SMP

History and character

“SMP” (SM Music Performance) is the name fans and critics use for the “stage-oriented” style developed by SM Entertainment, tied above all to the producer and composer Yoo Young-jin, at SM from 1996 (from H.O.T.'s first album) until 2023. It is not an officially codified genre: in a 2010 interview the interviewer describes it as a style that highlights stage dance from start to finish, and Yoo explains that he always wanted to create “dramatic dance music”, comparing the result to “five remix versions packed into a single song”. His method: write the rhythm first and then derive the melody from it, build the song as a path of tension and release rather than constant intensity, set up a flow and then break it with stop-breaks and slowdowns, clearly accent the key movements of the choreography (he cites the hand gesture in Sorry, Sorry) and think of the song as a “musical-style” show to be watched and heard. Among his inspirations he cites the performances of Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation.

The milestones: H.O.T. — Warrior's Descendant (1996) and early songs with aggressive rap, social lyrics and section changes; TVXQ (Rising Sun, Mirotic, 2008) with orchestral intros, epic choruses and dance breaks; Super Junior (Sorry, Sorry, 2009) and SHINee (Ring Ding Dong, 2009; Sherlock, 2012, built by joining two songs); EXO (MAMA, 2012; Growl; Monster), NCT 127 (Cherry Bomb, Kick It: hip hop with metal guitar riffs, industrial beats and chants), aespa (Black Mamba, Savage, Next Level, Girls), and in part RIIZE and NCT DREAM. aespa's Next Level, written by Yoo with American songwriters as a remake of a song from the Hobbs & Shaw soundtrack, is a textbook example: groovy rap over a bass riff, a middle section that switches to a faster jazz style and a new jack swing bridge.

Aesthetic: drama, narrative concepts (worlds, powers, “lore”), aggressive or futuristic lyrics and sounds, powerful rap and singing, “medley-like” structures with very different sections joined by the thread of the choreography, dense and loud production. For many listeners it is also the most divisive style (the “noise music” criticism aimed at NCT and other groups stems partly from here).

Scales and keys

Natural minor (Aeolian) — the base

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 (T S T T S T T). In B minor: B C# D E F# G A.
• Characteristic note: b6 (G): epic, dark.
• Chords: i Bm – ii° C#dim – III D – iv Em – v F#m – VI G – VII A.
• Use: verse riffs, chorus loops, string ostinatos.
• Example: aespa — Next Level (B minor, 109 BPM).

Harmonic minor — the drama

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 (T S T T S 1½T S). In F# minor: F# G# A B C# D E#.
• Characteristic note: the leading tone E# and the augmented second D–E#: “musical-style” tension, Eastern flavor.
• Key chords: V C# (C#7), vii° E#dim.
• Use: brass and synth riffs, string lines in orchestral intros, the last bars of pre-choruses.
• Example: NCT 127 — Kick It is in F# minor (167 BPM); many TVXQ and EXO songs use the leading tone in the riffs.
• Mistakes: the leading tone in the singable chorus melody too: it risks sounding “operetta-like”; limit it to the riffs.

Phrygian and Phrygian dominant — the aggression

• Phrygian: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 — in E: E F G A B C D. Note: b2 (F).
• Phrygian dominant: 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 b7 — in E: E F G# A B C D. Note: b2 + major 3rd: Middle Eastern flavor, “femme fatale”.
• Chords (modal scale): Phrygian dominant: I E – II F – iii° G#dim – iv Am – v° Bdim – VI C – vii Dm.
• Use: bass and lead riffs (E–F–E–G#), chants, intros.

Dorian — the groove and new jack swing sections

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 (T S T T T S T). In D Dorian: D E F G A B C.
• Characteristic note: major 6th (B), major IV (G7).
• Chords (modal scale): i Dm7 – ii Em7 – III Fmaj7 – IV G7 – v Am7 – VII Cmaj7.
• Use: new jack swing bridge, funk and jazz “switch” sections (Next Level, Sherlock).

Relative major — the melodic bridge

• In D major (relative of B minor): D E F# G A B C#. The bridge often opens onto the relative with maj7 for the high note.

How to choose

In SMP every section can have a different mode: think of the song as a medley and connect the sections with stop-breaks or a common note.

Harmony

The song as a medley

The harmony follows the “five remixes in one song” logic: each section has its own loop and color, and the sections are juxtaposed rather than developed. Transitions happen through stop-breaks (silence, a spoken phrase, an ensemble hit), through a tempo change or through a bridge riff on the same tonic.

Typical techniques

• Ostinato riff as the base of the verse (often bass + synth in unison), without real chords.
• Cadential pre-chorus: VI–VII–V major or iv–V, with vocal harmonies.
• Epic chorus on i–VI–III–VII with brass and strings.
• Beat switch with a change of mode (Aeolian → Dorian) and of genre (hip hop → jazz/swing → new jack).
• Bridge in half-time with seventh chords and the main vocal belting; then a stop and the final chorus.
• Modulations rare in recent songs, frequent in the TVXQ/Super Junior title tracks (last chorus +1 semitone).

Harmonic rhythm

Verse: 1 chord (or riff) per 2–4 bars. Pre: 1 chord per bar. Chorus: 1 per bar. Switch and bridge: 1–2 per bar with sevenths.

Voicing

Open fifths and octaves in the riffs (harshness), full brass and string chords in the choruses, open sevenths in the bridges.

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

Rhythm is the starting point of SMP writing. A basic hip hop/new jack groove with a syncopated kick, or half-time trap or EDM; on top, ensemble accents for the choreography (the whole band plays a hit with crash and brass on 1, “2 and”, 4 in the key bars). Changes of flow are continuous: one-bar stop-breaks, slowdowns (beat switching to half-time), speed-ups (switching to a faster jazz or swing groove), sections with no drums. Swing 0% in the EDM/trap sections, 56–62% in the new jack swing and jazz sections. Everything is quantized for group synchronization.

Drums

Role

“Choreographic” drums: every important hit corresponds to a movement. The programmer works with the choreography in mind (accents, stops, poses).

Kick

Syncopated in the verses (steps 1, 4, 7, 11 in sixteenth notes); four on the floor in the dance sections; distorted industrial kick in the harder songs (Kick It); double hits on the ensemble accents.

Snare and clap

On 2 and 4 in the groove, on 3 in the half-time sections; military snares and marching snares in the intros; sixteenth-note snare fills at the end of the second bar (see r-kpop-smp); layered claps with stomps.

Hi-hat and percussion

Eighth/sixteenth-note hats, trap rolls in the verses; metallic percussion, gong hits, orchestra hits, taiko in the dance breaks; whistles and sirens as cues.

Interaction with bass and vocals

The bass plays riffs that coincide with the kick (rhythm-first); the rap leans on the accents; in the choruses the drums open up for the chants.

By section

Fills and transitions

Stop-breaks (1–2 beats of silence with a spoken phrase), orchestra hits, reverses, tape stops, beat slowdowns, sixteenth-note tom and snare fills.

Sounds and mistakes

Heavily processed kicks and snares, orchestral and industrial samples. Mistakes: transitions with no clear event; ensemble accents not aligned across all instruments; too many changes with no common thread (a recurring hook or riff).

Bass

• Sound: synth or electric bass riff that is a hook (Next Level), 808s in the trap sections, distorted industrial bass (Kick It), slap and funky bass in the new jack beat switches.
• Notes: root, b2, leading tone; 1–2 bar riffs repeated; octave slides at the end of phrases.
• Relationship with the kick: the riff is written together with the kick (rhythm-first); sidechain only in the EDM sections.
• Examples: aespa — Next Level (rap over an energetic bass riff), NCT 127 — Kick It (pulsing bass with metal guitars), TVXQ — Mirotic.

Harmonic instruments

Orchestral strings (ostinatos, staccatos, dramatic pads), brass (stabs and lines), distorted or metal electric guitars (Kick It), synth leads and sirens, piano in the bridge, choirs and orchestra hits, organ in the darker concepts. Voicings in fifths and octaves in the riffs, full chords in the choruses, sevenths in the bridges and beat switches.

Melody and vocals

• Vocals: aggressive, technical rap in the verses, powerful singing in the choruses (SM trains its trainees with clear, strong projection), the main vocal's high note in the bridge, group chants in unison and in octaves, spoken phrases in the stop-breaks.
• Harmonies: pre-choruses and choruses in 3–5 voices, musical-style choirs in the epic songs (TVXQ, EXO), call-and-response between rappers and singers.
• Hook: often a word or name repeated and tied to a gesture (Sorry, Sorry; Ring Ding Dong; Kick It), with an English title.
• Effects: Auto-Tune as a color, downward pitch shift in chants, telephone filters, ad-libs recorded even by the producer (Yoo recorded an ad-lib in Savage).

Instruments

Vocals (rap, powerful singing, chants), drum machine and samples (industrial kicks, military snares), synth and electric bass, 808, orchestral strings and brass, distorted guitars, synth leads and sirens, piano, orchestra hits, FX.

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• Korg MS-20 V — Leads and sirens: Cutting leads and sweeps for riffs and transitions.
• OP-Xa V — Synth brass: Brass stabs for ensemble accents.
• Mini V — Bass riffs: Synth bass riffs with a sharp attack: saw + square, short envelope.
• Matrix-12 V — Evolving leads and pads: Futuristic sound design for sci-fi concepts (aespa, NCT).
• ARP 2600 V — FX and synthetic percussion: Metallic hits, sweeps, risers.
• Augmented Strings — Hybrid strings: Dramatic ostinatos and orchestral intros.
• Augmented Voices — Choirs: Epic choirs and synthetic chants.

Song structure

“Medley” form (indicative example, 3:15–3:45)

Principles

• Tension and release instead of constant intensity.
• Every section change is a visual event.
• A recurring element (riff, hook, word) holds very different sections together.

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

“Cinematic” and dense mix: enormous rhythmic impact, sharp transitions, powerful and clear vocals, wide orchestra and synths, strong contrasts between sections even in the mix (each section can get different treatment). References: TVXQ — Mirotic, EXO — Growl, NCT 127 — Kick It, aespa — Next Level, SHINee — Sherlock.

Kick

HP 25 Hz, +3 dB at 50–60 Hz, −4 dB at 300–400 Hz, +3 dB at 3–5 kHz; distortion for industrial kicks; clipper; center.

Snare, clap, military snares

HP 150 Hz, body 200 Hz, crack 3–5 kHz; heavy parallel; wide military snares with a big room; stop-breaks with automated reverb tails.

Hi-hat and percussion

HP 500 Hz; wide orchestral and metallic percussion; gong and orchestra hits with a long hall.

Bass / riff

HP 30 Hz; sub 45–60 Hz; presence 700 Hz–1.5 kHz (the riff must be heard everywhere); saturation; mono below 150 Hz; sidechain only in the EDM sections.

Strings, brass, guitars, synths

HP 150–250 Hz; dynamic dip at 2–4 kHz from the vocals; wide strings with 2–2.5 s hall; brass in the center with wide layers; distorted guitars doubled hard L/R; automation of different treatment for each section (e.g. a drier, more “vintage” jazz switch, a wider and brighter chorus).

Vocals

Chain per member (tuning → EQ → 1176 → de-esser → LA-2A → saturation), distinct presence EQ per member; rap with heavy compression and dubs; chant on a bus with 10 dB of compression, saturation and room; the bridge's main vocal with a longer plate and delay.

FX and transitions

Stop-break: a clean cut with reverb and delay tails left to ring (send automation); tape stops; reverses; risers and impacts on a dedicated bus.

Buses and groups

Drum bus with clipper and parallel; orchestra bus 1–2 dB glue; vocal bus 2–3 dB; music bus with ducking from the vocals.

Sidechain

Kick → 808 and basses in the EDM sections (4–6 dB); vocals → music bus (dynamic 1–3 dB).

Master

Chain: EQ → compressor 1–2 dB → clipper → limiter. Target −6/−5 LUFS integrated, true peak ≤ −1 dBTP, PLR 6–8 dB.

Common mistakes

Sections with perceived levels that are too different (the switch “falls flat”); vocals buried by orchestra and brass; transitions without tails (they sound like editing errors); a bass riff that is inaudible on a phone.

Reference tracks for the mix

TVXQ — Mirotic (2008); Super Junior — Sorry, Sorry (2009); SHINee — Sherlock (Clue + Note) (2012); NCT 127 — Kick It (2020); aespa — Next Level (2021).

Reference listening

• H.O.T. — Warrior's Descendant (1996)
• TVXQ — Rising Sun (2005)
• TVXQ — Mirotic (2008)
• Super Junior — Sorry, Sorry (2009)
• SHINee — Ring Ding Dong (2009)
• EXO — MAMA (2012)
• SHINee — Sherlock (Clue + Note) (2012)
• NCT 127 — Cherry Bomb (2017)
• NCT 127 — Kick It (2020)
• aespa — Black Mamba (2020)
• aespa — Next Level (2021)