SM Entertainment, the living history of K-pop, will be celebrating its ‘30th anniversary’ next year. To commemorate this, it has decided to release commemorative content in the form of an ‘archive’ in collaboration with Melon, Korea‘s largest popular music platform.

SM Entertainment (SM) and Melon will release a special edition Melon Magazine that will contain SM’s representative songs that have been loved by the public for the past 30 years. It will be released sequentially throughout the year, starting with the first issue to be published around February 14th of next year, the anniversary of SM’s founding.

Melon Magazine will highlight famous songs by SM artists who are the foundation of SM and have left their mark on K-pop history, such as HOT, S.E.S., Shinhwa, Fly to the Sky, and BoA, based on the brand film ‘The Culture’, commemorating SM’s 30th anniversary, which was released on October 22nd. Also covered are hit songs from TVXQ, Super Junior, and Girls‘ Generation, which were the beginning of the ‘Hallyu craze’.

We will also introduce representative works from SHINee, f(x), and Red Velvet, who received much love for their unique concepts and addictive songs, as well as EXO, who caused a sensation by introducing the ‘idol worldview’.

You will also be able to hear music from leading figures leading the new era of K-pop, such as NCT, which presented a new concept in the group system, aespa, who are soaring with their ‘Soimat’ identity, and RISE, who have pioneered a new genre called emotional pop.

Meanwhile, SM plans to decorate its representative concert brand ‘SMTOWN LIVE’ in January next year with the title of its 30th anniversary. The 30th anniversary SM Town Live, which will be held on January 11th and 12th next year at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, will feature all of the affiliated artists, presenting a splendid stage filled with the ‘SM history’.


Reporter Heo Min-nyeong mignon@donga.com