This week, SM Entertainment released its “30th Anniversary Brand Film” to celebrate its upcoming three-decade milestone since the Korean label’s establishment. The film showcases SM’s evolution into a multinational, publicly traded company through trend-setting, generation-defining acts and songs as captured through the film’s showcase of early artists H.O.T., S.E.S. and BoA, to its latest stars. With such a powerful precedence in the industry, SM and its internal team’s handling of the recent controversy involving Seunghan, a former member of the label’s newest K-pop group RIIZE, has the potential to set a new industry standard — but one that could create a potentially dangerous precedent for its stars.

Debuting in September 2023, RIIZE’s multinational lineup representing Korea, Japan and the U.S., centered on an authentic, “unpolished” image through makeup-free selfies and in-studio content on social media — a refreshing shift from SM’s elaborate, concept-heavy aesthetics. The full, seven-member lineup of Shotaro, Sungchan, Eunseok, Seunghan, Wonbin, Sohee and Anton made its first live appearance at the 2023 KCON Los Angeles festival. Ahead of the first SM artist launch under new corporate owners Kakao Entertainment, sources confirmed to Billboard that the companies specifically met with various digital, streaming and media partners in the U.S. to secure early interest, underscoring intent to present the relatable, down-to-earth guys globally.

On Sept. 4, 2023, RIIZE released its official first single, “Get a Guitar,” in a partnership with RCA Records, marking a rare moment for an entirely new K-pop group to sign with a U.S. label upon debut. Media messaging pointed to a new, globally focused strategy as RCA Records COO John Fleckenstein commented “RIIZE are set to break new boundaries in global pop with an entirely fresh perspective,” and CEO of SM and Kakao Entertainment America/CBO of SM Entertainment Joseph Chang echoed “RIIZE is ushering in an exciting new era of K-pop.”

RIIZE’s English remake of “Get a Guitar” was released in November, followed by funk duo Chromeo remixing both versions in December. By all accounts, RIIZE was set up to become K-pop’s next global player from the first song with an RCA corporate new post touting “their down-to-earth personalities” and an SM Entertainment press release stating that RIIZE “encapsulate the idea of a team that grows as one while achieving their dreams”.

While RIIZE and teams worked to resonate globally, they simultaneously grappled with an unfolding controversy involving Seunghan, with its aftermath ultimately challenging the group’s image.

In August, private photos showing Seunghan kissing a woman leaked which stirred some fan resentment over “idol-appropriate” behavior. SM issued statements apologizing and threatened legal action against those circulating the images. Another leak came surfaced in October, this time a video of Seunghan smoking publicly, leading SM to announce an indefinite suspension, a move marking a hardline approach to RIIZE’s image.

What followed was 10 months of silence on Seunghan’s status in the group as RIIZE looked to spread its name internationally. The band’s RIIZING DAY Fan-Con Tour hit Asia and North America through the spring and summer, with recorded incidents in Mexico City and Los Angeles showing crowds chanting Seunghan’s name and that “RIIZE is seven.”

Earlier this month, the SM Entertainment management team in charge of RIIZE, known as Wizard Production, announced on Oct. 10, that Seunghan would return to “gradually participate in some of the group’s scheduled activities for November and greet the fans once again.” That decision was reversed about 48 hours later when another announcement dropped, with directors Kim Hyeong Guk and Lee Sang Min stating that “we realized that our decision had actually hurt fans more and caused them greater confusion instead.” Indeed, in the hours following Seunghan’s initial return announcement, some RIIZE fans protested by surrounding SM Entertainment’s local headquarters in Seoul with funeral wreaths — an increasingly common but concerning move from emotional K-pop listeners aiming to display that its decisions leave them dead to such fans. Phrases like “RIIZE Is 6” and “Seunghan Out” were decorated on the expensive wreaths (which cost between $70-$170) that other local fans worked together to destroy and remove from premises.

Member Wonbin had even posted a letter to fans on RIIZE’s Weverse account in what seemed like an effort to console potentially upset fans and reiterate it was a decision made by the entire group. When Seunghan’s official departure was announced, that letter was deleted without explanation.

But RIIZE’s issue is more complicated than playing by local rules.

Korea’s pop-culture scene, and K-pop in particular, tends to take a more conservative approach with an emphasis on idol-like behavior crucial for securing lucrative brand deals and media exposure within Korea. Like any label, SM has a track record of addressing scandals — notably standing by NCT‘s Taeyong through an online scamming controversy ahead of his official debut and allowing him to directly address the situation — Seunghan’s situation appears to draw a harsher line, suggesting, now, that even pre-debut leaks of personal moments could be grounds for suspension.

Whether or not this comes from SM’s new owners in Kakao, the confusion and subsequent fan outrage — leading to over 307,000 signatures on a Change.org petition — arguably comes from the specific shaping and marketing that came with creating RIIZE.

Had SM followed its previous playbooks from seniors like Girls’ Generation, NCT 127 and aespa, RIIZE would have likely made a successful debut in Korea, appearing across the country’s different TV shows and media to promote an initial single, and eventually expanding its reach through overseas promotions and a deal with a U.S. label or distribution. In fact, the only SM project to launch simultaneously with a stateside label partner was its seven-member supergroup SuperM, which sent its debut EP to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 as a full-fledged Capitol Records collaboration, but failed to top the charts or land a hit single in Korea.

Instead, RIIZE’s worldview was primed to extend beyond South Korea from before “Guitar,” with the management choices behind it rightfully expected to keep such expectations in mind.

While Seunghan’s fate seems sealed over the permanent nature of RIIZE’s latest statement, the challenge now resides on the remaining six members to navigate similar controversies. If a member is caught smoking will he be put on hiatus? Even with nearly one-third of South Korean men identifying as smokers? And will RIIZE members never be allowed to date either without withdrawing from the team? Didn’t Anton being the son of a beloved Korean singer and actress help the group gain local attention? With an industry standard seven years on their contracts — with many acts, particularly those under SM, lasting beyond — one has to wonder what type of protections and security will be needed for RIIZE to ensure there are no unsavory leaks or slips as the group moves into their second year together. Nearly half of South Korean adolescents are faced with severe stress as are over a quarter of adults, a figure expected to be quite higher given the known pressures of the K-pop industry. Is RIIZE truly going to be able to live as their authentic selves?

Earlier this week, the six members of RIIZE were announced to join November’s Rolling Loud Thailand, the local version of the hip-hop festival that had an official cannabis partner last year. (Cannabis that has less than 0.2 percent THC is legal in Thailand; non-medical cannabis use is illegal in South Korea and was only recently approved for medical import in 2019) The image of a conservatively managed boy band performing at the fest made some call the decision “hypocritical” and “ironic.”

Yet, one can’t help but wonder if RIIZE and its team had addressed Seunghan’s situation with the authenticity they promoted from the start, things might have unraveled less controversially and confusingly.

As noted in a dinner conversation for a Billboard digital cover story, youngest member Anton shared that the group never considered RIIZE as having a “concept” but that “we’re just trying to show our authentic selves.” In fact, RIIZE, as well as Seunghan, have been brave in sharing their authentic selves with the public — whether through their work as artists or unapproved leaks from their pre-debut private lives. Marketing an image is an important part of an artist and making it believable is something only the best executives can pull off. Only one party has aligned with RIIZE’s larger messaging around authenticity and growth. Consequently, that side is also the one pulling the strings on who stays and who departs the group, leaving the stakes higher — and more dangerous — as the group and the K-pop industry moves forward and increasingly more international.

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You can finally glow like 16-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys with her skincare and makeup brand Keys Soulcare. As part of her mission to help inspire confidence and embrace one’s inner glow, the brand is releasing a brand-new Let Me Glow Illuminating Serum and Makeup Primer on Tuesday (Oct. 29).

Preorders have opened for the Let Me Glow Illuminating Serum in three different shades: Moonstone Aura, Bronze Aura and Gold Aura. Each shade represents a crystal that creates a different glow. Moonstone Aura has a cool glow for self-discovery, Bronze Aura gives off a warm bronze look for courage, and Gold Aura highlights a neutral golden light inspired by the Golden Healer Quartz for manifestation.

The inspiration behind the launch came from the 43-year-old’s own beauty routine.

“Crystals are a big part of my self-care ritual,” she said in a press release. “I love how they make me feel.”

The illuminating serum is suitable for all skin types from oily to dry. Plus, it offers hydrating and skin-loving ingredients that can nourish your skin without causing irritation like: niacinimide, rose water, squalane and amethyst crystal.

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This grammy winner-approved serum can help brighten and plump your skin while providing a radiant, dewy highlight. If you’re unfamiliar with these skincare ingredients, here’s a glimpse into their distinctive properties. Niacinamide can help improve skin texture and enhance overall radiance while rose water can help “replenish dry and dull skin,” according to the brand. That’s not all: squalane can help hydrate the skin and amethyst crystal can help sooth inflammation and promote healing.

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It’s also fragrance-free for those with sensitive skin — plus, it acts as both a serum and primer to help boost your skin’s inner glow without leaving it feeling weighed down.

For the “Girl On Fire” singer, ingredients play a key part in crafting a skincare product that’s both effective and safe on skin.

“The Keys Soulcare concept is about efficacious ingredients and learning how to connect to your inner self so the reflection on the outside is brilliant,” she said in a press release. “This is the secret to the glow that everyone asks me about.”

For more product recommendations, check out Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty Body Wash collection, this La Roche-Posay moisturizer and cleanser and these Starface’s Hydro-Star Pimple Patches to add to your skincare routine.

Singer-songwriter Mariya Takeuchi sat down with Billboard Japan for its Monthly Feature interview series highlighting today’s leading artists and works. The veteran artist recently released her first studio album in a decade called Precious Days.

The 18-track set illuminates the daily lives of her listeners from different angles through a wide variety of musical styles. Billboard Japan asked Takeuchi to share her thoughts on her recent project, and also to comment on the “city pop” revival in recent years, which has launched her vintage hit song “Plastic Love” from 1984, among others, into the global limelight.

As the title Precious Days suggests, the mood that runs throughout the album as one of its themes is the value of each irreplaceable day in our lives.

When I do tie-ins, I write songs based on the themes I’m given, and recently I’ve been getting a lot of requests for songs with themes like encouraging people or cheering them up. I guess that reflects the times to some extent. It’s a time of uncertainty, so people are feeling uneasy and want to be cheered up, you know?

So as a result, it became an album that’s in tune with the times.

That’s what happened. I’ve always wanted to sing songs that are irrelevant to age, and I think I’ve been able to achieve that.

It seems to me you’ve been delivering music to a wide range of listeners throughout your career. Why did you focus on that sentiment again this time?

I didn’t particularly think about generations write writing the songs, but I do think there are certain emotions that are commonly sought after. I want to make music that is universal, both the words and the sound, and won’t be considered old even after 20 or 30 years. That’s what Tatsuro Yamashita (co-producer of the album) is most careful about. He does the same when making his own music, and he does it when producing mine.

That aesthetic is probably connected to the revival of city pop. Regarding the rediscovery both in Japan and abroad of ‘80s and ‘90s retro Japanese pop music, have you had opportunities to personally experience that movement?

A lot recently, yes. When I was checking to see who was listening to “Plastic Love,” I saw comments written in Russian and Korean and more. I have a niece who lives in Canada, and she says that people are surprised when she tells them the singer on “Plastic Love” is her aunt. Also, I studied abroad in Illinois long ago, and apparently the grandchild of my host sister at the time went to an electrical appliance store where they kept playing songs by Tatsuro and me. When they said, “That person was at my grandma’s house for a year,” the people at the store were surprised. I’m just so grateful, because those songs are 40 years old.

Why do you think city pop music is loved by people of all ages and nationalities?

I think maybe people find it unusual, in that it’s not the uniform sound of machines and that Japanese players were doing something that sounded like Western music by hand in the analog ‘80s. I imagine people were surprised to discover that young people in Asia they didn’t know about at the time were doing something like this with an awareness of the real thing, including Tatsuro’s arranging prowess.

We were certainly aiming to make something good and to create a sound influenced by Western music, but we weren’t trying to sell it in the Western music market. It was more like, “That sounds cool, doesn’t it?” But you know, it had power. The studio musicians were highly proficient, and above all, Tatsuro’s arrangements were perfect. I think that’s why it held up over time. It proves that the players’ performances were good enough to go out into the world, so it’s a really happy phenomenon.

Did the city pop revival also lead to the universality of your latest album?

Universality has been the starting point from the very beginning. From the time I made my debut, pop music, in whatever form it takes, has always been about aiming to create something that people will listen to and sing for a long time, and that could become a standard. I’ve always kept that in mind and tried to do my best. It’s fun to listen to music while thinking about what’s popular at the moment, but there are many other artists who make that kind of music, so I’m always trying to figure out what people want from me.

Could you tell us why you named your project Precious Days?

When a few songs were ready, it occurred to me that I was singing about “irreplaceable days.” At the same time, I happened to have a number of songs with the word day in them, like “Brighten up your day!,” “Days of Love,” and “Smiling Days,” so I figured if I was going to name the album “something Day,” then it would be “Precious.”

“Have a Good Time Here” was written as the theme song for Pokémon Concierge on Netflix and must have reached a wide range of listeners.

I had a lot of fun making that song, too. If I hadn’t been tapped to write it, I probably wouldn’t have thought to make a track in the style of samba. It was inspired by the Pokémon Resort. I was asked to write a song that would encourage the main character Haru and the Pokémon.

“Watching Over You” is a collaboration with singer-songwriter Anri. You both made your debut in the same year, class of ’78.

Yes, we made our debut around the same time. I talk to Anri on the phone from time to time. A long time ago, I happened to run into her in L.A. Bruce Springsteen was swimming in the hotel pool, and we were both young, so we went up to him and asked him things like, “Aren’t you coming to Japan to do shows?” and so on. [Laughs]

When artists like you continue to make new studio albums, regardless of the length of their careers, it must be reassuring and encouraging for both their fans and other artists.

I think you have to keep doing that to stay relevant. It’s possible to keep going just by singing old songs, but you have to keep creating new things. For example, I’m a huge Beatles fan and if I were to go to a Paul McCartney concert, I’d want him to do Beatles songs for sure. But I’m pretty certain he definitely wants you to listen to his new releases, too. Maybe “Yesterday” is the song that really gets you, but there’s significance in artists performing new ones, and that’s what makes the classics shine too.

It’s about how many songs I can create that make people think, “I want her to do that one.” They’ll become the density of time that I can share with everyone as we grow older, so I try not to stand still and think, “I’ll just play those songs.” Accumulating new songs while mixing in some old favorites for people to hear. I think that’s the most beautiful way to be, though it’s hard. And because that’s something I can only do if I’m in good physical condition, I hope I can stay healthy for a long time, thinking, “I want to write a song like that” and keep plugging away.