EXO Fans Call Out SM Entertainment For Alleged Mistreatment Of The Group During SMTOWN LIVE
SM Entertainment is holding its first in-person family concert, SMTOWN LIVE, on August 20, 2022, for the first time in five years. The concert will be a compilation of performances that will tour the world’s major cities on the SMCU EXPRESS.
Of course, fans were incredibly excited to see their favorite SM Entertainment artists take the stage. Still, fans of EXO were already voicing their frustration with SM Entertainment when Sehun‘s name was not included in the line-up announcement.
Other idols like SHINee‘s Onew were also excluded, but for a known reason as he is currently carrying out solo activities in Japan.
In case maybe some people curious why #ONEW didn’t include in SMTOWN concert in SUWON, it’s because he stay in Japan now and he already has schedule for his solo concert tour in Japan so he prepares a lot for his concert
Our ONEW fightingggg!!!🥰💙💙 https://t.co/Jl7gIIQWAr— Aʟʏᴀ🐰 •kinda inactive (@chaalya217) July 12, 2022
But unlike the situation with Onew, fans weren’t aware of any scheduling conflicts that would prohibit Sehun from performing at the iconic family concert.
sehun’s upcoming drama has officially finished filming, he has solo songs and sub-unit songs that he can perform, and the concert is being held in korea as well… i just find it hard to understand why he’s left out for any activities from the company…
— 🌸 사랑둥이 귀염둥이 세훈이 🌸 (@milkteus) July 12, 2022
To get SM Entertainment’s attention, fans took to Twitter to trend hashtags like #STOP_NORMALIZING_MISTREATMENT.”
STOP NORMALIZING MISTREATMENT SEHUN DESERVES BETTER#SEHUN#SEHUN_DESERVES_BETTER#SM_TreatSehunBetter
— 꿈세훈☁️ (@reveusehun) July 12, 2022
Fans also pointed out that this isn’t the first time SM Entertainment allegedly mistreated Sehun.
sm can’t let sehun attend dior show, can’t give sehun solo album, can’t promote sehun as idol and as actor, can’t give sehun a chance to perform on stage. so what can sm do? MISTREAT SEHUN!
— Queentiany ^‿^ (@Queentiany) July 12, 2022
At the time, fans were still excited to see D.O., Kai, Xiumin, Suho, and Chen performing on stage. But after a recent update of the concert’s setlist, EXO fans are now voicing their frustrations for SM Entertainment allegedly mistreating EXO as a group. Not only is Sehun excluded, but each EXO member performing only gets to perform one solo song.
EXO members solo performance tomorrow!!
D.O. – That’s Okay
Chen – Beautiful Goodbye
Kai – Peaches
Suho – Hurdle
Xiumin – Serenity pic.twitter.com/16kHev9Mes— klau 🌝 东 (@kokokbop) August 19, 2022
Fans were hopeful to see EXO perform on stage as a group, even if only with five or six members.
6 active members can easily perform Paradise or DFTF #EXOdeservesbetter #EXOleaveSM
— J (@real__sjr) August 19, 2022
6 active members, they can perform any of their songs
#EXOleaveSM— hello, pame (@heIIodae) August 19, 2022
They were hopeful that D.O. would get to perform songs from his debut album.
Fucking disappointed like why would they ask kyungsoo to sing his sm station song that was released 3 years ago instead of his solo song that the fans didnt even get a chance to see him singing it live?! Im not throwing hate to “That’s Okay” but Empathy deserve a live stage!
— venn🐧🐱 (@cosmicdiary_) August 19, 2022
They hoped to see EXO on stage for more than just one song per member.
A 5 hours concert and we gonna see our boys for 4 minutes each.. also no group performance for the company biggest group… #EXO_DeservesBetter #EXOleaveSM
— not amelia (@umvrx__) August 19, 2022
And, of course, they are still frustrated that Sehun isn’t included.
Even rookie are having a stage but not Sehun when he is one of the most versatile idol the mistreatment towards him is so visible…. #EXO_DeservesBetter #EXOleaveSM
— Nishu🤍 (@nishumi44577550) August 19, 2022
This time fans are trending hashtags like #EXO_DESERVES_BETTER and #EXO_LEAVE_SM to voice their frustration.
Not letting sehun perform
Not letting kyungsoo sing his debut album songs
Not letting exo member perform more than one song
Not letting exo to perform as a group
EXO LEAVE SM #EXO_DeservesBetter #EXOLeaveSM @SMTOWNGLOBAL @weareoneEXO
pic.twitter.com/iVT19fbLiY— EXO | خستهترینِ فندوم (@fire__1485__) August 19, 2022
True Fact: SM Is Nothing Without EXO !
EXO LEAVE SM #EXOLeaveSM #EXO_DeservesBetter @weareoneEXO pic.twitter.com/Yetc7g7d2p
— ֺ ָ ֙⋆🌻ᵏᵐˢ گُربِـهِچهـآرُمِییـشینگْ¹ (@xexol1909) August 19, 2022
Given EXO’s incredible success, which has contributed significantly to SM Entertainment’s legacy for the past ten years, fans are understandably upset by the alleged mistreatment.
EXO gave 10 years of their lives to SM. Their whole careers, so much of hardwork, truck load of money and so many opportunities for other artists of SM. And still at the end what they are getting is this and the fact that this mistreatment isn't even new.#EXOLeaveSM
— 💀 (@Bunny_Land_09) August 19, 2022
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