Will RIIZE, SM Entertainment's ambitious new boy group, usher in a new era for the company?

RIIZE, a seven-member boy group, is SM's first group launch in about three years since aespa and the first boy group in nearly seven years since NCT.

Significantly, RIIZE is the first group to be introduced after Lee Soo-man, the former executive producer, left SM and the new vision of 'SM 3.0' was announced. Given this, many eyes are on RIIZE, curious about how they will differentiate themselves from previous groups.

Unlike other SM artists who often have unique universes or intense concepts, RIIZE aims to portray a natural image of youth.

The name RIIZE combines "Rise," meaning "to grow," and "Realize," signifying the team's intent to grow and realize their dreams together. They introduce their unique genre, "Emotional Pop," expressing their diverse emotions through their songs.

Unlike previous groups that deeply imprinted their unique musical world on the public through strong concepts, RIIZE's strategy is to approach audiences with the freshness, vibrancy, and passion typical of youths their age.

However, RIIZE faced a significant hurdle before their debut when a controversy arose regarding a member's personal life. Recently, photos of a man, who appeared to be Seunghan, being intimate with a woman were circulated online and on SNS. Once it was revealed that the man in the photo was indeed Seunghan from RIIZE, the controversy ignited.

Facing the sudden photo leak, Seunghan, who suffered significant damage even before his debut, stated, "Without blaming anyone or making excuses, I recognize that all of this happened due to my carelessness. I've reflected a lot on my past actions and will do my best to ensure that you can feel my sincerity towards the team and fans through my actions." He chose to confront the issue head-on with an apology.

SM also emphasized, "We are collecting data on those who posted the photos online. We are also extensively gathering information on secondary offenses, such as reposting, distributing, and reproducing the photos. We plan to press charges against all confirmed criminal acts."

Personal life issues can be a sensitive and potentially fatal topic for idols. While Seunghan's apology has temporarily settled the controversy, a significant challenge remains. Having faced a major setback even before their debut, it's up to RIIZE to convince fans and the public with their music and performances.

As RIIZE stands at a new starting line and simultaneously faces the test of being the first rookie of the 'SM 3.0' era, expectations are high to see how they will perform in the competitive music industry.

Copyright © 2023 Kpop Reporter. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.