Recently I read a lot about ‘ugly truth’ of KPOP, not just about IDOL but also their industries. I do really love KPOP, if not I will not read about it. I just want to know “behind” this glamorous world. There a lot of things in my mind right now, but the thing that caught my intention right now is WOOLLIM merger with SM Entertainment. I know it’s already late to talk about this since this thing happened on August last years. With the announcement of SM Entertainment subsidiary SM C&C was to merge with the group's agency, Woollim Entertainment, to form a new label under the SM family tree, many fans had expressed their outrage that INFINITE would change because of the larger company's influence.
There a lot of speculations arise after the merges. The EXO’s fandom said INFINITE will outshine their idol. Meanwhile the INFINITE’s fandom said that SM doing this to make sure INFINITE not ‘blocking’ EXO’s growth of popularity. (I’m one of the INSPIRIT so, that mean I will be bias towards INFINITE.) There a few of theories that INFINITE’s fandom came out after the merges such as L’s speech after the announcement of merges, L’s scandal, Woohyun and Key subunit and airtime in variety show. But for this thing I will not discuss in this entry.
Before that, let’s see the benefits that they claimed in this merger:
• This merges will featured the usual corporate buzz words of ‘added synergy with SM subsidiaries’.
• It will be ‘stepping stone’ to the growth of SM Entertainment which their goal to be the global music company that originality from Asia to compete with global company such as Warner Music, Universal, and Sony Music.
SM Entertainment also stated that they will merely be handling the business side of things, namely music distribution and initial investments, but that the Woollim Label, a subsidiary, will manage the music production process. Even SM Entertainment already state that they will not intervene in music production process, the speculation still arise on how about ‘woollim spirit’ would survive in this merges? Since that SM rarely allows their artists to offer input in the creative process. This will arise fandom worries about how INFINITE will lost their ‘special’ quality. As we know, the music the Woollim produces is completely different from those trashy title tracks that SM produces. Also, Woollim makes pretty high-quality videos in comparison to SM’s repetitive, cheap, lit rooms. Woollim takes the effort to fly their artists out to film their videos. I’m not sure if Woollim is going to allow SM to touch their music style (I hope not). Even SM already stated that they will leave the music production to Woollim, but whose know right?
After all, Woollim Entertainment was known with indie acts that got bigger with time such as NELL and EPIK HIGH before going into Idol group industry with INFINITE. And even then, INFINITE at that time was also known as the rookies that seemed to punch above their weight, with sophistication to their songs and performances that made them seemed less like rookies.
There even speculation that SM Entertainment might have chosen a merger in this case is to learn a bit on how Woollim produces their products to get more from their money had been invested. From this speculation, the most worrying is would be SM Entertainment could just easily “kill” Woollim after they get what they want.
There also some speculation about anti-competition. The argument about the currents states of KPOP industries being UNSUSTAINABLE. There are many small companies that all fighting the same share of pie. Aside, as we know competition is a good thing and can leads to producing a higher standard of idol/pop group than their expected such as INFINITE and CRAYON POP.
There a lot of speculation that arise from this merges but let see from the positive sight, being attached to SM Entertainment means that the former Woollim Entertainment artists, and the others to be signed to Woollim Label in the future, will have more opportunities to work with top producers, songwriters, and choreographers, giving both their music and their bank accounts a boost. Don’t you think it’s good? There a lot of that we can ‘imagine’ from this merge such as INFINITE doing performance in SMTown concert, new subunit, the ‘epic’ dance battle, new variety and of course new vocal line that will blow all the world. This kind of ‘imagination’/dream will be in the next entry.
No comments:
Post a Comment