It’s been greater than 3 a long time since Soo-man Lee based SM Entertainment, one in every of South Korea’s music companies recognized for bringing Okay-pop to the world.
The leisure firm, initially based as SM Studio in 1989, turned one of many first to kickstart the worldwide Hallyu wave — higher generally known as the Korean wave.
But Lee’s music was not all the time primarily based off Korean pop music.
“I turned a singer once I was 19. Although I used to be well-known, I spotted that the viewers was actually quiet once I sang as a result of I sang folks songs,” he advised CNBC’s Chery Kang in an interview for The CNBC Conversation.
SM Entertainment’s Soo-man Lee (fourth from the appropriate) posing with Okay-pop supergroup SuperM.
Gabriel Olsen | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
“But when overseas bands come to [South Korea to] carry out, they utterly took over the stage and followers went wild. When I went to take a look at the live performance, it appeared just like the followers have been extra enthusiastic than in mine,” stated Lee, who’s founding chairman of the corporate.
A imaginative and prescient for Okay-pop is born
Lee stated that is when he started to consider taking South Korea’s pop music to the world.
“As I studied within the U.S., I discovered loads and thought it could be good to advertise Korean songs and singers abroad. That’s the beginning [of SM Entertainment].”
Over the years, the 70-year-old developed a system he calls “tradition know-how” — by way of which he recruited and nurtured expertise in a scientific manner of casting, coaching, producing, and administration.
The system is behind the tune manufacturing of SM Entertainment’s Okay-pop prime bands — corresponding to Super Junior, Girls’ Generation and Red Velvet.
“There is a written ‘tradition know-how’ handbook someplace in my workplace,” he stated, explaining that it combines each tradition and know-how in a “logically formulized” manner.
“The handbook will enable staff to study and switch ‘know-how’ out of it. Because I’m an engineer, it’s to be understood by logic. It lays out formulation,” Lee stated, sharing that he has a Master’s diploma in pc engineering.
“So, I can say that I’m an engineer somewhat than an artiste.”
We must be at that world class degree, and we’re specializing in what’s lacking and what sort of distinctions we will make…
Soo-man Lee
Founder, SM Entertainment
Even as SM Entertainment’s music continues to go world, Lee says it is essential to repeatedly innovate and keep forward of the competitors within the music trade.
“We must be at that world class degree, and we’re specializing in what’s lacking and what sort of distinctions we will make” from different genres of music,” he advised CNBC.
Lee works with producers and songwriters from the U.Okay. and U.S. on accompaniments, monitor songs, kick drum and bass, which he adapts to South Korean and Asian tradition.
As for the importance of China’s affect within the Okay-pop trade, Lee admits that cash could have a “highly effective affect,” however stated he stays assured creativity that comes from producing could have “infinite worth.”
SM Entertainment has represented Okay-pop artists like boy band Super Junior.
Chung Sung-jun | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
The situation of psychological well being is one thing that continues to be a spotlight for his firm, Lee says.
“‘Be humble, be sort and be the love’ is what we educate our abilities and folks in SM … Things are loads higher now and world administration corporations try to find out about it.”
Lee additionally stated his firm is “connecting them to counselors and docs in order that they’ll get assist anytime. We might not have the identical economies of scale like CNBC, however we discovered this stuff are essential.”
Future of Okay-pop
As for the way forward for Okay-pop, “I feel the metaverse that everybody is speaking about today is the longer term,” Lee says.
SM Entertainment established a metaverse world known as SM Culture Universe, and launched its first metaverse woman band, Aespa in 2020. The group is made up of 4 real-life members – Karina, Winter, Ning Ning, and Giselle – and their corresponding digital counterparts.
SM Entertainment established a metaverse world known as SM Culture Universe, and launched its first metaverse woman band, Aespa in 2020.
Alexi Rosenfeld | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
“SM Entertainment is constructing ‘Play-2-Create’… folks can uncover their inventive aspect and create within the metaverse. They will notice, ‘Oh, I can create. I could make music. I can create dance strikes. I could make garments. I can fashion artists.'”
To notice the idea of “Play-2-Create,” the corporate partnered with metaverse corporations like The Sandbox earlier this 12 months.
Players can create NFTs and video games surrounding “Okay-content” in SMTOWN LAND, a digital land in The Sandbox below SM Entertainment. NFTs are non-fungible tokens that are distinctive digital property, like art work and sports activities buying and selling playing cards, which are saved utilizing blockchain know-how.
Lee believes that any nation can create one thing as profitable as Okay-pop, however the metaverse shall be key.
“You can’t create a style by copying Okay-pop. Everyone will view it as Okay-pop. Now, it’s essential present it within the metaverse.”
Without your self within the mirror, you don’t have any concept what you’d appear to be when dancing, even when you danced actually exhausting…
Soo-man Lee
Founder, SM Entertainment
“I feel we simply must let the followers change into producers and shoppers on the similar time. Let them create… Young folks could have the large satisfaction of creation and can find yourself creating huge quantities of mental property and content material.”
For these aspiring to change into Okay-pop artists some day, Lee has this piece of recommendation: “Self-assessment is essential.”
“Without your self within the mirror, you don’t have any concept what you’d appear to be when dancing, even when you danced actually exhausting … It is when you may see and really feel what you do not do effectively that you simply study.”
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