SM’s Art Director reveals how f(x) struggled after Sulli’s departure

[slowitdownbaby.livejournal.com]

SM Entertainment’s art director has opened about the difficulties f(x) faced after Sulli left the group.

Art director Min Hee Jin talked about the process of building f(x)’s image with four members in their line-up. It was one of the topics she discussed at the 4th Contents Insight held at Nuri Dream Square in Seoul.

Min Hee Jin talked about f(x)’s fourth album 4 Walls released last year. It was the first album released by the group since Sulli’s departure. She revealed, “It was very hard to create a new image after Sulli’s departure and having to restructure the group with 4 members.” She discussed Sulli’s vital role for the group, saying, “A visual left. We had to cover that up. I had the task of making the group seem whole again.”



The director also talked about the process of the group’s comeback and detailed that she wanted their promotions seem fun. So, instead of doing the regular teasers prior to an artist’s comeback, f(x) prepared a secret location event instead. f(x) teased fans by releasing a teaser with a gif file and a location code that directs them to an exhibition in Itaewon.

4 Walls was the first album f(x) released with four members in their line-up.

Source: Koreaboo via Dispatch, fx2younet

Nothing new here but it's still an interesting little tidbit for f(5) lovers regardless.

Comments

[slowitdownbaby.livejournal.com]

For those of you who aren't familiar with some of the work that she's done:

[miwa201.livejournal.com]

i like how the solos are all lumped together bc they honestly feel too same-y to me. she has lost her touch tbh

[slowitdownbaby.livejournal.com]

Krys said in an interview recently that they were scheduled to have a winter comeback but everyone's schedules kept clashing (more than likely vic's lbr lol) so it's been pushed back to next year :(

[seulgibear.livejournal.com]

min hee jin is a goddess, even if she sometimes lets albums be sold in jewel cases *shivers* even goddesses have their flaws

[tsuyoi-hikari.livejournal.com]

Which album was that? I thought only Japanese artists have their albums released in jewel case OTL

[jaequeeragenda.livejournal.com]

i really dislike the whole visual thing in kpop. they're all beautiful women for fucks sake.

[pastelpinklace.livejournal.com]

I better recieve a full album with 13+ tracks 💅

[sra-interesante.livejournal.com]

gives me the creep when ceos/stylists/media/ etc talks about idols like they were mere products
i mean we all know they're but.... come on! you are the one working personally with them, have a heart

[fallendaydreams.livejournal.com]

My dream is to have all five for the fifth album. Don't touch me ;-;

[slowitdownbaby.livejournal.com]

Sulli posted this when she was in SM's dungeon last month so keep the dream alive sis!

[cuizy.livejournal.com]

what does art director exactly do? Sounds like she has a cool job tho

[seulgibear.livejournal.com]

she's basically in charge of everything the artists put out visually: concepts, packaging, styling, graphic design, stuff like that

[myrrhcat.livejournal.com]

i guess she did a great job, i was just thinking about how f(4) feels very complete and well-rounded. there are some groups that would never be the same if they lost a member (such as 2ne1, not to get sidetracked but i'm really glad they never had a comeback as 3) but f(x) in their current formation feel right. that's not to say that sulli contributed nothing, of course. i miss her.

[tempestdance.livejournal.com]

i don't think the translation quite conveys what she meant by sulli as a visual - she wasn't so much talking about sulli as the most attractive one or the pretty face, she was talking more about the image sulli contributed to f(x) - that innocent but quirky and unique feel she had. and their looks aside, sulli and krystal were the two faces that the general public thought of when asked about f(x). so when sulli left, min hee jin was trying to figure out how to create another theme for f(x) because she thought carrying on that same image without sulli wouldn't work.

[soyunatetera.livejournal.com]

This makes more sense

[jinkiestabi.livejournal.com]

I kind of stopped reading after the "a visual left, so I had to cover up...blah blah" Lol.

[redgreendress.livejournal.com]

They are all so visually stunning, though, I mean I was gasping at how beautiful they all looked in those 4W stages. Sulli is beautiful, too, and f(5) were great, but tbqh of the groups I follow f(x) is the one I think rebounded most easily after losing a member. Imagine if they had lost Amber or Luna O_O

[suggestivepeach.livejournal.com]

I love Sulli but she's fairly average on all fronts, so it made sense that f(x) were able to carry on without there feeling like there was a huge loss.

[saoirseangel.livejournal.com]

I think the translation for visual is a little awkward here. I don't think the meaning here is "visual" in the kpop group sense as the most attractive, more as Sulli was the most popular and well-known member of the group. She was the face of f(x) in the sense that she's the one the general public knew. So for her as the art director, having to rebrand the group as still strong and visible and relevant without the member that is the most seen/most "visual" was a challenge.

Also while Sulli is/was the most popular member of f(x), technically Krystal is the official center/visual member of f(x). Sulli ended up being the unintentional "visual" I think

[mamamoos.livejournal.com]

with all due respect to sulli ia. 4 walls was so revitalizing.

[sadistic-dance.livejournal.com]

Even though Sulli was meant to be f(x)'s "visual" I felt like it was always Krystal anyway. Like nothing about them changed.

[ah0000.livejournal.com]

Honestly 4 Walls is my favorite album of theirs so it's cool. I still haven't stopped listening to it

[aeries-amethyst.livejournal.com]

I didn't even find out that Sulli was the actual visual for f(x) until maybe last year or so. I always thought it was Krystal because she was literally everywhere and people are always praising her beauty. I mean they rave about Sulli and Victoria's beauty as well but it never occurred to be that Sulli was THE visual of f(x). Krystal is definitely the face of the group because she is the most popular member either way.

[broadcities.livejournal.com]

...i still listen to 4walls it's so good. everything about that comeback was amazing (except that it was f(4) ofc, but i think they managed better than i thought after sulli left)

i'm really hoping for a comeback soon!!

[kamoteatmani.livejournal.com]

Maybe my kween Min Heejin did her job right because f(x) has never been more cohesive before as when they came out with 4walls. But I do agree that Sulli was important because her face made the group look more.. together because her presence just made everything else they've done before click idk how to explain it!! It's like she's the special sauce to the f(x) recipe or something

[scionofawhisper.livejournal.com]

That's one heck of a job... I would never be able to handle the stress of something like that. o.o

Like.. where the heck do you begin trying to balance the loss of Sulli and her looks?

[adenar.livejournal.com]

Honestly f (4) was always my ideal lineup so I probably would have been happy with a much less polished final product but I am ecstatic that 4walls was so excellent

[keytfelt.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with this comment

[kyulkyung.livejournal.com]

of course people would take this as an opportunity to downplay sulli's talents and importance to the group. nothing the art director said was wrong? she was the most popular member and best known to the public along with krystal (and yes, most people considered her the prettiest member). also unlike victoria, she actually had a pleasant voice that added to f(x)'s songs even if couldn't sing for shit lol.

4walls sucked. they'll never be able to top pink tape.

[halfradio.livejournal.com]

ia (except i liked 4walls but pink tape >>>>>>) most intl fans didn't rly care for sulli looks-wise, so it makes sense why they didn't think she was that significant to the group

i felt like i was the only f(x) stan who misses sulli's voice in their songs :(

[dynamite-state.livejournal.com]

4Walls is their best album so

[5dari.livejournal.com]

I definitely see where she is coming from. Sulli has played such a vital role in f(x)'s image/public perception and relevancy since their debut. She's always been known for being ridiculously pretty and possessing a very unique look and aura, and that worked well with f(x)'s quirky offbeat concepts. I remember when f(x) made their RPPP and Red Light comebacks, about 80% of the comments in f(x) topics on forums/communities were people crying over her visuals. Of course her departure had an impact on the way Min Hee-jin approached the group's image and presentation. In Korea, f(x)=Sulli and Krystal.

And personally, I really miss Sulli's presence and voice in f(x). She's no power vocal obviously, but her timbre was my favorite and I think she used it well. She could do cute and spunky in songs like Pinocchio and Jet, then wistful in songs like Paper Heart or Ending Page. There's a reason why her parts were often considered to be the "killing parts" in f(x)'s tracks.

[sub-divided.livejournal.com]

Sulli looks approachable, the other members of f(x) have a more aloof or independent vibe. (Except maybe Vic, but she's the "mom" of the group.)