Rumors of EXO‘s comeback have been making the rounds on the internet in full force this week. Even without a comeback in almost a year (excluding their annual winter album), the group continues to rank as one of the top artists on monthly charts and lists, proving their lasting popularity and importance in the Kpop community.
Just last week, EXO went head-to-head against other worldwide artists, including fellow Kpop group BTS, in one of the largest Twitter polls ever. With over 3 million people participating in the poll, EXO took almost half the votes and barely managed to beat out the stiff competition to take the number one spot and have their song played at the FIFA World Cup as a result.
On July 14th, EXO also achieved another amazing feat when they became the first non-royal person to be featured in a light and sound show on the Burj Khalifa, the current tallest building in the world. Click here to watch a portion of the show which was ushered in by cheers from EXO-L who were there to support the event!
When we asked EXO-L what moments had made them the most proud of EXO, we got an overwhelming response and a variety of answers. Combining their answers along with WTK staff’s pick, we are happy present 9 Amazing Times EXO Showed Their “Power.” Check out the list below!
In 2018, EXO became the first Kpop group to ever perform for an Olympic ceremony. In fact, the group was invited to be the closing act for the global event. Their performance opened up with a traditional-influenced solo stage by Kai. The group then cranked things up in modern fashion by appearing in ATVs before performing their mega hit “Growl,” a song perfect for the event since the 2018 Olympics’ mascot was a white tiger. They then closed out the performance with “Power,” a song that played continuously at all the sporting event venues of the Olympics. Without a doubt, this was the #1 EXO moment as chosen by EXO-L in our survey.
When EXO announced their encore concert in Seoul, entitled The ElyXiOn [dot], fans knew it was going to be a battle to get tickets to any of the three nights of the show. When the time came for tickets to go on sale, however, the competition was even tougher than expected when an astounding 1.12 million fans attempted to purchase tickets. Needless to say, many of those who managed to snag a ticket said it took more luck to do so than winning the lottery. The event began on July 13th in Korea and is still ongoing, so click here to see numerous fan cams of the amazing event.
Kpop fans love to debate who is the best or most popular group of the moment and who deserves what nickname. However, the South Korean government seemed to make EXO’s name official when they referred to the group with the title “The Nation’s Pick.” The Korea Tourism Organization— a government organization under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism— chose the group to represent them as public ambassadors and named them “The Nation’s Pick” in their announcement of the news.
In January 2018, EXO’s “Power” was chosen to be played at The Dubai Fountain, the world’s largest choreographed fountain system. The fountain regularly plays light and sound performances as part of The Dubai Fountain Show and has featured world-famous artists such as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Adele. However, EXO became the first Kpop artist to be chosen for the honor and traveled to Dubai to see the debut of their song at the famous fountain. Check out a video of the beautiful show below!
EXO isn’t the only one to set records and accomplish amazing things— even their sub-units make headlines! In December of 2017, EXO-CBX (made up of members Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin) were invited by the South Korean president to accompany him on a political trip. The three members went with President Moon on his first state visit to China where he attended the Korea-China Economic Partnership in Beijing. The President spoke about the event and stated that he would like “to make South Korea and China true friends by expanding cultural exchange.“
When it comes to the fastest-selling concerts in the world, EXO manages to take all the top spots on the list. With their recent concert The ElyXiOn [dot], tickets sold out in 0.2 seconds. This tied EXO with their own previous record of 0.2 seconds for their 2017 show The ElyXiOn in Seoul. Their 2015 show The EXO’luxion sold out in 0.4 seconds, and their concert The Lost Planet in Seoul sold out in 0.4 seconds. This means that the four fastest-selling concerts in the entire world are all by EXO.
With all of SMTOWN‘s major groups being such huge hits at the time, many people expected EXO’s debut to make them famous overnight. However, the first year was a difficult one for EXO. Although they gained a steady fan base and their songs were received well, none of their tracks managed to become huge hits until “Wolf.” They took home their first-ever win with the song on “Music Bank,” and the emotional moment and acceptance speech truly marked the turning point in their career. Things blew up even more with their repackage album’s title track “Growl.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpiXsS_zf5c
Despite not having a comeback this year, 2018 has already been a huge year for EXO! In April, the group became the first Kpop idols to ever have their faces on a Korean medal. The Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation (KOMSCO) is a government-owned corporation in charge of printing the country’s money. Calling EXO “the top idol group” and “the center of Hallyu,” KOMSCO revealed they would be minting special, commemorative medals for each of the nine members.
Although almost 100% of the people who participated in our survey named the Olympics as one of the moments that made them proudest of EXO, another subject was continuously mentioned as well. “Their humbleness, their constant promotion of not just themselves but K-Pop in general… EXO continues to inspire us all!” stated one fan. Another fan mentioned even their individual humility, “One of my proudest moments is when Yixing had just finished a solo stage and bowed for almost two minutes straight while “Promise” played in the background. That is respect.” Yet another explained in more detail, “When they cried/bowed and thanked both seniors and juniors almost every time they won a big award [or] achieved something big. Nothing beats humility and respect, and I am proudest of them [in] these moments.”
Their continued humility— despite being one of the most influential and best-selling Kpop artists of all times— is in fact what endears the group to so many. Whether it’s encouraging their fans to cheer for other artists at awards shows, showing respect with their deep bows, constantly bragging on their fellow Kpop artists and pushing Kpop as a whole, or just making sure to thank fans for their support as they recognize that EXO wouldn’t exist without them, their humility, sincerity, and fan service is what has kept their fandom so dedicated for so many years.
As EXO prepares for their upcoming comeback, we know that fans around the world will eagerly await their upcoming album. For all music artists, fame comes and goes, but EXO has already proved their lasting influence on the Kpop industry— not just because of all the shows held, awards won, and albums sold, but because of the way their music has drawn so many people together from around the globe. They have continued to teach people that no matter the language, the race, or the religion, we are one when it comes to music!
What EXO moment makes you the proudest? Let us know in the comment section below!
lee1086 (leigh1086) is the director of WTK and a hardcore EXO-L. When not listening to EXO and fangirling over her bias Kai, she is watching/listening to/drooling over her other favorite groups, Super Junior and SHINee. She has followed EXO since their pre-debut days and has many moments from EXO’s history that make her proud. However, the ultimate moment from her fangirl life with EXO is when her bias wrecker Baekhyun held her hand during a concert. She is also not ashamed to admit that she made this list include 9 things just as a special nod to OT9.
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