SM's Future and Possible New SM Girl Group in 2014?

2014 may be a big year for SM Entertainment.  According to the Shinhan Investment Corporation's predictions, there are lots of albums predicted to being dropped.  TVXQ and Girls' Generation in the first quarter, SHINee and EXO in the second quarter, and Super Junior and a new girl group in the third quarter.  Also, f(x) is rumored to be making a comeback curtesy of Teddy Riley, plus two new surprise projects, one being TOHEART (Key and Woohyun) and the other probably being S.M. The Ballad's comeback with new members.  On top of this, Girls' Generation also says they're planning to release their fifth studio album sometime this year.

If Girls' Generation releases their fifth studio album then any new girl group might be pushed back until 2015 or 2016.  SM Entertainment wouldn't risk de-emphasizing a Girls' Generation album by releasing a new girl group, nor would they risk dampening the potential of a new girl group by debuting them under Girls' Generation's star.

If SM is truly planning on debuting a girl group, they are at least one member short of the smallest group SM has produced.  Their next girl group would have to be the successors of the Girls' Generation torch, much like EXO is the successor of Super Junior's.  This means they need more girls.  Wendy, Irene, and Seulgi are almost guaranteed to be debuting with this group and their two other female SMROOKIES are too young to debut.  Jeesu is older at around 12-14 and Lami is 10.  Seeing as how much backlash SM received for Sulli and Krystal's young debut, they probably wouldn't risk it with these two.  SM may be planning to add in one or two girls collected during Global Auditions, but such a quick debut would eliminate all except those who were already fluent in Korean (getting rid of the possibility of a non-Korean group member) unless they have more trainees up their sleeves that they are planning on introducing.

There is one more possibility.  Zhang Liyin and J-Min.  True, they are both solo artists, but they haven't had much success.  Not only would it boost SM's new group to five members, but it would be assured that this group would have talent.  Wendy can sing, judging by her Mimi OST release and so can Seulgi (sorta...her Christmas carol really isn't much right now) and Irene seems to only be pretty face.  They also won't be lacking too much in dance; Irene, Wendy, and Seulgi have shown off their dance skill through a dance clips released on SMROOKIES and the ABC special and Zhang Liyin almost made it into Girls' Generation.  

On top of that, Zhang Liyin speaks Chinese while J-Min speaks Japanese.  Wendy speaks English so that would make the group SM's most multi-lingual.  They're looking into the Japanese market and this would be a great way to keep the door open to Japan, China, and North America.  While these girls are older, so is Irene.  Even if they release Irene, Seulgi, and Wendy as a trio, they would still be 23, 19, and 19 (Wendy's rumored age), much older than most of the debuting girl groups today.  Zhang Liyin and J-Min are both 25 and it wouldn't be much of an age different as they're only two years older than Irene.

Interestingly enough, in the little we know about Wendy, SM makes sure to emphasize the fact she plays multiple instruments, including the guitar and flute.  J-Min also plays guitar...do I see an interesting set-up in the future?

So what do you guys think?

Credit:  Shinhan Investment; popdust