on the way 12
on the way 12
on the way 12
[59]
On July 21, 2016, contractual disputes between Kris and Luhan and SM
Entertainment were settled and both members left the group. [60] On July 22,
Exo embarked on its third headlining tour, Exoplanet 3 – The Exo'rdium, with
a record six consecutive concerts at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena. [61]
In late 2016, the group members spent time advancing their solo careers. On
October 28, Lay released his debut EP, Lose Control.[62] Chen, Baekhyun, and
Xiumin debuted in the group's first sub-unit, Exo-CBX, releasing their first
EP Hey Mama! on October 31.[63]
On May 28, 2017, the tour ended with the second of two consecutive
concerts at the Seoul Olympic Stadium, the largest stadium in South Korea.
The tour brought the band's total number of concerts to over 100. [67] In June
2017, Lay announced he would not take part in the band's next album and
would instead focus on his acting career. [68]
Exo at the Dream Concert in June 2017
Exo's fourth studio album The War was released on July 18, 2017.[69] The
album received 807,235 pre-orders, surpassing the band's own record of
660,000 for Ex'Act.[70] On August 29, the 2018 edition of the Guinness World
Records named Exo as having won the "Most Daesang" awards at the Mnet
Asian Music Awards.[71] On September 5, the group released a repackaged
edition of The War, titled The War: The Power of Music. The re-issue added
three new songs to the tracklist, including the single "Power".[72] Exo began
their third world tour, Exo Planet #4 – The Elyxion, with three consecutive
nights at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome, beginning on November 24. [73] As of
November 30, Korean sales of The War reportedly reached nearly 1.6 million
copies, making it Exo's best selling album at the time and earning the group
the title of "quadruple million sellers" from the media. [74] In early December,
Exo announced their fourth special winter release and sixth EP, Universe. It
was originally due for release on December 21 but was delayed until
December 26 after the death of labelmate, Jonghyun.[75]
On January 16, 2018, "Power" became the first K-pop song to play at The
Dubai Fountain at Burj Khalifa Lake, Dubai; seven members of the group
traveled to Dubai to view the first showing. [76] The song's initial run was
extended from January to March;[77] it was also brought back from September
until November of the same year.[78][79] On January 31, Exo released their first
Japanese studio album, Countdown.[80] The album debuted at number one on
the Oricon weekly chart, selling approximately 89,000 copies. The
achievement made Exo the first non-Japanese band whose debut single and
debut studio albums both reached number one on the Oricon weekly chart. [81]
On January 5, 2023, Suho announced that the group is set to release new
music after spring.[112] Exo celebrated their 11th debut anniversary with a fan
meeting, titled "2023 Exo Fanmeeting 'Exo' Clock", at the KSPO Dome on
April 8–9, 2023.[113] On June 1, 2023, it was announced that Chen, Baekhyun,
and Xiumin were terminating their contracts with SM and filed a joint lawsuit
against SM in regards to transparency of earnings. [114] Despite this, SM
confirmed that the group would continue filming their comeback MV, while
also including Kai despite his military service. [115] In response to SM, it was
confirmed that Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin were exploring ways to continue
promoting as Exo members following the results of the lawsuit. [116] On June
19, SM Entertainment and Exo members Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin jointly
announced that both parties had resolved the contract dispute, and the
members had decided to stay with the company. [117]
Exo's seventh studio album, Exist, was released on July 10, 2023.[118] Exist is
the group's first album to be promoted as a seven-member group, as
member Kai is currently undergoing mandatory military service, and member
Lay is promoting his solo activities in China. [119] D.O. departed SM
Entertainment following the expiration of his contract in November, though
he would still be continuing his activities with Exo. [120] He then signed with
Company Soosoo for his solo activities. [121][122] In January 2024, Baekhyun
announced to have started his own company, INB100, and recruited Xiumin
and Chen to join his label. SM announced later on that while Xiumin,
Baekhyun, and Chen are still contracted under the label for group activities,
they can proceed with solo activities under their new company. [123][124]
Members
On May 15, 2014, Kris Wu stopped promoting with Exo and its subunit, Exo-
M, as a result of the lawsuit he filed against SM Entertainment. [37] Luhan
followed on October 10, 2014.[39] Both members formally left the group on
July 21, 2016.[60] Tao went on an official hiatus during Exodus promotions due
to injury and filed a lawsuit against SM on August 15, 2015, formally leaving
Exo on March 15, 2018.[125][126] Following Tao's lawsuit, Exo promoted their
albums as a full group rather than in two sub-groups.
On May 7, 2019, Xiumin became the first member of the group to participate
in mandatory military service and was discharged on December 6, 2020.
[129]
On July 1, 2019, D.O. enlisted for his service, which he completed on
January 25, 2021.[130][131] Suho enlisted on May 14, 2020, and completed his
service on February 13, 2022,[132][133] followed by Chen, who enlisted on
October 26, 2020, and completed his service on April 25, 2022. [134]
[135]
Chanyeol enlisted on March 29, 2021,[136] and was discharged on
September 28, 2022.[137] Baekhyun enlisted on May 6, 2021,[138] and
completed his service on February 5, 2023.[139] Kai enlisted on May 11, 2023.
[140]
Sehun was the final member to enlist on December 21, 2023. [141]
Timeline
Sub-units
Exo-CBX
Exo-SC
Artistry
Musical style
Most of Exo's songs blend pop, hip-hop, and R&B with electronic dance
music genres such as house and trap and are produced with onstage
performance in mind.[158][159] The group has frequently worked with veteran
Korean and international producers, including Kenzie, Dean, LDN Noise, The
Underdogs, and MARZ Music.[160][161] Producer Harvey Mason Jr. commented:
"We listen to their material ... and try and go one step further. We try and do
things that are fresh and original but yet still sound like Exo ...They can sing,
they can dance, they have the energy ... It's like a painter having every color
to paint with."[159]
Songwriting
The members of Exo faced criticism early in their careers because of their
lack of involvement in the writing and producing of their songs. [169] However,
in 2015, Exo released their first song to credit lyrics to one of the group's
members on the repackaged version of their second album, Love Me Right.
"Promise (Exo 2014)" was written by Chanyeol, Chen, and Lay and was a
"special gift" to the fans, with lyrics thanking them for their support. [170]
[171]
Since then, Exo have released multiple songs featuring lyrical
contributions from the band's members, including "Heaven" and "She's
Dreaming" from their third album, the special promotional single
"Lightsaber", and most notably, the hit single "Ko Ko Bop" among others from
their 2017 album The War.[172]
Stage
Exo have been praised for their synchronized choreography and elaborate
stage designs. The band was choreographed early in their career by
American hip hop choreographers Tony Testa and Nicholas Bass for songs like
"Wolf" and "Growl", respectively.[176] More recently, Exo collaborated with
choreographer Kim Tae Woo.[177] Dazed admired the band's "seamless...knife-
point choreography", saying it has put them "at the forefront of pop
domination".[178] A recurring stage element on the group's world tours has
been the use of water in the form of rain and shallow pools. Cleo noted that
Exo's "winning formula" was the incorporation of water into their
choreography, describing the water "cascading from above during 'White
Noise' and 'Lightsaber'" that "saw some of the members getting
drenched."[179] Yahoo wrote that "during one segment, the boys stood on an
elevated hexagon-shaped stage (modeled after the band's logo), and danced
sensually while water rained down on them from above." [180]
On their stage design, Music Mind noted Exo's use of "not only ... the stage-
lights and the lightsticks, but also [a] multitude of special effects like water,
flames, and fireworks, not to mention huge screens positioned both on the
substage and across the whole perimeter of the venue". [181] Rappler journalist
Keb Cuevas described Exo's "multi-LED screen stage fitted with holographic
Exo embellishments and choreographed laser lighting", saying "the stage
was literally on fire as pyrotechnic effects were ignited with the electronic
beat."[182] Covering a 2018 concert in Singapore, Bandwagon remarked that
after their "fourth headlining tour [in] four years ... you might [assume] their
setlist and stages would be repetitive and stale. But [that] was not the case
at all."[183]
Impact
With the release of their debut studio album in 2013, Exo became the first
South Korean artist in 12 years to sell over one million copies of an album;
[25]
the previous artist to reach this milestone was g.o.d, in 2001.[184] Following
the release of their fifth studio album, Don't Mess Up My Tempo, Exo became
the first South Korean artist who debuted in the 21st century to sell 10
million albums cumulatively.[89] In 2023, Exo became "septuple million
sellers", meaning the band has sold over one million copies apiece for seven
different albums.[185]
Exo have been described by Dazed as "the biggest boy band in the world",
[178]
and have been referred to as the "Nation's Pick" by the Korea Tourism
Organization.[187][188] They have also been referred to as the "Kings of K-pop"
by international outlets Vogue, PageOne and South Korean outlets such
as OBS.[189] Exo have gained immense popularity in South Korea and were
named by Forbes on the Korea Power Celebrity 40 list as the most powerful
celebrities in South Korea for 2015 and 2016; within the top five for 2014,
2017, and 2018; and within the top 10 for 2019.[190][191] They are considered a
prominent force in the Hallyu Wave, which refers to the rise and spread of
Korean pop culture around the world.[192][193][194] When discussing the
significance of Exo in a global context, Bustle described them as "the
ultimate K-pop sensation": "there's really nothing quite like
Exo."[192] Vulture described Exo as "leaders of a K-pop generation" when
describing the band's ability to consistently release music in the Korean and
Chinese markets while continuing to impress in the United States
with Billboard chartings and arena tours.[195] Similarly, Dazed considered
Exo's success to be that of "a continent-straddling pop juggernaut". [178] In
2016, AsiaOne said "Exo are turning into an omnipresent, unstoppable global
force," citing their worldwide popularity, critical acclaim, and large fandom
size.[196]
In April 2018, Forbes described Exo as one of the two artists worldwide
(alongside fellow K-pop band BTS) that dramatically over-perform on social
media,[197] even exceeding the reach of American artists such
as Beyonce, Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift.[197] Twitter statistics from Next Big
Sound showed that Exo recorded 14,000 times more mentions than
expected, with 24 million in total.[197] In addition, Exo ranked second on
the Billboard Social 50 Year-End Chart from 2018 through 2020.[198] Exo's
work has influenced numerous artists, including MVP,[199] Kim Dong-han,
[200]
NCT 127,[201] Wanna One,[202] Ong Seong-wu and Kang Daniel.[203]
Exo have won numerous awards both in South Korea and internationally. The
band earned their first-ever music show win in June 2013 for their single
"Wolf" on the South Korean music program Music Bank.[204] For four years,
Exo held the record for the most music show wins for a single song, with 18
for "Call Me Baby" (2015).[205] The band have won over 100 music program
awards cumulatively, becoming the second act to do so after their label-
mates Girls' Generation.[206][207] Exo have received 23 Daesang[a] awards from
various year-end award shows, including six from the Mnet Asian Music
Awards, a feat that was recorded in the 2018 Guinness World Records book.
[209]
Other ventures
Endorsements
In 2018, in the lead-up to Exo's performance at the Closing Ceremony for the
2018 Winter Olympics, the group became the faces of the Switzerland-based
snow-sports company Kessler.[226] In March 2018, Exo were announced to be
the new brand ambassadors for Major League Baseball (MLB) in Asia.
[227]
Following this announcement, Chanyeol, Kai, and Sehun attended the
grand opening of the MLB store in Times Square, Hong Kong, on March 23.
[228]
In July 2018, Exo were appointed as Korean Tourism Ambassadors for
2018 by the Korean Tourism Organization, and appeared in a series of
promotional advertisements designed to "promote Korea to the world".
[229]
Exo also maintain partnerships with, or have previously endorsed,
companies including Coca-Cola, SK Telecom, KFC, MCM, Lotte
Confectionery, Lotte World, Goobne Chicken, and Hats On.[230]
Philanthropy
The members of Exo-K became goodwill ambassadors for South Korea's Red
Cross Youth in December 2012.[231] Members of Exo were appointed as official
ambassadors for Fashion-KODE 2014, which was hosted by South
Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Active Content
Agency Fashion Festival in July 2014.[232] That same month, Samsung
announced Exo as its brand ambassadors for the 2014 Summer Youth
Olympics.[233] Since their debut, Exo members have been involved in charity,
such as volunteering for and making personal donations to organizations
including childcare centers, the Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation,
Siheung Women's Resources Development Center, and
China's Hunan province medical services.[234][235][236][237]
Tours
Exo from Exoplanet 1 – The Lost Planet (2014) SM Town Live World Tour
Filmography
Selected filmography
Exo's Showtime
XOXO Exo
Exo 90:2014
Notes
References
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Rap of China judge". South China Morning Post. November 6,
2018. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019.
Retrieved April 25, 2022.
14. ^ "M-Pop star Lay Zhang tells us about his music, dreams,
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Retrieved April 26, 2022.
15. ^ '인생술집' 시우민 x 최강창민 x 마크, 훈남들의 으른+꿀잼 수다[종합]. March 16,
2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2019.
Retrieved March 24, 2018.
18. ^ "Exo-K and Exo-M will Make Their Debut on April 8th
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45. ^ 엑소, '콜 미 베이비' M/V.. 2015 상반기 가장 많이 본 K 팝 영상. Naver (in
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151. ^ '복면가왕' 엑소 첸, 놀라운 가창력 폭발... "엑소 아닌 목소리로 평가받고 싶었다" (in
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156. ^ '뮤직뱅크' 엑소, 겨울 남친의 정석 '싱포유' (in Korean). Archived from the
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167. ^ [TV 특종] 엑소 이그잭트, '몬스터'로 돌아오다 (in Korean). Archived from
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171. ^ "5 EXO Songs That Were Specially Written for EXO-
Ls". KStreetManila. April 8, 2017. Archived from the original on
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172. ^ [V 라이브 종합] "1 억하트 돌파" 엑소, 기록은 계속된다 (in Korean). July 18,
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Retrieved June 4, 2018.
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than One Direction". Dazed. July 12, 2016. Archived from the
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Jee, Won Jeong (July 16, 2017). '글로벌 픽' 엑소, 러시아월드컵·두바이 LED
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original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
189. ^ * Kim, Monica (July 28, 2017). "Is EXO the Most Stylish K-
Pop Band of All Time?". Vogue. Archived from the original on
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Lim, Chae Yeon (February 23, 2015). [창간특집 IV] 2015 KOREA
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Retrieved June 6, 2018.
201. ^ "NCT 127 "'무한적아' 1 위 공약? 하이터치 하고파"(종합)". Sports News (in
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218. ^ Jeon, Aram (January 31, 2015). 엑소, 서울-부산 팬사인회 3 만여명 운집 '
일대 마비' [EXO, Seoul-Busan fan signing event, 30,000 people
gathered 'paralyzed']. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the
original on May 22, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
222. ^ Benjamin, Jeff (October 11, 2015). "K-Pop Boy Band EXO
Collaborate With 'Star Wars' on New Single 'Lightsaber':
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"Star Avenue > Lotte Duty Free Music Video > Movie
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Archived from the original on February 5, 2016.
Retrieved January 29, 2016.
External links
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Exo former official website Archived July 31, 2017, at the Wayback
Machine (in Korean)
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