SHINee’s Onew reveals reason for leaving SM Entertainment: “I was getting too comfortable”

nme.com:

SHINee leader Onew has revealed the reason behind his departure from SM Entertainment this year and how different it’s been since during a recent interview.Onew, along with SHINee bandmate Taemin, both decided not to renew their long-standing contracts with SM Entertainment earlier this year in March.

He later announced that he had signed an exclusive contract with separate agency Griffin Entertainment the following month, marking the end of at least 15 years with his former representation.

He has been operating as a soloist under Griffin since, although he continues to remain part of SHINee.The K-pop singer appeared on the KBS television show The Seasons as a guest performer on August 16, with Zico as the show’s current host, per OSEN.

During an interview segment of the episode, Onew revealed to both Zico and the audience the reason behind his decision to leave SM Entertainment.“To be honest, after being in such a great company for so long, I started to feel like I was getting too comfortable,” Onew told Zico, as translated by Koreaboo. “So, I decided to take on more challenges and see what else I could do.