Will EXO members renew their contracts with SM for another 3 years in early 2022?

[satoori]

[Discussion] Will EXO members renew their contracts with SM for another 3 years in early 2022?

Hello, K-POP fans and EXO-L in particular! Due to the huge interest these days in EXO's future, today's topic is their contract renewal. I will provide you with as much information as I can, so please share your opinion keeping these questions in mind after you read the article. Try to be unbiased as much as you can. I am not an EXO-L but I have started to get into EXO these days so please do mention if I have missed something. Okay, so now let's get started with the questions!

• Do you think EXO will renew their contracts for another 3 years in April 2022(1 year, 8 months)?
• Do you think they will renew again after those 3 years pass considering SM has shown promotions never get better only worse?
• Which members are most likely to renew and which members are less likely(excluding Lay)?
• Do you think SM has shown signs of treating some members differently from the rest and do you think that might have to do with the fact they are more likely now to renew in 1 year and 8 months?
• Lastly, why do you think EXO-SC does not get to promote much not even on music shows and SM the stage? Is it possible because they are part of the members that do not have a reason to renew?
• If it comes down to it do you think all members will leave SM if the majority vote to leave or will they settle for another 3 years with SM for the members that want to stay for a little longer?
• Do you think a scenario similar to the one of Girls' generation is possible?
• Is there any possibility Obsession might have been their last album?
• If EXO does win the K-POP category in the VMAs do you think SM might start treating them better and will losing make a difference too(kinda doubt it will)?

Now that we are done with all the questions that you should keep in mind when forming your opinion let's start with the information we have.

1. EXO Chen appeared on Radio star in early 2019 and confirmed that EXO signed their contracts on the same day so their contracts will end on the same date as well. The contracts were confirmed to be 10 years long based on the information from the lawsuits of the 3 former EXO members Kris, Luhan, and Tao. Many k-pop fans assumed that contracts freeze during the enlistment period but it does not seem to be the case based on what Chen said. He also said he is not stressed about the contract renewal and wants to do what he loves as much as he can. The host Yoon Jong Shin who is a CEO and an artist said to Chen that he has to start thinking about it now not when that year comes.

2. EXO on Radio star in December 2019. When the group appeared on the show they expressed their disappointment with SM and the neglect towards the group and how SM called everything minimalism. The group has even shared that despite their booming popularity with Growl when they sold their first million-seller album(when SM build a whole building with that money) there was not enough even food for the members to eat at times so they would fight and that lasted about 3 years all the way up to 2014-5 after which the members say they got better treatment for a while then it was gone again and SM started the minimalism with their comebacks(lack of album promotions, cheap MVs, no international tours(which bring the most profit to the artists based on contracts)) despite the group bringing more and more profit each year and the most out of all SM artists. Even this year EXO is set to bring most profit even in 2020 if the rumored EXO-SC repackage and Kai solo debut happen. 

3. EXO have discussed their contract renewal only with each other, not with SM. Previously when Chen guested on Radio star and got told to start thinking about the renewal now not the year of renewal it seems like EXO did talk about it between each other but did not talk about it with SM even in December 2019. During the show, they confirmed that they will stay together no matter what be it in SM or somewhere else with another company. Many back then took Suhos words talking about another company as a hint that potentially the members might not renew their contracts and maybe sign for example with Lays studio which has tremendous work and quality when it comes to MVs.

4. EXO Chanyeol recently made a video on NNG studio and said he wanted to show EXO-SC schedule because many have said they wanted to see him. They had only two schedules and Chanyeol went to them on his own using his personal car because it was easy schedules and he does do alone because he did not want to hassle his manager and be a good celebrity. Of course nothing wrong with that. That day's schedules were an online fan-meet and game broadcasting. When Chanyeol arrived at the SM building and went to the elevator what he said caught the fan's attention "I am tired of having only two schedules". Many fans took this as Chanyeol hinting that he wants more opportunities and schedules for himself and EXO-SC as most fans know EXO-SC never has promoted on a music show and on SM the stage despite having two albums now, while everyone else who released an album has already appeared on SM the stage(Suho did not either) and on music shows.

So after reading this short text share your opinion what do you think EXO will do? 

[Trashie]

why you interested in exo contracts? 

I do think they will all renew.. at least majority of them

[Drama Drama Drama]

Crazy how not EXO-L started the post

I think EXO-L we are scared to talk about this

And EXO as full group will be inactive until 2024

SM will be do the possible to renew but I think Lay and D.O. will be complicated to renew 

The rest will be renew or will be negotiate a lot of perks for future contract

Sometimes I doubt about Chanyeol -if he wants to expand his studio-

Edited August 12, 2020 by Drama Drama Drama

[starsocks]

I think most of them will but they'll become like most late second gen/early third gen bgs because sadly that's what military service does

[satoori]

4 hours ago, Trashie said:

why you interested in exo contracts? 

I do think they will all renew.. at least majority of them

explain why I can't be?

[satoori]

i

1 hour ago, Drama Drama Drama said:

And EXO as full group will be inactive until 2024

SM will be do the possible to renew but I think Lay and D.O. will be complicated to renew 

The rest will be renew or will be negotiate a lot of perks for future contract

Sometimes I doubt about Chanyeol -if he wants to expand his studio-

i have similar thoughts

i would be surprised if any of the others don't renew

but i was also surprised with how snsd turned out, so...

Edited August 12, 2020 by satoori

[deliriousness]

i hope they do not. they are past the point of SM caring to develop the brand much. that agency no longer deserves EXO. still in that company getting no chips, time to dip!

Edited August 12, 2020 by marin karin

[satoori]

1 hour ago, choiyujins said:

I think most of them will but they'll become like most late second gen/early third gen bgs because sadly that's what military service does

Miltary service isn't the issue but more so companies lack of management in the past.

For some reason I feel companies will do a bit different. Male idols can still be very profitable after enlistment. 

BB would of literally went back to work if not for seungri scandal

Suju is also doing well. Despite everything the group's popularity is similar to before they left. The fandom is still going strong.

Bts will most likely continue to work for some years. I don't see why Exo can't either. Exo-Ls and the public will support them.

Edited August 12, 2020 by satoori

[starsocks]

21 minutes ago, satoori said:

Miltary service isn't the issue but more so companies lack of management in the past.

For some reason I feel companies will do a bit different. Male idols can still be very profitable after enlistment. 

BB would of literally went back to work if not for seungri scandal

Suju is also doing well. Despite everything the group's popularity is similar to before they left. The fandom is still going strong.

Bts will most likely continue to work for some years. I don't see why Exo can't either. Exo-Ls and the public will support them.

Agree but they tend to just cycle through groups and discard them seeing enlistment as a natural end

your faves are probably an exception

[felidae]

I think they all love the group and the fans, including the always 'forgotten' by kfans Lay. Not to mention the whole members leaving make me believe they will renew for the sake of the group and fans.

For their own careers though.... I don't follow exo at all but some members may not renew bc of reduced opportunity? Unless they modify the contracts so that they're at more advantages.

Edit : and I don't think they're satisfied with the way sm treat the group and the fans lol. 

Edited August 12, 2020 by felidae

[satoori]

13 minutes ago, choiyujins said:

Agree but they tend to just cycle through groups and discard them seeing enlistment as a natural end

your faves are probably an exception

I don't know, my observation, which could be wrong of course, shows that male idols actually gain more respect after enlistment from the public and their fandoms are still loyal. It truly is just a matter of companies being able to handle many groups at once. Plus, negotiate good contract terms. It's a waste to just discard them when male idols are actually a lot more profitable than some female idols even after enlistment. I think companies are realizing that too. 

i hope not, since i casually follow many groups

Edited August 12, 2020 by satoori

[starsocks]

1 minute ago, satoori said:

i don't know, my observation, which could be wrong of course, shows that male idols actually gain more respect after enlistment from the public and their fandoms are still loyal. it truly is just a matter of companies being able to handle many groups at once. plus, negotiate good contract terms. it's a waste to just dicard them when male idols are actually a lot more profitable then female idols even after enlistment. i think companies are realizing that too. 

i hope not, since i casually follow many groups

yeah I mean I agree that smart companies will see a positive shift in the coming years

[satoori]

Just now, choiyujins said:

yeah I mean I agree that smart companies will see a positive shift in the coming years

companies are in the business of making money, so yea hopefully ..i'm expecting on exo and bts being role models

[hynapia]

I think except maybe D.O (because he seems more interested in a solo/acting career), all or almost all will renew. Lay will stay mostly in China but I think he'll still renew because having the SM label backing you have gives a lot of opportunities.

As for establishing their own label...maybe? Most of the members are reaching 30 so SM is probably gonna focus in their newer groups so it'll be nice to them to have their own label and manage their own comebacks and production.

[hynapia]

10 hours ago, choiyujins said:

Agree but they tend to just cycle through groups and discard them seeing enlistment as a natural end

your faves are probably an exception

I kinda see enlistment as the "end of the peak years" for most male idol groups, especially because most of them enlist pretty late (around late 20s, and before the new law it used to be even 30) so when they come back from the army they're +30 so kpop fans tend to switch to younger/newer groups. But there's some exceptions, because SuJu still sells better than half of current boygroups, or Sechskies that's a first gen group still sell and chart pretty decently.

[starsocks]

25 minutes ago, hynapia said:

I kinda see enlistment as the "end of the peak years" for most male idol groups, especially because most of them enlist pretty late (around late 20s, and before the new law it used to be even 30) so when they come back from the army they're +30 so kpop fans tend to switch to younger/newer groups. But there's some exceptions, because SuJu still sells better than half of current boygroups, or Sechskies that's a first gen group still sell and chart pretty decently.

yeah that is a good way of putting it

[pluto]

I'm like 100% (or at least 99%) sure Suho and Baekhyun will renew. Exo have expressed their wishes to stay together no matter what and Suho even said something like ''If it's with SM or another company, we will see''... I do think SM will try to get all of them to renew because they're one of SM' s top groups. 

[zella]

SM will try everything to keep them despite how they keep mistreating them.They are grown ass people,they should know SM’s all promises are just lies.So i won’t be here to support them if they renew.

Edited August 14, 2020 by zella