While one might assume Lay is excluded because he is no longer under SM Entertainment, it turns out he is still listed as an individual artist on artist pages outside of EXO.
Lay has not participated in EXO's comeback promotions since 2017 with "Lotto", but there has never been an official announcement that he will no longer be a member of the group despite leaving SM Entertainment. But recently, netizens were shocked by his profile on the official website of his old agency.
Lay had participated in EXO's album which was released in recent years, namely "Don't Fight the Feeling" in 2021. Even when the 1991-born singer announced his departure from SM about a year ago, he also promised to always be there whenever EXO members need it.
For years, EXO fans hoped that one day he would return to promoting actively with the rest of the group, despite his successful solo career in China. However, netizens are now becoming confused about Lay's status with EXO and SM Entertainment due to something found on the Korean entertainment label's website.
Under SM Entertainment's artist page on their website, every group and individual working under the label is included, from singers to actors and models, and even athletes. When we click on the link for EXO in this list, it leads to a page that contains all the members and units in the group. Lay is not on this page, leaving only the other 8 members and two sub-units listed.
While one might assume he is excluded because he is no longer under SM Entertainment, it turns out he is still listed as an individual artist on artist pages outside of EXO. When we clicked on his profile, it led to a page that no longer exists on the website, so maybe he hasn't been removed from the artist page.
Even so, this revelation still leaves many fans confused and questioning Lay's status with EXO and SM. His profile photo was shared on an online Korean forum, where netizens shared their confusion.
"I think so? Lay made a lot of money, this is also a victory for SM," commented netizens. "He appeared on EXO's official website even when promoting as a soloist before, but after last year, he didn't appear, so he must have left... Considering how he still appears on SM's official website, I think he still has a relationship with SM," said another netizen. "Oh my gosh!! I thought his contract with SM was over... I understand," said another.
"Oh, so you're saying her contract is up, but she's moving on to an affiliate label?" netizens said. "Maybe? Lay's Workshop was originally like SM China Label or something. I'm not sure if he's under SM, but I think he's still in SM somehow," another commented. "SM then released a statement saying that they renewed his contract in a different way, and he renewed his contract with the agency," added another.
International fans are also confused by the situation, with many expecting clarification from SM Entertainment or Lay himself regarding the situation. (wk/goddess)
