SM Entertainment’s Girls’ Generation tweet without ex-member Jessica Jung sparks controversy
By Ryan General
South Korean music label SM Entertainment inadvertently triggered a fan controversy after excluding former member Jessica Jung’s image in a recent celebratory tweet.
The celebratory tweet: SM Entertainment took to X on Nov. 12 to mark the achievement of Girls’ Generation‘s “Mr. Mr.” music video reaching 100 million views on YouTube.
The song was released to KBS Radio Station on Feb. 25, 2014, while the music video was uploaded to YouTube three days later.
What irked some fans: In the post, the company expressed gratitude to the fans, known as SONEs, for their continuous support for the iconic K-pop girl group. The tweet featured a collage of the eight current members, but the omission of Jung, whose 2014 departure from the group was a highly publicized event, stirred a heated debate within the SONE community as she played a vital role during the “Mr. Mr.” era.
Opposing perspectives: Supporters quickly took to social media, with polarizing opinions on whether Jung’s contributions should be acknowledged.
Some members of the fanbase asserted that recognizing Jung’s contribution is crucial, emphasizing her presence during the celebrated period. These fans argue that her exclusion undermines her legacy within the group.
“Jessica’s adlibs made this song she basically sang the whole thing in the background,” a commenter wrote. “Sm is always so disrespectful. Why the need to erase her from comebacks she was part of?”
“You can remove her from the post but you can’t erase her from the group’s history,” wrote another.
“Jessica was still part of Girls Generation when Mr.Mr was released,” a fan lamented. “Are you trying to delete her? Then, recreate all GG songs with 8 members and delete all GG songs along with their MV with 9 members.”
Others, however, argue that SM Entertainment’s decision is justifiable since Jung is no longer a member of Girls’ Generation, following her departure in 2014. They contend that the company is focusing on the present and future rather than the past, with some hinting at image rights as a potential factor in her exclusion.
“Why yall talking about Jessica…. You act as if they can use her face ☠️,” commented one user. “She [is] out of the group. Cope.”
“Well, it’s not that deep,” another pointed out. “They just can’t use her picture these days, so get over it.”
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