Sunny of Girls’ Generation leaves SM Entertainment after 16 years
Girls’ Generation member Sunny has announced that she has parted ways with longtime agency SM Entertainment.
The singer, real name Lee Soon-kyu, took to her personal Instagram page earlier today (August 8) to personally announce her departure from the company. “I want to express my gratitude to SM Entertainment who gave great help so that 19-year-old Lee Soon-kyu could debut as Girls’ Generation’s Sunny,” she wrote in a letter, per translations by Soompi.
“Looking back, there are so many people I have been grateful to for the past 16 years. My precious members who are like another me, my loving family, staff members who were always by our sides, and fans who gave us strength through their existences alone.”
She also extended her gratitude to “the managers who worked hard and shared our joys and sorrows while promoting in the entertainment industry for 16 years”, as well as SM Entertainment employees who “helped us to be able to spread positive energy through good music and good sides of us as well as various performances and content”.
Sunny added: “Every single day, I was as happy as I could be to be able to debut as Girls’ Generation with the members and to meet SONE [the group’s official fanbase].” As for future endeavours, the K-pop idol cryptically shared with fans that she is in the process of “tak[ing] courage to see myself in a new environment from a different perspective”.
“This is thanks to fans who sent support without change for a long period of time and the interest and affection of people I’m grateful to,” she wrote. “No matter what kind of day comes in the future, I will continue to move forward as the revitalising Sunny. I will continue to be Sunny who shares good news going forward.”
SM Entertainment also released a statement confirming Sunny’s departure from the company to South Korean news outlet The Star. “Our exclusive contract with Sunny has come to an end. We express our gratitude to Sunny who showcased amazing activities while together with us for a long time, and we ask for lots of support for the new path that Sunny will walk,” the statement read, as translated by Soompi.
It remains unclear whether Sunny will still remain a part of Girls’ Generation, who reunited last year to release ‘Forever 1’, their first album in five years.
The post Sunny of Girls’ Generation leaves SM Entertainment after 16 years appeared first on NME.
Carmen Chin
NME
