Despite selling over 1 million copies, EXO’s Baekhyun could not attend Award Ceremonies.
As of March 7, suspicions of SM Entertainment’s alleged unfair practices continue to grow, with EXO’s Baekhyun emerging as another possible victim. Despite the massive success of his solo mini-album 'Hello, World,' Baekhyun was absent from all year-end music award ceremonies, raising questions among fans.
In April last year, Baekhyun released his fourth solo mini-album 'Hello, World,' which sold over 1 million copies within just five days of its release. This achievement marked his third consecutive million-seller album, following his second and third mini-albums, solidifying his immense popularity in the music industry.
Despite this success, Baekhyun was noticeably absent from all major year-end award ceremonies. Fans were particularly disappointed because Baekhyun had previously expressed his strong desire to attend these events. Using a fan communication platform, he had declared, “I must go to the year-end award ceremonies! Even if I don’t receive an award, I want to perform on stage magnificently.” His enthusiasm raised fans’ expectations, making his absence even more puzzling.
On March 7, an entertainment industry insider revealed, “Baekhyun wanted to attend the year-end award ceremonies, but he was unable to participate in any of them.”
This revelation comes in the wake of recent claims made by fellow EXO member Xiumin. On March 4, Xiumin, who is also signed under SM Entertainment, announced his upcoming album and revealed the difficulties he faced in securing music show appearances. He stated, “I tried multiple times to arrange meetings with broadcasting companies to showcase my performances to fans. However, KBS did not even respond to our attempts to reach out.” He further disclosed that KBS unofficially informed them that “it would be impossible for Xiumin to appear on programs featuring other SM artists, such as KBS2’s ‘Music Bank’.”
These claims have reignited allegations of SM Entertainment’s power abuse, particularly concerning its artists’ broadcasting appearances. Fans and industry watchers are now questioning whether SM’s internal policies are affecting its artists’ opportunities in the industry.
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