICEF Korea Commit to 60 Indonesian Schools in New Partnership
SM Entertainment and UNICEF Korea signed their fourth partnership on March 27, pledging to install gender-separated toilets and water monitoring systems across 60 Indonesian schools by 2028. Hearts2Hearts members Carmen and Jiwoo attended the Jakarta ceremony.
SHINee Announces WORLD VIII: THE INVERT as Key Signals Return
SHINee will perform three nights at KSPO Dome from May 29-31, marking Key's first group activity since his December 2025 hiatus.
NCT WISH Drops First Teaser for Debut Full Album "Ode To Love," Out April 20
NCT WISH drops the first teaser for "Ode To Love," their debut full-length album arriving April 20, 2026. First full album in two years since debut, first post-BoA release.
BoA Ends 25-Year SM Era, Launches BApal Entertainment
BoA (권보아) officially ended her 25-year contract with SM Entertainment in December 2025 and launched BApal Entertainment on March 3, 2026, marking a historic shift for one of K-pop’s most iconic artists.
HYO Returns With ‘MOVEURBODY’: Hyoyeon’s Rave Single Drops March 23
Girls' Generation's Hyoyeon is back as DJ HYO with 'MOVEURBODY,' a Brazilian phonk and hard techno hybrid dropping March 23, plus a live rave night showcase in Seoul on March 21.
aespa's Winter Donates 200 Million Won to UNICEF and Samsung Medical Center
Winter of aespa donated 200 million won on March 19, splitting the sum evenly between UNICEF Korea and the Patient Happiness Fund at Samsung Medical Center.
aespa Returns in May With What Could Be K-Pop's Biggest Girl Group Album of 2026
SM Entertainment has confirmed aespa is targeting a May 2026 comeback with what's expected to be their second full-length album, building on five consecutive million-seller first weeks.
aespa Returns to Lotte Duty Free as Global Brand Ambassadors for 2026
Lotte Duty Free has reappointed aespa as global brand ambassadors, completing the South Korean travel retailer's K-pop ambassador lineup for 2026.
Hearts2Hearts Makes History: "The Chase" Hits 100 Million Streams on Spotify
Hearts2Hearts became the first K-pop girl group from the 2025 debut class to hit 100 million Spotify streams, with their title track The Chase crossing the mark on March 9, 2026.
aespa and RIIZE Are Scoring Kill Blue: K-Pop Takes Over Anime Season
aespa opens and RIIZE closes Kill Blue, the TV anime adaptation of Tadatoshi Fujimaki's Shonen Jump manga. Both songs drop as the series prepares to premiere April 11 on TV Tokyo.
2026 Is the Year of Rookie Boy Groups
SM, YG, Lee Soo-man, and Min Hee-jin are all racing to debut new boy groups in 2026. Here is why everyone moved at once, and what it means for K-pop.
Hearts2Hearts Beats BLACKPINK for First-Ever M Countdown Win
Hearts2Hearts claimed their first M Countdown trophy on March 5, defeating BLACKPINK's "GO" with 9,389 points to 8,239. SM's rookie eight-member group is officially on the map.
NCT WISH's "On the Map" Ends With 46 Million Views and a Global Fandom Explosion
NCT WISH's Mongolia adventure variety show pulled 46 million views across 186 regions, driving 20,000 new Mnet Plus subscriptions and proving the rookie group's global reach.
EXO's Kai Bags Lacoste and MAC Cosmetics Ambassador Deals in One Week
EXO's Kai locked in Lacoste Korea and MAC Cosmetics China ambassador deals within 48 hours of each other, becoming the first Korean male artist to hold the MAC title.
NCT JNJM Debut with BOTH SIDES: Jeno and Jaemin Arrive as One
NCT Dream duo Jeno and Jaemin officially debut as NCT JNJM with their first mini album BOTH SIDES, a six-track set spanning hip-hop, R&B, and hyperpop.
Hearts2Hearts' First US Showcase Is SM 3.0 in Action
SM Entertainment's newest girl group Hearts2Hearts is heading to New York and LA in March, becoming the fastest SM act ever to reach a standalone US showcase. The speed is the point.
aespa and Anderson .Paak Drop "Keychain" for K-POPS! Soundtrack
aespa and nine-time Grammy winner Anderson .Paak have dropped "Keychain," a hip-hop, R&B, and funk track from the K-POPS! film soundtrack, produced by Dem Jointz.
EXO's Kai Named LACOSTE Korea Brand Ambassador
LACOSTE Korea has appointed EXO's Kai as its newest brand ambassador. The partnership deepens a collaboration that began at the FW25 Paris fashion show.
Irene Is Making Her First Solo Comeback in March 2026
SM Entertainment confirms Red Velvet's Irene will release new solo music in March 2026, her first comeback since the debut EP Like a Flower last November.
RIIZE Just Made Tokyo Dome History: Only 2.5 Years After Debut
RIIZE drew 120,000 fans across three nights at Tokyo Dome in February 2026, setting the record for the fastest K-pop boy group to reach the iconic venue, just 29 months after their debut.
Taemin Leaves Big Planet Made: Inside the Agency Crisis That Forced K-Pop's Biggest Free Agent Out
SHINee's Taemin has terminated his contract with Big Planet Made Entertainment after less than two years, amid unpaid settlements, unauthorized contracts, and a financial crisis affecting multiple artists. He even paid his own staff's salaries when the agency couldn't.
Lee Soo Man's Return: The Godfather of K-Pop Is Free
The three-year non-compete clause binding SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo-man expires at the end of February 2026. A2O Entertainment is already operational, Yoo Young-jin has defected, and a new boy group is in the works. The man who invented the K-pop idol system is building again.