SM Entertainment No Longer Fears Super Junior And Girls' Generation Members Dating [Opinion]

With the recent string of high profile SM Entertainment artists revealing that they were dating, it's worth taking a moment to consider why SM Entertainment is approving some relationships and not others.

Super Junior's Sungmin recently came clean with dating a musical actress, and several Girls' Generation members (Taeyeon, Sooyoung, YoonA, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, and Jessica) have either confirmed relationships or been involved in dating rumors. While Taeyeon's relationship with EXO's Baekhyun caused some strife, SM Entertainment admitted the relationship right away, given that the two were caught by journalists kissing.)

In comparison, dating rumors surrounding f(x)'s Luna and Sulli were vehemently denied. SM eventually confirmed Sulli's relationship with Choiza, but it came months after denials.

The handling of the different situations points to the way that SM Entertainment handles its more mature groups versus groups that still struggle for a foothold in the industry.

f(x), while popular, is nowhere near as popular as Super Junior and Girls' Generation. Similarly, even though SM confirmed Baekhyun's relationship with Taeyeon, it is likely that it would have been denied if the two weren't caught.

EXO is too new that a scandal could, and did, rock it and its individual member's popularity. Ticket sales for Baekhyun's musical, 'Singin' in the Rain,' went down immediately after the relationship was publicized. If another member of EXO were to be involved in a dating scandal anytime in the near future, it seems likely that SM would deny it.

The reason for the differences in handling, is based on the group's longevity. Just as SM denied an f(x) member's relationship until it was impossible to do so anymore, the company would presumably have the same denial reaction to any relationships that other EXO, SHINee, and Red Velvet members would be involved in. Why? Because it would affect the popularity of a group, risking their lasting power.

In comparison to SM's younger groups, Super Junior and Girls' Generation have nothing to truly fear. Super Junior has gone through multiple member shifts as well as the scandal of one member being sent to the army due to drunk driving and fighting. Regardless, fans still remain loyal and the group continues to release hit after hit. The same, minus the scandals, is true of Girls' Generation.

At this point, neither Girls' Generation nor Super Junior risk anything professionally by dating. The individual members are popular enough, and have enough solo activities, that even if one member gets brought down, the entire group will not inevitably suffer. The differentiation between being members of an idol group and being individual entertainers is what is important.

The same cannot be said about junior groups, even ones like SHINee and f(x) that have very defined concepts and have seen numerous successes. f(x) is still able to promote as four members now that Sulli is on hiatus, but fans are still reeling and confused. SHINee has also promoted without individual members, but the group is much more popular as five.

Taemin's solo debut is the first sign that SHINee is transitioning from one of SM's junior groups to one where the individual members have so much love that they are no longer reliant on the group image.

EXO and Red Velvet are still so new that it would be unthinkable for their members to come out en masse with relationships, as is happening with Super Junior and Girls' Generation.

Baekhyun's relationship with his fans is suffering in a way different from Taeyeon's with her fans. Both had fans who were hurt in the way that the relationship came to light, but Taeyeon's fans have supported her for multiple years. EXO is still reeling from Kris' departure, and Baekhyun's scandal risked alienating fans who still see the member as an idol rather than a person.

Between different relationships with the fans and older idols, the aging members, and SM Entertainment's self-assurance that Super Junior and Girls' Generation will be successful regardless of individual members' scandals, there's no reason to deny the relationships of top-tier idols any longer. However, younger, newer idols are still so reliant on fans and their group identity, that individual relationships are frowned upon.

SM Entertainment is becoming much more open to its idols dating, easily confirming relationships when the groups are not at risk.

[Update] This article was meant to be published the very same day that Jessica's departure from Girls' Generation became public, and as such may read quite differently now.

In light of the personal affairs that impacted Jessica leaving the group, it is worth noting that SM Entertainment never confirmed her relationship with Tyler Kwon. Although their names have been thrown together, the entire affair has been blamed on Jessica's business venture Blanc, rather than any desires of hers to pursue personal relationships (marriage rumors aside).

Regardless if Jessica's romantic life had a role, which many assume it did, SM Entertainment has shown, once again, that personal issues will not stop its top girl group. The very same day that the news broke, Girls' Generation performed abroad and continued activities as normal.

An eight member Girls' Generation is odd, and not as stable as the group was with nine members. But SM Entertainment has seen members leave groups before, and unless fans abandon the girl group, it is likely that SM's strategy of letting its older idols go about their personal business will prove to be successful again.

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The views expressed above are those of the writer and do not reflect the opinion of KpopStarz.

Tags
Super Junior
Girls Generation
sungmin dating
taeyeon baekhyun
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