SHINee’s Taemin and Onew will not be renewing their contracts with SM Entertainment.
On March 5, 2024, South Korean media outlet News1 reported that SHINee’s Taemin will be concluding his individual contract with SM Entertainment by the end of March. Other South Korean news outlets also added on to that report, stating that SHINee’s Onew will also not be renewing his exclusive contract with the agency, which ends in the first half of 2024.
Other outlets also mentioned that Taemin will be joining BIG PLANET MADE (BPM), to which the agency mentioned stated that they are “still confirming” Taemin’s move.
In response to the news reports, SM Entertainment released an official statement commenting on the contracts of all SHINee members. “SHINee’s activities will continue at SM Entertainment without change, and contracts for individual activities will be decided according to each member’s wishes.”
In terms of the members, SM said, “We are positively discussing with Minho and Key about not only group activities but also individual activities, and Onew is exploring various options. Our exclusive contract with Taemin expires in March. Taemin’s next course of action following his contract expiration has not been confirmed yet, and we heard that he is considering various options.”
SHINee debuted in 2008 with the debut single “Replay,” and has since been active under SM Entertainment for 16 years, renewing their contracts multiple times. SHINee has gained popularity throughout the years with their discography, musicality, and choreography. Their most famous singles are “Lucifer” (2010), “Ring Ding Dong” (2009), “Sherlock (Clue + Note)” (2012), “View” (2015), and “Don’t Call Me” (2021).
The members of SHINee debuted as solo artists in the following order: Taemin (2014), Jonghyun (2015), Key (2018), Minho (2022), and Onew (2023).
News of the SHINee members’ contract renewals spread fast on social media, with many fans having mixed reactions towards it. Others expressed joy for Taemin and Onew’s individual activities going to be promoted more but expressed fear over SHINee’s set-up, but they also showed how much they will believe in SHINee.
SHINee's "free from SM" line pic.twitter.com/ArHY587Ngh
— Shak | saw SHINee!!! 🥹💎 (@5hineeingstars) March 5, 2024
whatever it happens don’t forget, TRUST SHINee they know what they’re doing.
They will alway protect their legacy pic.twitter.com/EcxuMBLkZl— just another hag ™️ (@taeminyeehawhat) March 5, 2024
This isn't a joke anymore I fear. pic.twitter.com/vkEQdEvATO
— Shak | saw SHINee!!! 🥹💎 (@5hineeingstars) March 5, 2024
please god take away all of shinee’s suffering and give it to the sm ceo
— jinki tiny bot ○ misses jinki (@jinkitinybt) March 5, 2024
everyone always cheering when they leave the company saying they’re finally free but as a aghase i can tell u it’s not that easy getting a full group comeback when they’re from different companies 😭 i’m sad my shinee no
— van 🧚♀️🪐 (@minhoreaI) March 5, 2024
Jinki is about to use that PhD to start his own entertainment company for shinee let’s be honest
— ☆maggie★彡 🍊🌈 (@tofumango) March 5, 2024
two shinee members left the company and onew's circle anniversary today and felix is walking the runaway of the louis vuitton show what a wild fucking day
— staywol archive ☆ (@SKZNEEARCHIVE) March 5, 2024
sorry but there’s gotta be shit really wrong in that company for SHINEE to start leaving https://t.co/B5IMN4z8sp
— stephanie olive fan (@paintmeonce) March 5, 2024
September 2023
you’ve renewed your contract for the third time then?
K : yes
Key: yes even if we leave, we’ll leave togetherMarch 2024
SHINee Taemin will not renew his contract with SM following expiration
Onew contract is set to expire in the first half of 2024😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/j9YWjyi1H4
— 태민♥민호_Taemin_Minho_2min_SHINee_5 (ZOL) (@Zolshinee2min_5) March 5, 2024
The way I’m not worried one bit because SHINee has reassured us multiple times on how they’ll protect SHINee’s name until the end 🥹 and also of course Taemin should be receiving what he deserves 🥺 whatever the decision is there’s only us moving forward together to find out 🩵
— forever❣️// #2024withSHINee❤️🔥 (@Z0EYYY) March 5, 2024
honestly I’m really happy for taemin and jinki they deserve better as much as the other members. i really hope they could find someone able to manage them better and respect them and i want the same for minho and kibum. they are shinee and will always be and i have faith in them
— hourly onew (@meusconceptions) March 5, 2024
I’m kinda shocked at the news but when Jinki’s absence from activities were announced, Minho wrote to him “Please trust us, because we’re SHINee.”
So that’s what I’m gonna do. I’ll trust them because they’re SHINee. 🩵
— . 𝔻𝕚𝕒𝕞𝕠𝕟𝕕 𝕋𝕒𝕖𝕞 💎 Guilty 🍎 (@DiamondTaem) March 5, 2024
Shawols, this is actually a good thing. They will have the freedom to do more things without having to depend on SM Entertainment and, who knows? Maybe there will open their own companies
Let's support them as we have done until now 💎I wish you a beautiful future #ONEW #TAEMIN pic.twitter.com/rFuZHjgm8K
— SHINee (@Shinee_____Five) March 5, 2024
Others also commented on how it’s looking like the beginning of the end for SM Entertainment after almost all of their successful soloists (Baekhyun, Chen, etc.) have left.
sm gonna be gone by 2025 I'm CRYING 😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/1IPZzDHiUL
— the exocist🔻 (@baekuchan) March 5, 2024
imagine losing DnE, kyuhyun, kyungsoo, cbx,sunny, and now, onew and taemin in just one year lmao sm fumbled so bad 🙁
that's when you know that something serious is happening inside that company bc how can you lose your artists who've been with you for more than 15-20 years??? https://t.co/tJ26szV1Wb
— ange ✴ (@angiexoxoxo_) March 5, 2024
How bad is SM that SNSD SUJU SHINEE EXO are now all adopting the same choice 💀
— 5HINee's 🔙 | 알라뷰쏘머치 (@5hinee25tar) March 5, 2024
hybe after buying out the majority of sm's shares only for all the artists to leave pic.twitter.com/mDGRtYiq2K
— chris | average kyubin enjoyer (@lgbtkeymmunity) March 5, 2024
losing the artist that STARTED the soloist movement in your company sm entertainment if i was u id flush my head down the toilet
— dija (@meowqxng) March 5, 2024
"SM Entertainment has remained quiet" has literally been their answer to everything taemin related all these years 😭😭 https://t.co/aKMgEULoXp
— ♠️™️ (@peachnee) March 5, 2024
nct 127 do NOT renew the fucking contracts…sm entertainment is the nastiest skank bitch i have ever met do NOT trust her
— liv is tapping (@coupsyong) March 4, 2024
sm entertainment is crumbling… losing TAEMIN is INSANE!!!! https://t.co/1I90tm9pVn pic.twitter.com/wWpL0oTzOz
— 🥰 jinri’s birth 🥰 (@clown__nation) March 5, 2024
SM Entertainment’s losing all of their successful artists one by one…groups next, maybe?
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