Move Over EXO? SM Entertainment Announces 1st New Boy Group Since 2012

There will be new blood in the new year from SM Entertainment.

On Tuesday, the South Korean entertainment powerhouse confirmed to Korean news outlets that the company will debut a new boy group in 2016. The group is the first male idol group the company will produce in four years, following the debut of EXO in 2012.

SM Entertainment didn't confirm the size or line-up of the group, but it is expected that several members of the pre-debut group known as SMROOKIES will be part of the new group.

"It's true that SM is preparing a new boy group," a SM Entertainment rep told Newsen on Dec. 1.

Previous members of SMROOKIES debuted as members of Red Velvet in 2014, SM Entertainment's most recently debuted group.

In October, the male members of SMROOKIES held two concerts to meet fans ahead of their debut.

Trainees of the group were also introduced to Korean audiences through variety show appearances and hosting gigs on weekly music shows.

Since early this year, there have been rumors regarding SM Entertainment's upcoming boy group.

In July, the producer of EXO's single "Love Me Right" spoke about the new act.

"I will say that the rookie group is going to be something SM fans haven't seen before," producer iDR told KultScene. "A new twist on a group, not the typical group that they [SM Entertainment] would put out.

Further details about the upcoming group have yet to be revealed.

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Tamar Herman is a multi-media journalist and the co-founder of KultScene. She is a freelance writer and copy editor, and has written for MTV Iggy, Noisey, and Paste Magazine.