…leaving RQM, Se7en’s U.S. management company, flustered and furious.
Apparently, RQM is claiming that YG Entertainment has shipped Se7en back to Korea to rake in some more KRW while they still can, since his contract with YG is slowly coming to an end. But, it’s pretty obvious that Se7en has had absolutely no immediate success in the U.S, with his most notable work only being a few club appearances, a feature on cable network BET, and his MV with Lil’ Kim. If that’s the case, then heck, even Wheesung has made more progress than Se7en, even without a U.S. management company. Wheesung’s already had two club performances in L.A., a concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and another club performance coming up, all in less than a month, and he’s not even trying to debut in the U.S!
Se7en, who returned to Korea not too long ago, was reportedly going to stay in Korea and flush his U.S. career down the toilet but YG stated otherwise that Se7en had returned to Korea to take care of personal business. In addition, YG also stated that although there are no official plans for Se7en, he will still pursue his U.S. career. It looks safe to assume that this means Se7en will more than likely be signing with a new U.S. management company. Could it be, Interscope Records?! The YG guru is good friends with Jimmy Iovine of Interscope, so it doesn’t seem out of the question.
Aside from all this friction between the companies, we’re not too sure what the personal matter Se7en is dealing with at the moment is, but it seems as though it was too stressful for the popstar. Recently, a friend of Se7en’s left a message on his personal Cyworld homepage asking Se7en to pick up his phone calls because they’re worried and his company (not sure if it’s YG or RQM) is outraged. More than likely, Se7en is probably stressed over all these issues with YG and RQM, as well as his career not going too well at the moment. Hopefully, Se7en will just be able to clear everything up and announce a statement to his fans to let them know that he’s alright.
In the midst of it all, RQM seems furious for having wasted their time and effort, trying to break Se7en into the U.S. market. Seriously though, what career did he have in the states? After having managed Se7en for the past two years, they haven’t made much progress. True, two years isn’t that long, but for an aging artist, two years is definitely a long hiatus. Truthfully, at this rate, Se7en’s future looks better off in Korea or even Japan, where he has a huge fan base, eagerly waiting for his return.
RQM is currently blaming YG Entertainment for trying to “KILL” Se7en’s career by taking him back to Korea, stating
Johnny Wright, a famous manager in America is currently co-managing Se7en and was working on getting Se7en a collaboration gig with Justin Timberlake. In addition, Se7en was scheduled to make an appearance at the ‘BET Award Show’, however, YG refused all of these offers. If Se7en doesn’t return to the U.S., that means Se7en has no future plans in the U.S. market.
In response to RQM’s claims, YG denies ever wanting to ruin Se7en’s career. A representative stated,
This is the first time we’ve heard about a collaboration with Justin Timberlake and is only a part of their one-sided claim. Recently, RQM and Se7en’s contract was negotiated and ended on good terms. Se7en prepared for his career in the U.S. for the past two years. Just by taking a look at the investments and efforts we put into the project this entire time, it makes no sense to say that YG interfered with Se7en’s activities in the U.S. Also, we’ve heard nothing of this sort from RQM themselves, everything was ended on good terms and all this isn’t true. We don’t know why this ‘allkpop’ blog is spreading false news. We’re currently looking into the situation to find out the source of all this. (Cited from: Seoul Ilbo and mydaily)
This just looks like a big “he said, she said” situation. Truthfully, if you’ve knocked on a door for the past two years and it doesnt budge, it seems the smart thing to do is to stop knocking and go on your way. Johnny Wright or no Johnny Wright, two years of seeing no results in Se7en’s career, was long enough. RQM should just let Se7en go and let him return to Korea where he belongs with his fans and his girlfriend or to a different company that can make more progress. Sure, its probably painstaking to watch an artist you invested your time and money in, move on to a new company, but that is the entertainment business. It’s been way too long since fans have been able to hear new music from Se7en or see him on stage, where he shines most brightest.
There are rumors that Se7en will be returning to the U.S. but nothing has yet been confirmed. Se7en really should just stay in Korea and get his spotlight back for the time being, while they work out a new plan for the guy. He only has so many years left before his career has to take a long hiatus with his impending compulsory military duty.
What do you guys think?
i’m kind of confused
You and me both…lol..so don’t worry…
I fully agree with a lot of posters here who are saying just because you’re famous in asia, doesn’t guarantee the same success elsewhere. The management groups over people like Boa, Se7en, Rain have this misconception that “we have a huge following in japan, korea, so that popularity’s gonna easily transfer over to the US”. Wrong! What works in asia, is not gonna work in the states. Se7en, Boa, Rain, and others have terrible voices when compared to many of the artists here in america, including the underground artists playing in lounges, clubs, etc. Also, let’s face it, the best producers with the best songs are gonna be sold to the best known artists with the leftovers being given to people like Boa, who had a few of Britney Spears’ rejects on her debut bomb.
Go to America and make it big!
You dont see any asians singing r&b in america or having gigs with famous white, latino, or black musical entertainers. [Then again I dont know much...]
Se7en go to America.
It’d be much easier if he moved to america in a place where there’s alot of asians.
That’s where he was and it didn’t make any difference. He was based in CA, can’t get anymore asian than that.
seriously it was only 2 years he been there. many artists had to wait atleast 6 or more years to gain fame. everyone want him to take the easy way out and just go back to korea. he should work hard and try to gain some fame in america if that have always been his dream.
it may take more than 2 years but once he get to the point he gained the fame it will be well worth it.
I’m sorry to say that I’ve seen this coming a long time ago. I mean if a person already has a solid fan base and huge success in their own home country why not try to expand their popularity to other places instead of abandoning their original fans completely to go start all over again in a place where nothing is guaranteed. He should’ve tried to make some fans in the U.S. first by coming every now and then, and recording some singles and making some interviews and small presentations instead of moving here and not releasing a single song in the country that gave him fame.
Seven just go back to Korea and try to pick up where you left of there. I’m sure you still have fans over there that are dying to see what you can still bring to the table. Good luck.
@angie I agree with you 100%. He did abandon his fanbase in Asia and people were pissed off when there was minimal progress on his US venture. More importantly, in the 2+ years in the US, he did nothing to keep in touch with his fans in Korea. There were no messages on how he was doing except pictures of him living the high life at parties, photos with women, signings at Verizon. He became so detached from his original fanbase that people began to move away to newer singers and idol groups. Were they serious to think that he really could break into a tough new market just like that? Well, he’s now paying the price for a strategy that was doomed to fail from the start. He and YG have dug themselves into a hole and I wish them luck in trying to climb out. Fans are forgiving but not stupid enough to be spending time & money on someone who has not shown any appreciation for the people who made him what he is.
wow…oh well…maybe he should change management or whatever…oh I just don’t know…
better than 7
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themythoftime.wordpress.com
film so controversial
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The Myth of Time
They took way too long for him to debut in the US. That’s what annoys me the most. He abandoned Asia for so long, and was suddenly just gone.
Anyway, they’ve made it this far now, I think he should still debut in the US. He could have still stayed in contact with his fans in Asia. Or he should just change managements. What would’ve been nice is more new singles from him. I’m personally getting sick of “Girls”. Some new material would’ve been great, and he could get more exposure.
Who knows what’s happening right now.
actually 2 years is very short when there are many people who take years to gain fame.
who cares yg sucks~ SM TOWN FOREVER BABTY!!!
YG should not left him alone in US or at least some one with more authority to be with him in US. Looks at JYP, he been together with Wonder Girls all this time.
I think he need stay in Korea and work for a mini album first and after a full ..
He can make the same for Japan ..
Se7en is like Jay Chou, he’s an Asian Idol and one of the most popular ..
Korea, Japan, China 3 countrys where he have everytime a full success.
US choice was not bad and we have in real 6 songs not only one but if we like or love asian music it’s for the language ..
So korean, japanese, chinese etc .. stay in Asia !
WG can’t have a big success too and they comeback in 2010 lol
It’s funny because when Korean singer make a career in US we don’t see them but I think with all music event than korea that’s strange ahah
well you wont get big success if you think only 1 or 2 years is enough to gain fame in america. if you going to try getting fame in america it will take way longer than 2 years. so i feel he should go back to the usa no matter if people want him to take the easy way out.
Se7en could be here in the US for a decade, it wouldn’t make much difference. His audience is in asia and always will be. His voice is not strong enough, especially if he wants to continue concentrating in r&b.
his voice is strong enough. have you not heard him sing one last cry?
Yeah, I’ve heard him sing multiple songs and that’s why I believe his voice isn’t r&b material, in the states anyway. Might be for korean r&b. Now if he focused more on pop, then maybe. He’s not gonna get anywhere when you’re talking about having to compete against Usher, Maxwell, Anthony Hamilton, etc, etc.
Some of your comments guys i agree and i realized that its not really just having 2 years of preparation just to get some actions or even projects….but even a smaller one can help him just in continiouse of a moving action like for example in wg they had some interviews, appearances like being included in jobros and they took some time to go to china to get more fans not only usa because if the plan a didn’t work then theres a plan b which is asiaor other country outside usa…and plan a and b must be put both together into action so that artist will have back up plan to get what they have lost in plan a…..or even like rain he got a lot of projects in korea, he went to usa got some of action movies in usa even though no singing projexct to put in us first but atleast his movies will make him get some attention from some us market inn his first step, then rain went back to korea and went to china….he always do focus a lot in certain different country not only usa….hope seven and yg did that step first not to waste more time…2 years is a big years with out doing much improvement even his career in some country or even in korea can affect being lost for som times…..but hope he gets back to his shape….do what he have to do…make more project first again wher he started getting his big fanbase in some certain countries like asia…and then time to time get back to usa to try some more even a small project like 3 to 6 months then go back again to asia just to perform and do new projects for 1 year…just time to time he gets back to a lot of countries…we don’t know even a time to time getting small projects in us will get more attention to us market and going back time to time in asia may retain his popularity or get more famouse …..not just doing nothing or at all just waiting for some projects to come to him….I compare selina a latina artist she got a lot of years just to get where she got her popularity for about assuming 15 or 20 years or more hich helped her until she died, still her songs are famouse and everyone remembers her ………i know he never lost his track yet.., I believe he can stand again…he’s got a great talent he can be in a great track again…..there’s a lot of fans waiting for his comeback i think 80 to 90% in asia is just waiting and even they tranfer to other new artist it’s just temporary he still got his 80 to 90%fans in asia waiting for him to give more new great hits from him………but i believe it will took 50 years for asians to get 100% us market …..yes black people and latins were accepted already but it took decades just to get white people accept and respect them……..so wg, boa, rain, seven or even some asia artist which is a pure asian will not get easily to us market it’ll be 30 to 50 years to get us attention and accepted us asians…….yes they’ll be known but just 50% chance and 30% level of popularity only…….I’m a pure asians….i know some asian artist who got a popuarity but all of them are half something half asian….pure asian is hard to get us market and it sad and very lame to hear it but reality check its really true
People…there is no word in the english language called “comeback” as a verb. You “release a new album”…you don’t F#ck!ng “comeback”. Stop that g@y
sh!t now.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/comeback
raitosaito, you post that link as if you’re proving flopseoul wrong. read your own post.
comeback (one word) is not a verb. it’s a noun. as in, “he’s making a comeback”
Or. . .
“He comes back”
“He came back”
“He’s coming back”
Hanbyeonl is his gir friend. dating 7 yrs..?
Poor se7en…
hope things turn out for the best.
alli can say is, i miss his music…he’s a great artist..for me, it wud be better if he go back to his korean or japanese music cause he’s at his best when he’s in asia…but having a dream of becoming a us artist, it wud still be ok..but lets face it, he didnt have any major exposure, he only have one english song (and that song isnt good…so boring)…they are just wasting se7en’s talents omg….i cant believe that my idol is fading away…BOA RAIN SE7EN and UTADA are my ultimate idols and they are idols of asia,they are ASIA’s MUSIC, there’s no competitions, whether one of them or al of them wud be a success in us then itll be great.
but i just miss se7en so much that i want him to come back in his kpop music, actually, what a coincidence, i am listening to his song today.im sad about this.makes me upset,teary eyed me huhuhu….bye for now..se7en..well be here to support you all the way
already told you is wasting money + time in the U.S.
but we still have that bunny PJY pouring money to promote WG over there now
how many comments is this going to get? plus since yg said se7en returning to the usa how long is they planning to wait?
Se7en needs to go work with Timbaland or Pharell or some hot producer. I like Darkchild but I feel like there has been no promotion for him!! No airplay, nada. I feel that if YG and RQM wanted him to really make it big they wouldnt limit the scope of his performances. They have for the most part been in Cali and NYC. He needs to go on a full fledged tour with someone and release a new single! This just makes me upset because I’ve been a fan of Se7ens since his debut in Korea and I am a non-Asian American (African American to be exact) and I love Se7en’s music and I feel that Im not loving Se7en the way I used to because YG and RQM is doing a pathetic job of promoting him and releasing tracks and making him known! He needs to do some talk shows, something. Rain hasnt even released a single and everyone is talking about Rain (aside from that Meagan Fox b.s)…ergh. I feel like this is another Utada moment….
nicely said finally someone not putting only the blame on rqm and putting it on yg too. plus i agree se7en should go to the usa and work with big name producers.
just back to Korea.. we miss u se7en.. >.<
he should just release a greatest hits with two or three new songs in korea and release an american album
go baccc 2 da us.don worry whether ur in asia or us we still luv you…..its not too bad…i mean fo a korean to sing in english and debuting fo da first tym…watsoeve i m lukin fo ur new songs…hey ur english is ssssooooo gud….luv ya.
i really think he should just stick with what he use to do. it was so much better than what he was trying to be out here. his music in Korea suits him better.
poor se7en oppa…
i hope he’s ok…
i’m worried, though…
i wish he could tell us fans thathe’s ok…
We’ll always support u, se7en!!!
saranghae~
I want and wish the best for Se7en but I would love to see him stay over here in the US alittle longer. If se7en is understress than I would want him to do what feel right for him. I hope all will be ok soon. I was unware of this “compulsory military duty” but I now know. I understand that is in their culture. I don’t want him to do-why can’t he go back to school to play it off -_- uhhh. I will forever be a fan of Se7en so I will stand behind him always! Se7en fighting!!!
Thanks for the news, I had no clue as to what was going on…hehe thanks!!!!
I am deeply sadden about Se7en leaving the states but I honestly think it was for the best. The American audience here are not as welcoming and they usually do not like something they are not use to.
I will miss Se7en dearly. I was really counting on going to see him in concert here in America soon. Now…I am going to have to figure how the heck I am going to get to Korea.
Here are my mixed emotions:
1. Sad to see Se7en go back to Korea
2. Happy for Se7en because he deserves so much better than what he got here in America!
3. sad that I won’t be seeing him anytime soon
~tears~
=(
yo, he’s got a girlfriend????i mean, for real??who is she??????
She’s Park Han Byul, i guess she’s a model or something? I don’t really know her profession.
“Apparently, RQM is claiming that YG ENTERTAINMENT HAS SHIPPED SE7EN BACK TO KOREA TO RAKE IN SOME MORE KRW WHILE THEY STILL CAN, since his contract with YG is slowly coming to an end.”
Oh. My. God.
Many of the comments (that I read) here were dispensing bad advise; however, some of the comments did at least contain honest assessments. I believe YG doesn’t understand how to market to an American audience.
Also, I believe that many Asian pop stars believe–or are seduced into believing–that they’re famous worldwide if a few of their songs are getting some airplay in a few other countries.
As a non-Korean, I believe Se7en has a decent voice; it’s certainly good enough voice to do some background vocals. He could also make some inroads here by doing some songwriting. He needs to hit some clubs to sing some covers and his own tunes. He needs to do some jam sessions, and participate in some battles. He also needs to invite some American artists to come to Korea to do some background vocals on some of his tunes. That will help him to establish a fan base here.
He also needs to surround himself with some folks who will give him the real deal–and not just tell him what he wants to hear. He also needs to take some jazz and classical lessons.
King James and Nike learned the hard way in 2006 that certain marketing concepts don’t work in every market. Se7en and YG apparently need to learn that lesson too. Think about it for a moment . . . Hiromi came over here from Japan, and she’s knocking it out of the park. Hiroshima (a jazz group comprised mostly of 2nd and 3rd generation Japanese Americans) is as mainstream as it comes. Yo-Yo Ma is a French-born, Chinese American rock-star of a classical celloist; he’s highly regarded in most musical circles too. Incidentally, Skull’s got some serious skills when it comes to his Regae; I expect to hear some more great things from him in the near future. So, to say that Se7en couldn’t or wouldn’t succeed is simply a cop out. He just needs to dig a little deeper.
I like se7en and I really wish he would continue his attempt in the U.S.