Hearts2Hearts’ March showcases signal strategic shift under SM 3.0
SM Entertainment ramps up US expansion under SM 3.0
SM Entertainment is moving more aggressively into the US market, accelerating US promotions for its rookie groups as part of the company’s SM 3.0 global strategy. Once focused mainly on Korea and Japan, SM now identifies the United States as a key market to secure in order to become a top global entertainment company.
Hearts2Hearts set for US debut showcases in March
Hearts2Hearts, SM’s latest girl group, will begin US promotions in March, just over a year after debuting in February. The group announced the “2026 Hearts2Hearts Premiere Showcase in North America” in New York on March 19 and Los Angeles on March 22. Although Hearts2Hearts met US fans during “SMTown Live 2025 in LA,” these standalone showcases mark the group’s official US debut and first North America headline appearances.
Faster rookie rollouts under SM 3.0
The Hearts2Hearts showcases highlight how SM is accelerating timelines for rookie acts. Boy group Riize, which debuted in September 2023, held its first North American tour roughly two years after debut. Hearts2Hearts will reach the US stage in about half that time, reflecting a deliberate push to establish SM artists in the US earlier in their careers.
Previous US moves: Riize and NCT 127
Riize was an early mover by SM standards: the group signed a US promotion deal with RCA Records around its Korean debut and released an English version of its debut single “Get a Guitar” in November 2023, but it did not headline US concerts until 2025. Earlier, NCT 127 paved a path for SM in the US after its 2016 debut, making a US television appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in 2018 and launching its first North American headlining tour in 2019.
Why SM is targeting the US market now
Industry observers say the change follows SM 3.0’s reprioritization and evolving market conditions. Previously, focusing on nearby Asian markets like Japan and Southeast Asia offered better cost-efficiency. But growing interest in K-pop across the US has made it a more attractive market to test and invest in, prompting SM to target the US market more aggressively from a group’s early years.
What this means for K-pop in the US
SM’s strategy shift — faster US debuts, English-language releases, and early-term US showcases — signals a broader trend in K-pop’s global expansion. As SM and other major labels continue to prioritize the United States, expect more rookie groups to have accelerated US promotion schedules and standalone North America events as part of their international growth plans.