“I hope SM music flows in the sea of a long life.”
Bada, a living witness of SM Entertainment and a member of the group S.E.S., took the stage to proudly showcase SM's music, appealing to the public that it is music that is truly needed.
On the afternoon of the 12th, the 'SM Town Live 2025' concert was held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul. This concert was organized to commemorate the 30th anniversary of SM Entertainment this year. Following the event on the 11th, the Seoul concert took place over two days, attracting 40,000 attendees.
This concert held more significance than previous SM Town concerts. As it was a celebration of the 30th anniversary, artists from both the past and present of SM gathered together. Bada prepared not only S.E.S. songs but also handwritten letters to convey her sincerity.
Bada stated, “Our (SM) music is not a passing trend; remember that it is by your side when you want to dream and have courage. I hope SM songs flow in the sea of a long life.” This was undoubtedly a standout moment, a resonant reflection from Bada, a member of the first-generation girl group who debuted in November 1997.
Junior artists such as aespa, RIIZE, NCT, Nivis, and Dear Alice only decorated the stage and offered simple congratulatory messages to represent SM's 30th anniversary. However, the senior artists' perspective on SM's 30th anniversary was exceptional. Tony An from the group H.O.T. also made an appearance, saying, “Congratulations on SM's 30th anniversary. We are celebrating our 29th anniversary, and I am happy to have grown together and to be here until now,” adding, “It feels great to be with wonderful juniors. Thanks to NCT Dream, the younger generation is also getting to know our ‘Candy,’ and I feel proud.”
Hwanhee from Fly to the Sky also took the stage and performed ‘Sea Of Love’ with junior group RIIZE's Sohee. Right after the performance, Hwanhee expressed, “Thank you for inviting me to the 30th anniversary concert,” and continued, “I also debuted as a singer in SM, and it feels good to see so many talented and wonderful singers in SM now. I believe SM will last forever,” leaving a message of affection for his former agency.
The comments from Super Junior's leader Leeteuk and Ryeowook were also noteworthy. Leeteuk said, “Being an idol is a consuming profession. I hope that as time goes by, it can become a profession that shines brighter and is loved for a long time. Please give a lot of love to the upcoming SM trainees.” Ryeowook added, “I am happy to be able to be with senior and junior singers from SM. I respect H.O.T. hyungs and S.E.S. unnies. While practicing songs together and collaborating with Bada unnie, I really felt that it is the 30th anniversary. We will also work hard so that we can stand on this stage 30 years from now.”
In this way, senior artists were sincere in supporting the future and music of junior artists. It is not an exaggeration to say that SM is the number one agency in South Korea. What they hope for is that this system does not collapse and remains the best agency in the country for a longer time. This was a moment that made one feel why SM's music and activities are still solid and strong.
The sincerity of SM artists in putting together this performance was also evidenced by the absence of some artists just days before the event. Taeyeon from Girls' Generation announced her absence, saying, “I wanted to perform wonderfully on stage and was eager to prepare two or three songs, but to put it simply, I was not provided with the preparation, so I couldn't perform at all.” Wendy from Red Velvet also revealed that she had to decline participation after discussions with the company a month prior, and Yesung from Super Junior expressed, “Since it is a company event, I will participate as much as possible, but I couldn't participate much in the album's music,” leaving a regretful remark.
The absence of these artists left a significant disappointment for fans, but it proved that they had a great deal of sincerity and authenticity regarding the stage.
Additionally, the concert garnered attention regarding the attendance of Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM, and former chief producer. According to exclusive coverage by Maeil Business Star Today, Lee Soo-man was invited to the concert by SM. SM extended the invitation as a sign of respect and courtesy towards the former chief producer. However, Lee Soo-man ultimately declined the invitation and announced that he would not attend the event.
Although the absence of Lee Soo-man and senior artists continued, the diverse and high-quality performances from other artists dispelled that disappointment.
The concert, which was perfectly warmed up with about 1 hour and 30 minutes of pre-performance featuring trot idol Mytros, Mavista, Raiden, HYO, Minjiwoon, and SM Jazz Trio, showcased a seamless performance for over 5 hours with a total of 98 artists, including Kangta, BoA, TVXQ, Super Junior, Super Junior-M, Girls' Generation Hyoyeon, SHINee Key and Minho, EXO Suho and Chanyeol, Red Velvet, NCT 127, NCT Dream, WayV, aespa, RIIZE, NCT Wish, Nivis, SMTR25, H.O.T. Tony An, S.E.S. Bada, Fly to the Sky Hwanhee, and Dear Alice.
The energetic 30th anniversary tribute performance stage by SMTR25, consisting of 25 SM trainees, also caught attention. Although they appeared somewhat young and a bit awkward, the choreography and visuals unique to SM were enough to excite fans' expectations.
In the closing stage, all participants sang together the symbol of 'SM Town Live,' 'Light,' warmly concluding the performance.
Having successfully completed the Seoul concert, SM Town Live will embark on a global tour starting in May.
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
