f(x)’s Amber Liu Announces She’s Leaving SM Entertainment!

In light of f(x)’s 10th Anniversary, Amber Liu decided she’s leaving SM Entertainment. Some f(x) fans are shocked, especially since the fan groups f(x) Global, Stay United f(x), f(x) Fanzine, f(x) doing things, f(x) fancams, Arab MeU’s, MeUArgentina, Function Love (f(❤)), and MeU Vietnam had been creating a huge project to celebrate f(x)’s 10 years together (a feat, considering the “7-year curse“).

While some fans are experiencing a momentary shock, many fans are not surprised. f(x) hasn’t released a full album since 2015, 4 Walls, and that was shortly after member Sulli left the group in 2014. f(x) hasn’t been getting the same amount of support for their solo work with SM either, not as much as some of their fellow label mates like Taeyeon.

Amber herself has found more success striking out on her own. It appears she has returned to L.A. Being around all of her close family and friends, speaking her own mother tongue, and being in touch with opportunities in the US has more than likely influenced her decision as well. Last year, Amber even had a US tour, which turned out to be a success. Amber has also opened a Youtube channel (What The Pineapple) and has been spotted making guest appearances on Just Kidding Party, another popular Youtube channel.

Amber had once confessed that she’d been doing everything on her own for the past five years, from producing and editing her own videos, music, concepts, styling, and much more. After Super Junior-M’s Henry left, Amber made a post that shared Henry’s sentiments about SM Entertainment.

The truth is SM Entertainment doesn’t cater or care for their older groups. They don’t pour much into their solo acts, either. They don’t care for the underdog idols. They especially take their time with foreigners. They care for the groups with the most fandom power, the one that gives them the most money, the ones most favored by South Korea. But how can a group give you money, power, and favor if you give them nothing to work with?

Kpop is an industry that moves fast. By the time most people truly even get into a group, the groups are considered “old news” and labels move on to promoting the youngest, freshest faces. It’s also true that the fans in South Korea are usually teenagers, who really want to see groups around their age and not any older. They are not likely to support older idols. Age is very important in South Korea, which is why it’s much harder for older groups to thrive, especially older girl groups. It’s obvious the boy groups have an easier time, especially since the fandom also mostly consists of teen girls.

Western artists like Amber Liu clearly don’t have time for that.

As someone who has only been into f(x) since the end of 2013 and early 2014, a pretty hard year for the girl group, I feel completely saddened by the news. Even though I know Amber didn’t say she was leaving f(x), and it seems like that’s possible nowadays despite the contract, it’s pretty much impossible for Amber to ever promote with her fellow members under the TITLE f(x) ever again. Once you walk away from an agency, they tend to make it really difficult for those artists to promote themselves, especially in South Korea.

With all of this drama surrounding f(x), many people are worried about a disbandment. It doesn’t look like the remaining members are budging. Only time will tell. f(x)’s Luna seems to be getting many opportunities from SM to push her solo career forward (though too many people are still sleeping on her work), Song Qian (Victoria) seems to have made her place in her motherland China, and Krystal Jung seems to be thriving with her dramas and modeling opportunities. Sulli has already charted her own path, releasing her latest song “Goblin” and making appearances as a host on “Night of Hateful Comments”. Each member has to make their own path. Still, it doesn’t look like there are any plans for work as a group. f(x)’s last performance as a group took place in Tokyo, which sadly Victoria did not attend (but thankfully Amber did).

Many fans were hoping for at least one final comeback with the remaining members before anyone else left the group or the agency, but the fact that it didn’t occur is even more of a reason to respect Amber’s decision to leave.

I do wish that I had gotten into them sooner. I could’ve gone to their last concert, followed a lot of their work, and supported them fully. Amber was the member that got me into f(x), so it will be hard for me to see the group without Amber, which might happen from now on. However, I am happy that each member is finding her own way in the industry. I do look forward to seeing more from Amber’s solo activities, as always.

It is now becoming clear that the “The Golden Era” of Kpop is gone, and we all have to push forward to the new Global Era resurfacing.