I still don't understand why SM abandoned F(x) and treating them like a step daughter compared to Snsd

fx was too ahead of their time and therefore went unappreciated kinda like the sega dreamcast and snsd was the ps2 at the time but anyway, i think smngg could surpass aespa

Quote from Bananapple

I understand Snsd are far more popular but f(x) were doing extremely well too. I found this old post in reddit about girl groups' sales and F(x) was doing really really well for their time.

https://www.reddit.com/r/kpop/…hysical_album_sales_data/

Yet they don't even got world tour, had first solo concert after 7 years debut (their first and last concert), only get their official fandom name 7 years later too, didn't have official lightstick and the list can goes on. Even F(x) last mv was directed and edited by Amber because Sm refused to do it. I wonder why SM didn't push them more the way they push Snsd. Is it simply because they're not SM priority girl group? I already know kpop since Bigbang debuted but never engaged in kpop community at all during that time. So I wonder what actually happened back then.

I hope smngg will debut with a huge gap from Aespa. If not, this might happen to them or if they turn out doing well more than Aespa, then sm will prioritising them more.

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I think Fx was like an experiment that ended up succeeding so SM didn't bother that they didn't give Fx enough promotions. It's kinda similar with Red Velvet's position where SM just not only won't promote them well especially Internationally but they cock block them by limiting their promotions, albums sell especially in Japan, tours etc regardless of their demand.

And, in my observation, Fx had other issues that SM couldn't solve. Starting with Sulli having mental health issues and taking a long break without proper management until she left. Sulli was a visual, the Yoona of Fx. Then Krystal, the Jessica of Fx who supported her sister publicly and was so done with SM during and after Sicagate that it was clear that she wouldn't stay in SM even for Fx. Then Victoria and the everything Korean ban in China yet she was more successful in China so she naturally chose her solo career and country over Fx. And Fx was left with Amber and Luna who couldn't carry the group forward because they weren't that popular and successful solo and as a duo.

So F(x) disbanded 💔 so easily

Quote from Daisy_Queen

They never really had a chance and I hate how the members got blamed for not sticking around in the end

I think they had a chance, they just weren't managed right from after like 2-3 years of their debut. They were summer queens and had consecutive hits for year's, Hot Summer, Rum Pum Pum, Red Light etc they deserved a little more push but SM abandoned them too early so they couldn't survive other individual issues.

I don’t get why when fx is brought their lack of promotion and stuff is always tied to SNSD. Why aren’t SM BGs put in the same position? Did TVXQ hinder Suju? Did Suju turn Shinee into ugly step kids? Did Shinee stop Exo in their tracks? It’s always no. Each group got their time to shine.

SNSD being teh biggest group around didn’t affect fx, there was a time when SNSD took a year off in Korea in 2012 and focused on Japan it was fx who stepped up and we contenders for 2nd biggest gg around. That was pretty huge of SM having the number 1 and arguably number 2 ggs of that point in time. Not being the priority didn’t automatically mean there were doomed to fail, they clearly had the chops to compete with other ggs.

It was more on SM simply not putting an effort into them on a continuous basis. They had tv shows, good album sales, popular members, everything was in place. After Sulli left SM just gave up on them. Minimal cbs, minimal inter music activities. Fx was put on the back burner and RV became the fresh young face of SM.

Just as importantly the members basically gave up too: Victoria found she could make serious money in China and Krystal didn’t care at all and wanted to do acting instead. That’s half the group out the door. Amber and Luna tried their best to keep fx alive but it wasn’t enough. It was a stark contrast to SNSD who in the 5 year gap and in different agencies were constantly active on showbiz and constantly talking about each other. Even if a CB never happened at the very least it was obvious they still always had the group in the back of their minds and it of course all paid off in 2022.

So it was a mixture of SM mismanaging their groups as tradition (even happened to SNSD) and the members not interested which sled things up with Fx fizzling out with a whimper.

One with enough intelligence to discuss with won't create this thread.

f(x) had problems with members from the very start which disrupted their schedules throughout the groups' career. Amber, Krystal and especially Sulli had their moments, they either delayed Comebacks or cut Promotions short.

The human element will always affect the plans of any Company

Quote from Daisy_Queen

SM made it clear to them during Docking Station they weren't getting anything else. I don't see how perceived issue between the members mattered much in the long run

They had a big fan base that wasn't served right for a long time yet it still supported them till their last album and it gave up but had SM woken up for them like they kinda did for RV, maybe Fx would still be here but with fewer members and probably with some in other labels.

their group, their choice

if the idols wanted, or had the ability, to keep it up, they would be together after the 7 year mark doing their own thing

they made enough money to be afford a comeback or two for sure

Actually I was a bit mad when Amber came out explaining her side and than why she was leaving SM. Seriously SM seems to just hate people like her, especially Chinese.

Amber wa super unhappy and explained when she wrote songs SM's staff tried to change the lyrics or told her that her music was bad. When she tried to release solo music she was not even allowed to use her own songs that she wrote and when she published that one sadder song she did when she was under SM they really hated her for doing so. She said she got so much backlash in SM after the song came out, so that she had enough and considered leaving. And she did.

She was super unhappy with everything that SM did for years and she said it made her mental sick when she got constantly called as a failure etc.

Imo FX don’t want to be idols and I think it was abundantly obvious. Sure SM would have given less comebacks and promo like they do their senior group but it’s quite obvious it’s FX’s decision to not want to be an idol group.

We'll never know what exactly went on and can only speculate as the outsiders we are.

But some facts are clear enough to base assumptions on: we saw that SM invested deeply in f(x) in the first years after their debut, as seen in their strong hits and outstanding album packages like the superb Pink Tape. Up till 2015 with the release of their 4 Walls albums, f(x) as a group seemed to get proper attention in regards to comebacks, albums, promotion etc.

The weird thing is that during that whole time, SM refrained from announcing an official fandom name for the f(x) fanbase; that only happened in 2016 iirc.

Around 2015 and later on, things seemed to change gradually: maybe it was as a delayed reaction or side effect of Sulli's dating 'scandal' and her departure of f(x), maybe it was because some members were more interested in other activities aside from being a K-pop music idol. Or maybe SM started to divert their resources more into their other groups because they foresaw, justly or not, a better return on investment with those.

But even then, the members that did want to continue a career as a music artist got several opportunities that SM provided to them: Amber and Luna, the two members that seemed the most eager within the group to continue as K-pop idol, did get several albums and a chance to shine with them.

I can see why some people claim that SM should have invested longer and more in f(x) than they did. But on the other side, I have to wonder if continueing as the group f(x) was really the #1 priority interest of members like Victoria and Krystal. They just didn't seem as hungry for it as for example Amber and Luna were, but I could be wrong.

I do think SM mismanaged them quite a lot.

During the years they were active there is so much more they could have done. No one should EVER deny that.

But aside from SM sabotage fx members always cited their busy schedules and I personally thing if they really wanted that comeback to happen in span of 8 years, from 2015 to 2023, or in span of 3 years, after all members officially left sm in 2019/2020, if they REALLY wanted to have reunion and comeback they would make time in their busy schedules to have it.

Most senior groups have busy individual schedules and they all have to get together and free their schedules to have a comeback, that obviously never happened with fx and I think that is purely on members.

That is unless they have despute with sm over fx name, which I haven't heard for but with SME anything is possible.