SM Entertainment by Rebekah Walton

{Written and Posted October 7, 2015}

Do not get me wrong, I do not believe everything is wrong with this company. I have recently read about their Trainees in Lay's book,''Standing Firm at 24''. But, I did not think previously that their life was that bad at SM while they were trainees. Obviously, if SM did do everything wrong, then no one would be in their company and no one would stay a trainee for very long. There are tons of other companies. But, I do believe SM has been making some wrong decisions.

 I don't even blame Lee Soo Man for these problems. Wu Yifan thanked the people at SM just recently even though he is suing the company, so, they must be doing some things right. I am not even sure we will ever figure out what is truly going on.

 There may be even some stuff that the idols do not know about that takes place behind the scenes. We know from the recent #YunJaeisback2015 that SM did not want them on the same stage. And we know, that SM has stopped people previously in their company from going on tv or certain shows. They even got recently sued by No Minwoo for this very thing.
http://www.soompi.com/2015/05/11/no-min-woo-sues-sm-entertainment-for-17-year-slave-contract-and-broadcast-ban-sm-responds/

http://www.soompi.com/2015/05/11/no-min-woos-reps-explain-why-he-decided-to-sue-sm-entertainment-now/

We know that SM allows Super Junior to do pretty much anything they feel like now,because members of Super Junior seem to hang out with Hangeng ex-superjunior member who previously sued the company. We know that we have not seen any of TVXQ and JYJ hanging out until the #YunJaeisback2015.

SM to a certain aspect has done some things wrong and I believe is still doing those same things wrong. It is hard to say exactly who is at fault in the company, so, I am not going to try to pin blame on certain people. What I believe is SM needs to shape up and get a hold on things or else they will lose more people to lawsuits. Maybe it is time for a new person to step up, or take over.

{Update: October 8, 2015}

Okay, SM I was trying to say that maybe you weren't the worst company out there. For instance, maybe you treat your artists better than TS, who had all of BAP sue them at the same time. (Now, BAP has gone back to TS, but that is a different story.) But, this statement made by Kim Young Min was just rude.

http://www.allkpop.com/article/2015/10/sm-ceo-implies-former-exo-members-kris-luhan-and-tao-are-selfish-for-pursuing-solo-careers

Not only did he say they were selfish but, he also said,''In the Asian market, and as Chinese-born artists, I wonder what honor they have. I think it's something to consider." (Talking about Kris, Luhan and Tao.) Nope, dude this is just plain rude. Honor is a huge deal, you don't just say that. Maybe, SM you need to consider a different CEO.
 *hint* *cough* Siwon  *cough**hint*

{Updated October 23,2015}

I have just recently watched fan cams for Lay's birthday party and I have been listening to his new songs. I am glad people are finally seeming to notice him in a good way and for the talent he has but hasn't been able to show us properly until now.

Please, SM, do not make him leave. Do not make the situation so bad that any more members have to leave. I want them to stay, but, if you do not change whatever it is you are exactly doing wrong more might leave. Please prove us fans wrong, and become the best company out there so everyone will stay not have to leave for health reasons. Give our idols what they want and what they need o keep them healthy. Give them rest in between large activities, and let them do a mix of solo and group activities. Please if not for the idols, then for us as fans.

Huang Z. Tao leaving by Rebekah Walton

I told you guys that SM needed to solve the real problems, but, they keep not. Tao did not even want to leave. SM, you need to give them rest.

 Tao looks so much better now that he has had some proper rest and my wish is that he loves where he is and is healthy where he is. Don't come back, Tao, if it's just going to make you worse.

Better yet, get in a movie with Wu Yi Fan and Lu Han. Become one of the top stars in China, marry well, and have beautiful kids. SM stop being in denial, Tao left didn't he?

 I was actually afraid this was going to happen earlier when I heard about Tao probably leaving Exo. SM is not going to probably ever admit that Tao left so as to keep fans thinking that he did not leave.

But, sooner or later, all the fans will realise that SM is just in denial and that Tao has really left. Tao, my wish for you is to be happy and well. Please produce and OST or at least a solo song while you are at it too so, I can add it to the list of Lu Han's and Wu Yi Fan's songs.

I am praying for your health. Forever a fan of yours, and Exo's, EXO-L Rebekah Marie Walton, vocalist, definitely not a dancer.

(Written June 12, 2015)


(Updated September 8, 2015)

ZTao has officially left SM and is suing the company. Right now, I think it is best to take what he says about why he had to leave as well as the events surounding Kris leaving. I will post here below what he said in an interview recently concering this.

I will even post the link to the interview here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLA3oBvSdOc


Here is the transcript of that portion of the interview.


Tao:Before, I talked to SM many times, I told them all the flaws. In the company, every time someone is too tired, gets sick, no one is there to ask us “Are you able to do this? We can cancel.” Instead, the most heard was “Just hold on a little longer, it will be over soon and you can go home.”
Every time I hear this, I always persist. But when I can’t stand it any longer, I ask myself, why would I put myself up to this? My leg got injured this year on February, then I couldn’t even walk, the company still wanted me for magazine shoots and shoot VCR’s. It was below freezing, I just got out of the hospital, they still made me do it. The doctor didn’t let me dance, but they still had me filming the MV. Even if I was iron, I really can’t stand this, okay?!But a lot of people don’t know about these things, a lot of things. I didn’t even tell my father.

Sina: This year April, you decided to leave EXO and terminate the contract with SM, did you worry? When Kris and Luhan left, you did say they “betrayed”. Aren’t you afraid fans would call you a hypocrite?

Tao: Of course there will be fans who would say this, but after I’ve done it there will be no regrets. My personality at that time really was impulsive, probably said things that shouldn’t have been said, did things that shouldn’t have been done. Now I regret it, I will fix myself.Me saying things like that about Kris, there were also private relationship reasons. But in the group my relationship with Kris was the best, but I don’t know why he just left. I only knew about it when I woke up to watch the news, so I felt overwhelmed.I really did see him as a great brother, a great friend, but when he left he never told me. I wrote many things, including our first interaction to debut, from trainee to now and our whole history. I wrote it all down.*

Sina: Why didn’t you post it? It’s very emotional.

Tao: Because I was still in the group, I have to also think about EXO, I couldn’t just think all for him. I asked my manager if I should post it, he said yes. I asked friends, they said no because people will talk about it. My manager insisted for me to post it, saying it would help the group.At the end I posted it. I felt tortured, having to be stuck in between sides.

Sina: After all, have you connected with Kris or Luhan?

Tao: I always connect with Luhan. But I don’t know if Kris will forgive me. I’m afraid he would think about all the things I’ve said.If I have the chance, I would tell him; “My actions were thoughtless. If it was now, I will support you.” I also hope everything goes well for him, hope he can listen to what I have to say. 

Sina: After you left, did you think about your father’s opinion? You and your father seem very close, your father even sent the letter asking for you departure.

 Tao: I tell my father everything. He feels very sorry for me. Back then he didn’t really support my decision as an artist, he wanted me to enlist in the military. But when I was 15 or 16, I wrote a letter to my father, asking him to give me some space and to learn music. I slid it under my father’s door, and after the paper was gone, he supported my decision.My father’s job is related to financials. My family isn’t poor, but we don’t have a lot of money either. My parents raised me without giving me any pocket money, only money for food. From the age of 18 till now, the money I’ve spent was my own hard earned money, I’ve never asked my parents for money.I just think that going to school doesn’t impact me much, because I felt that there were more important things that needs to be done. At that time I wanted to be a celebrity. I told the people around me, but they laughed at me, saying I couldn’t. I wanted to show them, it was possible.Before terminating the contract with SM, I fought with my father once over the phone. He told me to come, my injury was so bad, he’d rather me not be an artist. I said I wanted to be an artist. My leg is injured, but my voice can still sing, it’s just that I can’t dance. I sometimes can’t be honest with my feelings. The bad things that happened to me in Korea, my father knows. When he wrote that letter, he wrote down all the things I’ve said to him. My mom told me, he cried writing it. I’m grateful for my father.


Sina: Why were you so passionate in becoming a celebrity?

Tao: Because I love music. When I was little I loved listening to my seniors Jay Chou, Wang LiHong, and JJ, the way they performed on stage really had an attractive aura. So many people went to listen to them, it’s really because of this I fell in love with music.

Sina: When your father told you to share this situation, did you think about how people would feel negatively towards this? 

Tao: I really didn’t think about it, I just wanted to heal my leg.


As a Hailang (fan of Tao), Lufan, and whatever a fan of Wu Yifan is called, I strongly support all three men in their endeavors. I was really excited when ZTao as he is called now, came out with his album. (Update: Fans of Kris are called: Meigeni.).


Link to T.A.O. mv:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2z58ie_pt%E9%9F%AC%E5%90%A7-eng-sub-z-tao-t-a-o-mv_music

Link to Crown mv:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-06YYUSc-NQ

Link to songs on soundcloud:

https://soundcloud.com/rebekah-walton/sets/ot3


I am waiting for two days in the near future. The day we see Taoris and Krishan again. (Not as a pairing but as a bromance friendship.) And I am also waiting for the day they do a collaboration. (This might not happen for a few years. This could be a movie collab or a music collab.)
I believe we will see this soon.
(Updated April 31, 2020)
We got a music collab! Coffee by Krishan (Luhan and Kris Wu)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyY651_sTVk

(Updated May 10, 2020)
We are getting Kris, Luhan and Zitao on the same show!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjtWF4DIx6E

SM, you need to wake up. I do not think Yixing will leave, but, if you don't wake up, I can't guarantee anything.

On a different sort of note, take in mind that none of these three men who left were my biases. (Yes, I cheat and have two biases in Exo. One of them is EXO-M and the other is EXO-K.) My biases in Exo are Chen (Jongdae) and Kai(Jongin).

 I doubt either of them will leave considering their talent and that SM has made a point to showcase their talents in the albums and on stage, but, we never know.