GFRIEND Officially End Contract With Source Music
GFRIEND debuted with Source Music in 2015. The K-pop group has six members: Sowon, Yerin, Eunha, Yuju, SinB, and Umji. On May 18, Source Music announced that the members of GFRIEND elected to not renew their contracts with the company.
GFRIEND will leave Source Music
Source Music is a subsidiary of HYBE Corporation and resides under HYBE Labels. The company announced on May 18 that GFRIEND chose to end their exclusive contracts with Source Music.
“Hello. This is Source Music. The exclusive artist contract with GFRIEND and Source Music will conclude on May 22,” Source Music said in a statement according to Soompi.
In the statement, Source Music clarified that this decision came after “extensive discussion,” writing:
“After careful consideration and extensive discussion, GFRIEND and Source Music have come to an agreement to follow separate paths to continued growth.
For the past six years, GFRIEND has won the boundless love of K-pop fans through a wide range of concepts, performances, and songs that marked a new generation of girl groups and music.”
The members of GFRIEND will have ‘new beginnings’
While this announcement brings uncertainty for GFRIEND’s fanbase, BUDDY, Source Music reassured fans that the members have “new beginnings” that fans can look forward to.
According to Soompi, Source Music concluded the statement with this positive sentiment, writing:
“We would like to express our sincere and heartfelt gratitude to GFRIEND who has allowed Source Music to accompany them on their journey.
We would like to deeply thank all BUDDY and fans who have shown your love for GFRIEND, and we ask that you give your unchanging love and support to the members who will begin their adventures in new and diverse areas.
Source Music will always continue to cheer for the members as they take the first step towards new beginnings.
Thank you.”
K-pop fans reacted to the news
For some, the news of GFRIEND choosing to not renew their contracts and leave Source Music came as a shock due to their success as a group.
“I’m really shocked and confused by this one. I didn’t even think their contracts were up until next year. There were no obvious signs… In fact HYBE put them in their museum and apparently one of their members had a totally normal VLive just a few hours before,” a Reddit user wrote.
After Source Music announced that GFRIEND will leave the label after May 22, fans began to speculate over what the members will do next.
“… they didn’t explicitly disband, and we aren’t getting any more information right now, so we’ll just have to wait,” wrote a Reddit user.
“I’m thinking they left SoMu but are staying with HYBE. The announcement says the girls and SoMu are concluding but maybe there’s a good shot they’re going to be HYBE artists proper,” one fan speculated on Reddit.
Another fan wrote on Reddit, “I can only speculate but maybe they haven’t announced it because their current contract with SoMu doesn’t officially end until the 22nd.”
