First it was the dispute with record label producer and the ensuing lawsuit filed by EXO members Luhan and n Kris Wu making headlines; now it's EXO's Tao breaking away from SM Entertainment.
Tao is among the latest in a growing list of artists opting to bid adieu to the company that trained him along with other members of the K-pop boy band EXO. Citing health reasons for the decision of his son to leave the group, Tao's father seemed to have his best interests at heart.
Tao's dad published on Weibo a detailed letter citing problems with the way SM Entertainment treated Tao after he sustained injuries during EXO's promotional activities and an actual performance. The said letter also mentioned SM Entertainment's business activities.
It can be noted that for the past several months, SM Entertainment has been continually shedding light on controversies involving artist problems and disbandment. The company has been frequently in the news clearing misunderstandings & speculations by issuing statements and confirming whether or not band members are just on hiatus or are actually out of their group. K-pop artists have cited various reasons for their desire to break away from the record label producer, ranging from dissatisfaction with the way they were being handled, to personal reasons.
As talks are being planned to thresh out the problems/issues of Tao with SM Entertainment, the talented K-pop artist has assured fans that he will be back to perform anew. He has also expressed his gratitude to his fans via social media for always being at his side. Tao was introduced by SM Entertainment as member of EXO back in December 2011. He majored in Music at the University of Hong Kong, and is known to be inspired by other bands like Girls' Generation.
Meantime, former EXO members Luhan and Kris may be in for a protracted legal battle with SM Entertainment after numerous rounds of mediation talks failed to produce a middle ground. Will Tao meet a similar fate and not reach a settlement with the South Korean agency?
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