Here’s Your Free Ticket to KWANGYA — SMCU EXPRESS is Out, GOT is Announced
It’s been a decade since the last SMTOWN album, but 2021 Winter SMTOWN: SMCU EXPRESS is finally here with 10 songs and some very exciting collaborations to warm up your cozy winter days. On top of that, we are all invited to KWANGYA, a.k.a the SMTOWN 2022 concert, to start the new year with all these thrilling performances and to witness the debut stage of SM Entertainment’s new supergroup Girls On Top—completely free of charge from the comfort of your own home.
Tracklist:
“Dreams Come True” by aespa
“ZOO” by NCT’s Taeyong, Jeno, Hendery, and Yangyang and aespa’s Giselle
“Melody” by Girls’ Generation-Oh!GG
“Magical” by TVXQ and Super Junior
“Snow Dream 2021” by Red Velvet’s Yeri, NCT’s Haechan, Chenle, and Jisung, and aespa’s Ningning
“Ordinary Day” by Super Junior’s Kyuhyun, SHINee’s Onew, and NCT’s Taeil
“Goodbye” by Girls’ Generation’s Sunny and NCT’s Jungwoo and Renjun
“DINNER” by TVXQ
“The Promise of H.O.T. - Jazz Version” by Kim Yohan and Hwang “Stiger” Hogyu
“Hope from KWANGYA” by all SMTOWN artists
2021 Winter SMTOWN: SMCU EXPRESS
SMCU EXPRESS is the first SMTOWN album in 10 years following 2011 Winter SMTOWN: The Warmest Gift. The album includes remakes and brand new songs by various SM Entertainment artists plus never-before-seen collaborations by unique combinations between members of different groups. It’s a nice mix of nostalgia and hip fourth generation attitude, making it a colorful and charming album connecting all generations of K-Pop. SMCU EXPRESS explores 10 genres that give a real candle-lit cozy winter vibe.
Double Title: “Dreams Come True” and “Hope from KWANGYA”
The album opens with the first title song “Dreams Come True” performed by aespa, a remake of the 1998 S.E.S song. It was pre-released on December 20 along with a music video. “Dreams Come True” is a pop dance track that brings young hip-hop vibes to the original song. Their senior label mate BoA also had a big part in putting this production together, as she participated in writing the lyrics, composing and arranging the music, the choreography, and visuals.
The second title track “Hope from KWANGYA” closes the album with all 2021 Winter SMTOWN artists. It is another remake of a 1998 hit song, H.O.T.’s “빛 (Hope),” which was re-released as a remastered music video a couple of days ago. The original song was loved for its rich sound and beautiful melody, and we are pretty sure the remake created by H.O.T’s Kangta and producer Kenzie will have a similar effect on K-Pop fans by showing off the beautiful harmony of the label’s artists. The Korean title “빛” describes how this song serves as the light in the “world surrounded by darkness.”
B-Sides of 2021 Winter SMTOWN: SMCU EXPRESS
On the second track of the album, SM Entertainment’s new rap line is wilding and roaring through KWANGYA. “ZOO,” sung by NCT’s Taeyong, Jeno, Hendery, and Yangyang alongside aespa’s Giselle, is a hip-hop song with unique synths and fast tempo beats that elevate the atmosphere with the free and unique swag of the five artists, embodied with an addictive chorus and colorful rap flow. Taeyong, Jeno, and Giselle all participated in writing the lyrics of this cool and fresh track.
This is followed by some calmer vibes. “Melody” by Girls’ Generation-Oh!GG (Taeyeon, Sunny, Hyoyeon, Yuri, and Yoona) is a medium-tempo pop song with beautiful lyrics and a retro jazz atmosphere created by various acoustic instruments, giving the listener a warm hug in the cold winter.
The fourth track on the album, “Magical,” reunites TVXQ and Super Junior 16 years after their last collaboration, “Show Me Your Love,” in 2005. “Magical” is a cheerful pop song about a friendship that doesn’t change over time, featuring the witty vocals of the two teams. This is followed by another remake, “Snow Dream 2021,” which is a new version of the 2006 Winter SMTOWN album title, “Snow Dream.” The voices of Red Velvet's Yeri, NCT’s Haechan, Chenle, and Jisung, and aespa’s Ningning flow together in an exciting dance song about joy and happiness through a snowy morning.
The sixth song on the album was written, composed, and arranged by Kenzie, who brings a retro sound to the tracklist. “Ordinary Day” is performed by a new ballad unit of SM Entertainment, showing an impressive collaboration between Super Junior’s Kyuhyun, SHINee’s Onew, and NCT’s Taeil. The quiet emotional lyrics talk about a deep, ever-growing love that warms the heart even after a long, cold winter day.
“Goodbye” has another interesting mix of SM vocals. Girls' Generation’s Sunny and NCT’s Jungwoo and Renjun maximize the warm atmosphere in this medium R&B pop song with acoustic bass and jagged keyboard sound. The Korean title “12월의 인사” translates to “Greetings for December” in English, matching with the winter bell sound on the track, and the lyrics expressing the warm closing of the year.
Next up is “DINNER” by TVXQ, a warm pop ballad that brings a little tipsiness with either its lovely atmosphere or the red wine served with the meal. Either way, your “frozen heart is gradually melting away” while listening to this song, for sure.
Composed by Yoo Youngjin and arranged by Kim Yohan and Hwang “Stiger” Hogyu, the orchestra performance of “Our Promise of H.O.T. (Jazz Ver.)” gives an exciting new life to yet another 1998 H.O.T. hit song with smooth and rich jazz elements. This genre might be far from what many young K-Pop fans prefer, but classical music listeners couldn’t be happier that SM Entertainment is pushing moves with its orchestra performances.
Free SMTOWN 2022 Concert
Now that we are familiar with the new tracklist, it’s time to get ready for the annual SMTOWN concert to celebrate the new year with our favorites. The epic lineup of 2021 Winter SMTOWN: SMCU EXPRESS will come to life on the stage during the SMTOWN LIVE 2022: SMCU EXPRESS @KWANGYA concert. It will be held on January 1, and just like last year, SM Entertainment will be streaming the concert for free on a variety of platforms, like a special gift for fans all over the world after yet another exhausting year.
The lineup of the SMTOWN 2022 concert includes H.O.T’s Kangta; BoA; TVXQ; Super Junior; Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon and Hyoyeon; SHINee’s Onew, Key, and Minho; EXO’s Kai; Red Velvet; NCT U; NCT 127; NCT Dream; WayV; aespa; DJs Ginjo, Imlay, and Raiden; as well as the debut stage of GOT.
Girls On Top (GOT)
With SuperM members enlisting (or being on hiatus), it’s finally time for the ladies to shine. Girls On Top (GOT) is the new supergroup project of SM Entertainment that will show off various combinations of units between the company’s female artists. Starting with the first unit, “GOT the beat” will open the project with intense dance songs and performances, including BoA, Girls' Generation’s Taeyeon and Hyoyeon, Red Velvet Seulgi and Wendy, and aespa’s Karina and Winter—connecting all four K-Pop generations. The new unit that stirred up the internet will reveal a new song and special stage at the SMTOWN 2022 concert, while the music will be released on January 3. We can’t wait to see the synergy of these artists!