6 iconic moments from the SMTOWN Live 2022

Following the SMTOWN Live 2022 that took place on November 30, 2022, SM Entertainment announced that they'll be back with SMTOWN Live 2023.

With a winter album release uniting all the SM artists on December 26, SM will be following it with an online concert on January 1, 2023. Fans rejoiced at the news of the 2022 Winter SMTOWN SMCU PALACE after the success of 2022's SMTOWN Live.

SMTOWN Live 2022: SMCU Express @ Human City held its first concert on August 20, in Sunwoo, Korea. Following this, between August 27 and 29, they held their second venue concert at the Tokyo Dome.

SMTOWN Live 2022 is their first offline concert in five years, and the artists and fans were happy to be united. SM has a tradition of holding concerts that combines all their artists, and fans are left with a handful of iconic moments from SM artists, and this year was no different.

In light of the announcement of SMTOWN Live 2023, here are some iconic moments from this year's concert.

SMTOWN Live 2022 iconic moments that had fans feeling various emotions

1) SMROOKIES X NCT's Shotaro and Sungcha: Dream Routine performance

This year, SM Entertainment introduced 3 new SMROOKIES (their trainee unit) on July 2, 2022, namely Eunseok, Seunghan, and Shohei. During SMTOWN Live 2022 in Tokyo, the three rookies along with NCT's Sungchan and Shotaro showcased a dance performance that left fans in awe.

Being their first stage, the SMROOKIES displayed their dance skills that made them the talk of the town. Though the performance lasted no longer than two minutes, it excited the fans with what the rookies have in store for them and how they'll continue their journey further with SM.

2) Girls Generation's Hyoyeon getting emotional during their performance

Girls Generation, after a long hiatus of five years, returned with their album, Forever 1 and they performed their title track on SMTOWN Live 2022, Sunwoo. While their performance was a great one to watch, one of the members, Hyeyeon, got emotional and started crying in the middle of their performance.

The K-pop idol later revealed that the group finally performing together has left her overwhelmed. Hyoyeon was happy to be back on stage with the girls after their hiatus to concentrate on their solo careers. Girls Generation were happy to be back as a groun since their fans enjoyed their comeback.

3) SM artists lining up to hug their CEO, Lee Soo-man

Another iconic moment from SMTOWN Live 2022 which was both funny and heartwarming, was when SM artists lined up to hug Lee Soo-man, their CEO. At the end of the concert, as the artists exited the stage, they unconsciously fell in a line that led to Lee Soo-man's arms.

This is quite a tradition between Lee Soo-man and his artists. The CEO of SM Entertainment is known for the love he showers for his artists, and fans loved this interaction. Fans found it adorable how Lee Soo-man pulled each artist into a hug and followed it with a mini-conversation.

4) Leeteuk struggling as the MC of SMTOWN Live 2022

Super Junior's Leeteuk was assigned to host SMTOWN Live 2022 and it definitely wasn't an easy task. When it comes to large groups, chaos and confusion is a given and the overflowing number of artists present at the concert was reminiscent of that.

As the concert neared its end, all the SM artists got on stage to interact with the audience and Leeteuk’s struggle to manage and organize them was hilarious to the fans. From presenting the artists to gathering them together for a group photo, he had a chaotic time. However, fans also thought that his MC skills were quite commendable.

5) EXO's D.O. forgetting lyrics during his solo stage

With some of the EXO members currently undergoing their military service, five members have been busy with their solo careers. As all the members performed their solo songs, D.O. sang his single, That's Okay.

The crowd enjoyed his performance as the singer captivated them with his vocals, but the part that stood out from the performance was when D.O. forgot the lyrics. Flustered, the idol awkwardly moved from the moment and continued with his song and fans found it quite adorable.

6) NCT's Haechan going viral for his red hair

It's no secret that NCT's Haechan has a long list of skills, be it his dance, vocals, or visuals. However, as a cherry on top for the fans, Haechan colored his hair red right before the concert and fans loved the look as they watched him perform on SMTOWN Live 2022.

Prior to the concert, fans had already seen his red hair and were absolutely in love with it, but when they saw it live, it cemented their obsession with his new hair. Soon after the concert, the K-pop idol became the talk of the town as fans continued to shower him with love and appreciation.

From chaotic interactions to show-stopping performances, SMTOWN Live 2022 was filled with exciting events that fans just couldn't get enough of. Just like every year, the concert was nothing but impressive, making fans eagerly await what's to come next year.

About the author

Aishwarya is a pop culture writer who covers K-drama and K-pop at Sportskeeda. After completing her Bachelor's in English and Communication Skills, she sought a job that allowed her to explore her passion, and being a K-pop and K-drama reporter felt like the ideal fit. Aishwarya has 3 years of experience under her belt and previously took on several internships in the industry that further motivated her in choosing writing as a career.

Aishwarya believes in conducting extensive research and verifying facts with the help of reputable sources to produce accurate articles. She also spends a significant amount of time on Twitter to understand how netizens are reacting to the latest trends in the industry before crafting her content.

She admires SUGA from BTS for his dedication to his work and aspires to immerse herself into the things she loves, just like him. If she could go back in time, she would jump at the opportunity to be part of ""Reply 1988,"" a K-drama set in a time when neighborhood relationships were cherished and interpersonal connections were of utmost importance. Although she loves how technology has advanced, she would also love to experience living in an era before it was invented.

When Aishwarya's not writing and reading about the latest developments in the industry, she spends her time crocheting, sketching, cycling, reading Mangas, and cooking.

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Edited by Madhur Dave