2021 Winter SM Town: SMCU Express (stylized as 2021 Winter SMTOWN : SMCU EXPRESS) is the ninth winter album by SM Town. The studio album was released by SM Entertainment on December 27, 2021, and is available in 13 different versions. It features 10 songs, including two singles off the album, "Dreams Come True" and "Hope from Kwangya". The album marks the first SM Town's special season album release in 10 years after the predecessor 2011 Winter SMTOWN: The Warmest Gift, which was released in December 2011. It is also the first album to feature Kai, Red Velvet, NCT, and Aespa.
Background and release
The concept of the album is based on SM Entertainment's own fictional universe called "SM Culture Universe" (SMCU), which was first introduced in 2020 by the company's founder Lee Soo-man through the debut of girl group Aespa.
Participating artists in the album include Kangta, BoA, TVXQ!, Super Junior (except Heechul among the actively-promoting members), Girls' Generation-Oh!GG, Shinee (except Taemin), Kai of Exo, Red Velvet, NCT (except Lucas), and Aespa. Also participating in the album's photoshoot were the Scream Records DJs Ginjo (formerly of Traxx), Raiden, and Imlay.
Through the SM Town 2022: SMCU Express project, 2021 Winter SM Town: SMCU Express was announced along as the first SM Town winter record by SM Entertainment in 10 years since 2011. According to SM, the album will feature various artists under the label and an "interesting combination of artists" aside from the track of existing groups. Prior to the album release, the jazz version of "The Promise of H.O.T." was pre-released on November 26, 2021, through SM Station and was added to the track listing on December 24. "Dreams Come True", which was also pre-released at SM Station on December 20, became the album's lead single. The pre-order period for the album started from December 10 and was scheduled for release on December 27.
Composition The lead single, "Dreams Come True", was described as a pop dance song remade by Aespa from S.E.S.'s second album Sea & Eugene & Shoo released in 1998. It combines the group's "spiritual energy and hip hop vibe" with the "mysterious and dreamy sound" with BoA participating in the song's production. The second single, "Hope from Kwangya", was described as a song with a "rich" sound of a "beautiful" string melody. It is a remake of SM Town's "representative" song, originally released from H.O.T.'s third album Resurrection in 1998. Kangta, who wrote and composed the original music, directed the vocals.
"Zoo", sung by NCT's Taeyong, Jeno, Hendery, and Yangyang and Aespa's Giselle, was described as a hip hop song with "unique" synths and "fast" tempo beats. "Melody", sung by Girls' Generation-Oh!GG, was described as a medium tempo pop song with a retro jazz atmosphere. The lyrics remind "beautiful and ecstatic" moments, creating a warm atmosphere in the cold winter with a retro jazz atmosphere created by various acoustic instruments. "Magical", sung by TVXQ and Super Junior, was described as a "cheerful" pop song with the lyrics, "Our friendship is destiny [and] miracle". "Snow Dream 2021", sung by Red Velvet's Yeri, NCT's Haechan, Chenle, and Jisung, and Aespa's Ningning, was described as a song that is "enough to feel the joy and happiness you have been waiting for in winter". It is a remake of the lead single from SM Town's winter album, Snow Dream, released in 2006. "Ordinary Day", sung by Super Junior's Kyuhyun, Shinee's Onew, and NCT's Taeil is about a "deep love" for lovers, friends, and family, who are always by one's side in the season when one realizes that every day is "special and precious". "Goodbye", sung by Girls' Generation's Sunny and NCT's Jungwoo and Renjun, was described as a medium R&B pop song with winter bell sounds, added acoustic bass, and jazzy keyboard sounds. "Dinner", sung by TVXQ, was described as a "warm" pop ballad about the moment of preparing dinner and sharing small happiness for a precious person at the end of a hard day. The song features a "dramatic" arrangement of "colorful" string melodies over an "emotional" piano performance. The jazz version of "The Promise of H.O.T." was performed by the SM Classics Town Orchestra with Yohan Kim and Hogyu 'Stiger' Hwang and drummer Shin Dong-jin. It was reinterpreted in the form of a jazz trio featuring "groovy" piano, bass, and "rhythmical" drum sounds.
Promotion The album was promoted through SM Town's second online concert SM Town Live 2022: SMCU Express at Kwangya on January 1, 2022, where "Dreams Come True", "Ordinary Day", "Zoo", and "Hope from Kwangya" were performed.
Commercial performance On January 4, 2022, it was reported that the album had sold 416,000 copies, becoming the highest selling SM Town album.
Accolades + Awards and nominations for 2021 Winter SM Town: SMCU Express Organization Year Category Result Golden Disc Awards 2023 Album Bonsang
Track listing
Notes "Zoo" and "Dinner" are stylized in all caps. "Hope from Kwangya" is stylized as "Hope from KWANGYA".
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of the album.
Musicians
Aespa – vocals , background vocals Taeyong – vocals , background vocals , Korean lyrics Jeno – vocals , background vocals , Korean lyrics Hendery – vocals , background vocals Yangyang – vocals , background vocals Giselle – vocals , background vocals , Korean lyrics Girls' Generation-Oh!GG – vocals , background vocals TVXQ – vocals , background vocals Super Junior – vocals Yeri – vocals Haechan – vocals Chenle – vocals Jisung – vocals Ningning – vocals Kyuhyun – vocals , background vocals Onew – vocals , background vocals Taeil – vocals , background vocals Sunny – vocals , background vocals Jungwoo – vocals , background vocals Renjun – vocals , background vocals SM Town – vocals Bada – Korean lyrics Yoo Young-jin – Korean lyrics , composition , arrangement , background vocals BoA – Korean lyrics , composition , arrangement Rick Bridges(X&) – Korean lyrics Jo Yoon-kyung – Korean lyrics Lee Seu-ran – Korean lyrics Yoon Hyo-sang – Korean lyrics Kenzie – Korean lyrics , composition , arrangement danke (lalala studio) – lyrics Oh Hyun-sun (lalala studio) – Korean lyrics Kangta – lyrics , composition Risto Armas Asikainen – composition Keelah Jacobsen – composition , arrangement Cameron Joseph Rugg – composition Ryan Jhun – composition , arrangement Ronny Svendsen – composition , arrangement JinByJin – composition , arrangement Noday – composition Cazzi Opeia – composition William James 'Bleu' McAuley III – composition , arrangement , keyboard Mats Valentin – composition , arrangement , drums & guitar , keyboard Tobias Norberg – composition , arrangement Svein Finneide – composition Aslak Johnsen – composition Ken Ingwersen – composition Jon-Willy Rydningen – composition Eirik-Andre Rydningen – composition MinGtion – composition , arrangement , bass , piano Kim Yeon-seo – composition , background vocals Dvwn – composition Jeon Sang-hwan – composition , arrangement Jerome 'Jigg' Andrews – composition , arrangement Shelton Jones – composition Saire Jones – composition Shaun Kim – arrangement BXN – arrangement Seo Mi-rae (ButterFly) – arrangement , background vocals Kim Gyu-won – arrangement , rap making Yohan Kim – arrangement , piano Hwang Ho-gyu (Hogyu 'Stiger' Hwang) – arrangement , electric bass guitar & contrabass Hwang Seong-je (ButterFly) – background vocals , arrangement , piano Oiaisle – background vocals Junny – background vocals Bang In-jae – guitar Park Shin-won – guitar Hong Jun-ho – guitar Song Young-joo – keyboard Nile Lee – strings arrangement and conducting , strings arrangement Han Seong-eun – strings arrangement and conducting On The String – strings Yung String – strings SM Classics Town Orchestra – strings Shin Dong-jin – drums Choi Hoon – bass
Technical
Yoo Young-jin – directing , recording , digital editing , mixing Rick Bridges(X&) – vocal directing Lee Joo-hyung – vocal directing , Pro Tools operation Hwang Seong-je (ButterFly) – vocal directing , Pro Tools operation , all programming Kenzie – directing MinGtion – directing Moon Jung-jae – recording direction Kangta – directing Jung Yoo-ra – recording , digital editing , mixing engineer Lee Min-gyu – recording , mixing Lee Ji-hong – recording , mixing engineer , mixing Kang Eun-ji – recording , digital editing No Min-ji – recording , digital editing Jeong Ki-hong – recording Choi Da-in – recording Lee Chan-mi – recording Seo Mi-rae (ButterFly) – digital editing , vocal directing , Pro Tools operation Jang Woo-young – digital editing Kwon Yu-jin – digital editing Jeong Eui-seok – mixing Namkoong Jin – mixing Kim Cheol-soon – mixing Jeon Hoon – mastering Kwon Nam-woo – mastering Shin Soo-min – mastering assistant
Charts
Weekly charts + Weekly charts performance for 2021 Winter SM Town: SMCU Express Chart (2022) Peakposition Croatian International Albums (HDU) 21 Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan) 30 South Korean Albums (Gaon) 1
Monthly charts + Monthly chart performance for 2021 Winter SM Town: SMCU Express Chart (2021) Peakposition South Korean Albums (Gaon) 2
Year-end charts + Year-end chart performance for 2021 Winter SM Town: SMCU Express Chart (2022) Position South Korean Albums (Circle) 29
Singles charts + Weekly chart performance of "Zoo" Chart (2022) Peakposition New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) 38 Singapore (RIAS Regional) 15
Certifications and sales
Release history + Release history for 2021 Winter SM Town: SMCU Express Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Various December 27, 2021
References