EXO Is Gaining Attention After Fans Believe They “Called Out” SM Entertainment’s Unfair Treatment Towards Artists
EXO gained attention after seemingly calling out their company SM Entertainment for the mistreatment they have faced since debuting.
EXO has always gained attention for their unreal skills and cemented SM Entertainment’s talent for training the most talented people.
Well, it seems like the group might have used recent content to air their grievances about the company.
Kai recently released his solo track “Rover.” Following the release, EXO came together and shared hilarious content where Kai was a trainee wanting to debut, and the members put him through different scenarios.
Yet, while it was funny, netizens believe that it was taking a dig at the system within SM Entertainment. Throughout the video, it showcased what many fans thought was what EXO faced before debuting in 2012.
Towards the end of the video, Chanyeol and Baekhyun joke that Kai can debut on one condition, referring to the profit distribution the idol would get.
Suho then explained that when Kai debuts, he won’t be able to go on variety shows and will focus on his talent.
Although the members laughed, in EXO’s early days, one of EXO-Ls criticisms of SM was not allowing the members to show their personalities on variety shows like fellow third-generation groups. It hit even harder when Kai responded with, “You want me to hide my personality and only dance and perform and live like a machine?”
Even in the closing moments, Suho kept talking about the profit distribution.
In the end, despite Kai adding, “You’re using my dreams to threaten me,” the idol agreed to the terms.
In the end, as the members started getting into the roles, D.O. quickly put an end to the conversation, adding, “Stop it.”
When the video was released, netizens had mixed views of it as they believed it touched upon the mismanagement of EXO and the state of SM Entertainment. For example, according to sources, SM Entertainment has the worst profit distribution, and aside from overseas projects, the company receives most of the money.
While many found it funny that EXO was unapologetically calling out the company, and even the staff kept it in, others pointed out that the harsh reality of the treatment was upsetting as fans.
SM Entertainment has always been one of the top companies in the industry but has never been short of criticism. Amidst all the issues surrounding the company’s shares and the business with HYBE and Kakao, many fans thought it was hilarious that EXO chose this moment to share their grievances about the company.
