Country: South Korea
Compound: 9 people
Direction: Pop, K-pop, Mandor-pop and R&B
Date of foundation: 2012
Label: SM Entertainment
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EXO/엑소- South Korean boy band consisting of 9 members belonging to the label SM Entertainment. The group was formed in 2011. Name " EXO" symbolizes an "exoplanet", i.e. a planet located outside the solar system. The group's debut took place on April 8, 2012, with the single "Mama", which had incredible success.
Although most boy bands debut with a sweet and beautiful song, EXO debuted with a strong and charismatic single " MAMA", which was written by the composer Yoo Youngjin. The song itself evokes a mystical feeling and has a powerful orchestral accompaniment, and the choreography of the track is top notch. Although the song's lyrics were criticized online, there were ultimately many more positive reviews. Thanks to this" MAMA"became recognizable and popular.
Before debut:
In January 2011 producer SM Entertainment, Lee Soo Man, spoke about the debut of a new boy group in March-April 2011, the possible name of which could be " M1". After which photographs of 7 alleged participants in a dance studio appeared on the Internet. In May 2011, at a business seminar at Stanford University Lee Soo Man gave a presentation that described the strategy for dividing the group into two subgroups, M1 And M2, and their promotion in South Korea and China, respectively. The group was supposed to hit the stage this month, but their debut was postponed until October.
In December 2011, the group chose the name " EXO"as final," Exo-K" for the South Korean subgroup and "Exo-M" for the Chinese subgroup. The 12 members were introduced individually through 23 different trailers released between December 2011 and February 2012. Kai, Luhan, Tao and Chen became the first 
presented by the foursome, who performed for the first time on television on December 29, 2011 at the channel’s annual show SBS Gayo Daejun.
2012: Debut and "MOM"
January 30, 2012 Exo-K And Exo-M posted a song "What Is Love" on iTunes and other paid online music services in China and South Korea. The track ranked 88th on the South Korean Gaon Single Chart.
On March 9, the group released their second track " History", written and produced by Thomas Troelsen and Remee. The song peaked at number 8 on the Gaon Single Chart and number 6 on China's Sina Music Chart.
On March 31, the group's first concert took place at the Seoul Olympic Stadium. About 3,000 fans out of 8,000 applicants were able to attend this concert. The group's second concert took place on April 1 in big hall University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.
April 8 Exo-K And Exo-M released their debut single " Mama", and on April 9 a video for this song was released. Also 8 
April Exo-K performed for the first time in Korean music show The Music Trend, while Exo-M held their first performance at Chinese show Top Chinese Music Awards.
The day after the release, the track " Mama"becomes number 1 on various Chinese online services and music charts. The album Exo-M ranked number two on the Chinese Sina Album Chart, number five on the Korean Gaon Album Chart and number twelve on the Billboard World Albums Chart. Album Exo-K becoming number one on the Gaon Album Chart and number eight on the Billboard World Albums Chart. Music video for the track " Mama" subgroups Exo-M ranks first on Chinese video services, while the video version Exo-K become seventh in YouTube's Global Chart.
At the end of April 2012, members of the subgroup Exo-M appear as invited guests on the show Super Junior - Super Show 4 concert tour in Jakarta, Indonesia.
In November 2012 EXO receive the "Best Asian Group" award at the show Mnet Asian Music Awards.Exo-K win three categories as "newcomers" at the 27th Golden Disk Awards. Exo-M won the "Most Popular Group" award at the 2013 Top Chinese Music Awards.
2013: return with "XOXO" and "Miracles in December"
In May 2013 SM Entertainment presented teaser photos of the first studio album EXO "XOXO". A distinctive feature of the new album from the previous one was joint promotion Exo-K And Exo-M title song" Wolf".
"XOXO"was released in June 2013 in two versions, Korean" Kiss"and Chinese" Hug". A few days after the release, songs from the album topped the charts of online music services in Korea and China. Both versions of the albums ranked ninth on the Billboard World Album Chart a week after the release. The title song " Wolf"topped the top thirty music charts in Korea and China, and also became number one in three Korean music programs, received a trophy on MBC Music's Show Champion and won the "Triple Win" title. 
Expanded version of the album " XOXO"with three additional tracks was released on August 5, 2013. The title track of the re-released album was " Growl", which was presented via YouTube on August 1, 2013 in music video format.
August 18" Growl"earned 10,554 views on The Music Trend charts, setting a new record." Growl"became number one on four major music shows in Korea, winning 10 awards within three weeks. The song peaked at number three on Billboard's Korea K-Pop Hot 100 and number two on Gaon's Singles chart.
At the end of August, 501,000 copies of the albums were sold out in South Korea alone, allowing EXO breaking the 2009 record and winning the title of "Best Selling Album" on Hanteo charts. Album sales reached 740,000 copies in September, breaking the record of 700,000 in three months for the first time in 12 years. And at the end of the year" XOXO" won Album of the Year at the 2013 Mnet Asian Music Awards, making EXO the youngest group to receive such an award. Track " Growl" was also awarded as "Song of the Year" at the 2013 MelOn Music Awards.
After the promotion ends" XOXO"The group has begun preparing a comeback with a mini-album "Miracles in December". In an interview with IQIYI in October, the members revealed that they are currently working on a new release and hope to receive support from fans. The album included six tracks, pre-orders for which amounted to over 400,000 copies, breaking a new record . "Miracles in December" was officially unveiled on December 9, and its promotion began with the group's special show "EXO's Showtime". And the first performance with the title song took place on December 5 on the stage of "M! Countdown".
2014: "Overdose", departure of Chris and Luhan
April 1, 2014 S.M. reported the group's upcoming return on April 15. This information was followed by the release of individual teasers and a message about the name of the new mini-album - " Overdose".
As promised, on April 15 during the official showcase EXO presented their album, as well as a music video for it. The promotion of the new release again had to take place separately, so EXO-K And EXO-M were preparing to perform in Korea and China, respectively. But due to the tragic event - the sinking of the Sewol ferry, the group's performance schedules were shifted, and some events were completely canceled. Therefore, the official release of the album took place not on April 21, but on May 7. However, it didn't stop" Overdose"receive "all-kill" status just seven hours after release.
May 15, S.M. Entertainment officially confirmed the leader's departure EXO-M Chris from the group after filing a claim for cancellation of the contract. For this reason, the remaining eleven members had to quickly rearrange their choreography in order to continue promotions.
And October 10 Luhan, following suit Chris, also filed a lawsuit against the company and left the group.
Group composition:
Stage name: Xiumin / Xiumin / 시우민
Real name: Kim Min Seok / Kim Min Seok / 김민석
Position in the group: Main dancer, vocalist
Date of birth: March 26, 1990
Place of birth: South Korea
Nationality: Korean
Zodiac sign: Aries
According to the Chinese horoscope: Horse
best friend: Tao
Nickname: "bun"
Favorite food: sweets and spicy pork
Favorite Celebrity: JJ Lin
Favorite movie: X-Men
Mother Xiumina asked him not to come close to tall members so that he would not look short.
I would like to borrow such qualities from the guys as: Chris's height, Luhan's brightness, ear for music Lei, Tao's muscles, Chen's singing skills.
Good at making spaghetti.
Helps the members clean up.
He loves cleanliness very much. If members want to enter his room, they must first take off the slippers they wear in the dorm itself.
In 2008, he was cast in S.M., taking second place in SM Everysing Contest. On January 26, 2012 he was officially introduced as the 7th member EXO.
Stage name: Suho / Suho / 수호
Real name: Kim Joon Myeon / Kim Joon Myeon / 김준면
Position in the group: Leader, vocalist
Date of birth: May 22, 1991
Place of birth: Seoul, South Korea
Nationality: Korean
Blood group: AB
Zodiac sign: Twins
According to the Chinese horoscope: Sheep
Favorite colors: Purple, gold
Ideal type of girl: well-read girl with long straight hair
Darling musical style
: funk rock
Examples to follow: Leeteuk is the leader of Super Junior and Yunho is the leader of TVXQ
Idol friends: Shinee: Junhyung, Taemin, Minho; Super Junior: Leeteuk, Donghae, Kyuhyun
Favorite movie: Pirates Caribbean
Favorite number
: 8
Favorite food: Sushi
Hobby: playing golf, cycling, studying acting
Favorite song: 4MEN - "Baby Baby"
Korean fans describe him as "성스럽다", which means "saint"
Was mentioned Kyuchen, V thank you letter to the album "Mr. Simple"
Kyuhyun calling Suho - "Joonmyunnie-ah"
Family: Big brother
Studies: I did well at school and also occupied active position in class. Was president of the class elementary school and vice-chairman at the high school. Currently studying acting at the Korea National University of the Arts.
Suho became the first member to join the label S.M.. He was spotted by SM managers on the street in 2006 and stayed as a trainee for 6 years.
Before debut: In 2007, he appeared in the Super Junior film "Attack on the Pin-Up Boys". In 2008, together with Kai and Chanyeol, he took part in the filming of the TVXQ video “HaHaHa Song”.
On February 15, 2012, Suho was officially introduced as the 10th member EXO
Stage name: Lay / Lay / 레이
Real name: Zhang Yi Xing / 장이씽
Position in the group: Lead Dancer, Vocalist
Date of birth: October 7, 1991
Place of birth: Changsha, Hunan Province, China
Nationality: Chinese
Blood group: A
Zodiac sign: Scales
According to the Chinese horoscope: Sheep
Favorite food: spicy, fried meat
Favorite actors and artists: Stephen Chow, Andy Lau, Jackie Chan, JJ Lin, Lee Hom, Jay Chou, Khalil Fong, Louis Koo, Justin Timberlake
Favorite movie genre: action
Favorite style of clothing: simple and neat English style
Ideal type of girl: kind, sweet and respectful of her parents
Favorite colors: black and purple
Darling musical genre:
ballad, dance-pop, hip-hop, R&B
Darling dance style:
popping, locking, breakdancing and LAStyle
Lei loves to cook.
Doesn't like people touching his neck.
According to Xiumina, Lay Mommy is the cook, and he is mommy the cleaning.
According to the members, Lei completely different on stage and in life.
He constantly mixes up his socks and puts on the first ones he comes across.
In his spare time he likes to compose songs and play the piano.
In 2008, a Chinese casting took place in S.M.. Before coming to SM Lei was a "local star" in China. He has appeared in various Chinese entertainment programs.
Before debut: Worked with SHINee to replace Jonghyun's dance parts for their concert tour.
On January 17, 2012, Lay was officially introduced as the 6th member of EXO.
Lei belongs to a dance group SM The Performance along with Kai.
Stage name: Baekhyun / 백현
Real name: Byun Baek Hyun / 변백현
Position in the group: Main Vocalist
Date of birth: May 6, 1992
Place of birth: Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
Nationality: Korean
Zodiac sign: Taurus
According to the Chinese horoscope: Monkey
Example to follow: Rain
Favorite song: The Ray - "Farewell Review"
Motto: "Life is just a journey filled with efforts"
Favorite colors: White, black and gray
Favorite movie genre: Sci-fi, action
Favorite music genre: R"n"B, Pop, Punk-Rock
Favorite musicians: Jamiroquai and Maroon 5
Name meaning: Inspiration, honor
Shares a room with Chanyeol.
I would take my girlfriend to see the cherry blossoms.
Damaged his eye from a fire outbreak during his debut on Inkigayo.
There were a lot of girl friends at school, because... they thought he was very charming.
He said that he behaved confidently in love relationships, although he had none.
I bought my gray cap along with Tao.
Tao still calls him "beef".
Kai believes that Baekhyun good at winking.
Chanyeol mentioned that Baekhyun listens to music and sings songs on a quiet street when he wants to relieve stress.
Kai said that Baekhyun many hidden talents.
Dry said that Baekhyun is the type of person who talks incessantly when he wakes up in the morning.
The first person he became close to in the group was Chanyeol. It turned out that he was a friend of his friend.
Often cannot sleep due to Chanyeol breathes very loudly in his sleep.
Family: Big brother
Studies: Graduated from Jungwon High School. At school he was a member of the school musical group.
S.M. noticed Baekhyun in 2011 while taking a music exam to enter college. He became one of last participants who joined EXO. And on January 30, 2012 he was officially introduced as the 9th member of the group.
Stage name: Chen / Chen / 첸
Real name: Kim Jong Dae / 김종대
Position in the group: Lead Vocalist
Date of birth: September 21, 1992
Place of birth: South Korea
Nationality: Korean
Zodiac sign: Virgo
According to the Chinese horoscope: Monkey
Nicknames:"ChenChen", "Orange"
Ideal type of girl: a girl older than him who will take care of him
Favorite style of clothing: simple, no frills and not very bright clothes
Favorite ice cream flavor: chocolate with mint
Idol friend: Super Junior's Kyuhyun
Favorite food: lamb shish kebab (lamb kebab)
When I asked him who he would be if he had not become part of EXO, Chen answered - a fan Leya.
He loves to sing and can play the piano.
Doesn't like people touching his ears.
He doesn't like games because he always loses at them.
Mandarin ducks count Chen the best in fan service.
Considers himself very stubborn.
Family: Big brother
Early 2011 Chen became one of the latest EXO members to join SM.
And on December 29, 2011, Chen was officially introduced as the 4th member of EXO. Together with Tao, Luhan and Kai made his first appearance on December 29, 2011 on SBS's "Gayo Daejun".
Stage name: Chanyeol / Chanyeol / 찬열
Real name: Park Chan Yeol / Park Chan Yeol / 박찬열
Position in the group: Main rapper
Date of birth: November 27, 1992
Place of birth: Seoul, South Korea
Nationality: Korean
Blood group: A
Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
According to the Chinese horoscope: Monkey
Musical instruments: Drums, guitar, bass guitar and djembe (a type of drum)
Examples to follow: Jason Mraz and Eminem
One day Chanyeol Broke a tooth on a fork while eating chicken.
Old nickname Chanyeol"storm sociability"
Chanyeol fan f(x).
Chanyeol, Baekhyun and Lay are the funniest members of the group.
Baekhyun said that Chanyeol snores like an old, dying man when he sleeps.
Chanyeol And Baekhyun love to play online games.
He definitely needs to hold someone's hands in order to feel protected.
When he was a trainee, he liked to sneak into the rehearsal room and watch them dance DBSK.
Family: Older sister
Studies: Graduated from Hyundai Chungun High School in Ulsan. I fell in love with music in elementary school. And after watching the movie " School of Rock", decided to learn to play the drums. In middle school, Chanyeol and his best friends formed a music group called "Heavy Noise".
In 2008, after taking second place in a television modeling competition, he entered SM.
Before debut: In 2008, together with Suho and Kai, he participated in the filming of the TVXQ video “HaHaHa Song”. In 2010 appeared in Japanese video Girls' Generation - "Genie".
On February 23, 2012 he was officially introduced as the last 12th member EXO.
Stage name: D.O / 디오
Real name: Do Kyung Soo / Do Kyung Soo / 도경수
Position in the group: Lead Vocalist
Date of birth: January 12, 1993
Place of birth: Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
Nationality: Korean
Zodiac sign: Capricorn
According to the Chinese horoscope: Rooster
Ideal type of girl: EXO fan.
Example to follow: Boys 2 Men.
Favorite song: Travie McCoy - "Billionaire".
Shares a room with Kai.
Didn't want anyone to know he was a trainee S.M., so I didn’t tell anyone.
Likes to eat pasta with kimchi.
He wants/wanted to become a chef, so he often cooks for his classmates.
Once said that he would like to try to be a stylist or even a fashion designer.
Good at housekeeping.
When the guys come back from training they throw their things all over the place, so Dio Grumbles a lot until they clean up.
Since elementary school, one of my hobbies has been beatboxing.
Doesn't like emoticons.
I would like to meet Amanda Seyfried.
Family: Big brother
Studies: Started singing in elementary school. He constantly participated in local singing competitions throughout his high school years.
Having won a local song festival in 2010, he was recommended for audition in S.M.. Was a trainee for the last 2 years of high school S.M.. At the audition for the agency, he performed songs Na Yoon Kwon - "Anticipation" and B rowneyed Soul - "My Story".
Before debut: He took part in the recording of f(x)'s song "Goodbye Summer" for their second album Pink Tape.
January 30, 2012 D.O. was officially introduced as the 8th member EXO.
Stage name: Kai / Kai / 카이
Real name: Kim Jong In / Kim Jong In / 김종인
Position in the group: Lead Dancer, Vocalist, Rapper
Date of birth: January 14, 1994
Place of birth: Seoul, South Korea
Nationality: Korean
Blood group: A
Zodiac sign: Capricorn
According to the Chinese horoscope: Dog
Favorite movie: "Billy Elliot"
Favorite colors: red, black, sky blue
Favorite number - 1
Favorite music genre: R&B, Hip Hop
Example to follow: Michael Jackson
Motto: "I would rather bend than break"
Idol Best Friend: SHINee's Taemin
AND ideal type of girl: Actress Han Ye Seul
Hobby: reading books, dancing, music
Favorite places to visit: SM practice room, company rooftop
Shares a room with Dio.
U Kaya has the nickname "Kaura" (a portmanteau of the name "Kai" and the word "aura") because of the aura he exudes on stage during performances.
If possible, I would like to take part in a musical with all members of the group.
Despite the fact that Kai was in more than half of the group's teasers and acquired the nickname "King of Teasers", he was not recognized on the street before his debut.
Not one of those people who cares about age.
She considers her dark skin to be the sexiest.
Unlike many, he calls the hostel not just a hostel, but a home.
At first I felt awkward calling myself by my stage name.
He has a lucky bracelet that his parents gave him. Whenever he gets nervous, he touches this bracelet.
When guys play sports games if Kai and Chanyeol are on the same team, they always win.
Kai- “king of games”, he almost never loses at anything.
Can't do cute things, especially aegyo.
Kai And Chris are the members whose names are most often entered into the Google search engine.
Family: 2 older sisters
Studies: Graduated from the School of Performing Arts in Seoul. Known as EXO's "lead dancer", Kai began dancing (jazz dance and ballet) at age 8. At the request of his parents, he attended classes in taekwondo and playing the piano, but they did not arouse any interest in Kai. After watching the Nutcracker ballet in fourth grade, he decided to take up professional ballet.
At the age of 13, having won the 10th SM Youth Best Contest in 2007, Kai was the second participant EXO, signed a contract with SM. He was inspired to become a singer by the group Shinhwa. Kai gained skills in hip-hop, popping and locking after joining S.M..
Before debut: In 2008, he took part in the filming of the TVXQ video “HaHaHa Song” together with Suho and Chanyeol.
On December 23, 2011, Kai became the 1st officially introduced member of EXO. And on December 29, 2011, he performed for the first time on the SBS show "Gayo Daejun" together with Luhan, Chen and Tao.
Also Kai along with Lujan is part of the group Younique Unit and together with Lay dance group member SM The Performance.
Stage name: Sehun / Sehun / 세훈
Real name: Oh Se Hun / Oh Se Hun / 오세훈
Position in the group: Main dancer, vocalist, rapper, maknae (junior in the group)
Date of birth: April 12, 1994
Place of birth: Seoul, South Korea
Nationality: Korean
Zodiac sign: Aries
According to the Chinese horoscope: Dog
Favorite music genre: HipHop
Favorite food: meat and sushi
Ideal type of girl: actress Choi Ji Woo
Idol Best Friend: Super Junior's Donghae
Example to follow: Boa and TVXQ
Shares a room with Suho.
Was a model for ulzzang.
When Sehun found out that the mayor of Seoul has the same name as him, decided that he simply needed to become someone even more significant. That's why I wanted to become president.
In elementary school I was involved in rock climbing.
Believes that they are Kai like "black and white".
Dreams that EXO just like SHINHWA, released discs 10 years later.
One of the members who doesn't get fat.
Gets close to people quickly.
All the members said that Sehun worst of all remembers dance movements and his parts in songs.
Likes to drink bubble tea with Lujan.
Family: Big brother
Studies: In February 2013 he graduated from the School of Performing Arts in Seoul.
At the age of 12, he was noticed by SM managers on the street. He participated in various castings for two years and finally signed a contract with SM in 2008.
On January 10, 2012, Sehun became the 5th officially introduced member of EXO.
Sehun took part in the filming of the video Girls" Generation-TTS - "Twinkle" along with Baekhyun, Chanyeol and Kai. Was a featured guest with Chanyeol in the second episode of the sitcom 2013 "Royal Villa"
Former members:
Stage name: Kris / Kris / 크리스
Real name: Wu Yi Fan / 우이판
Date of birth: November 6, 1990
Place of birth: Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
Nationality: Chinese
Zodiac sign: Scorpion
According to the Chinese horoscope: Horse
Left the group in May 2014
Stage name: Luhan / Luhan / 루한
Real name: Lu Han / Lu Han / 루한
Date of birth: April 20, 1990
Place of birth: Haidian, Beijing, China
Nationality: Chinese
Zodiac sign: Taurus
Chinese horoscopes: Horse
Left the group in October 2014
Stage name: Tao / Tao / 타오 
Real name: Huang Zi Tao / 황지타오
Date of birth: 02 May 1993
Place of birth: Qingdao, China
Nationality: Chinese
Zodiac sign: Taurus
According to the Chinese horoscope: Rooster
Left the group in August 2015
2012-2013:
In December 2011, SM Entertainment announced the formation of a new K-pop group called EXO. Since then, SM Entertainment has been representing EXO members by releasing teaser videos, and on March 7, 2012, the full lineup of the group was revealed. EXO is divided into two subgroups: EXO-K (K-pop) and EXO-M (Mandarin-pop). In the first, the performers sing in Korean, while the second is aimed at the Chinese market. Main idea EXO group: each track, single, video of the group will have two versions, Chinese and Korean, respectively. In 2012, EXO released two videos for the tracks “MAMA” and “History”.
On March 25, SM Entertainment released a teaser video for the group's debut show 'EXO-SHOWCASE' on their official channel. The show took place on March 31st in Korea (for EXO-K) and April 1st in China (for EXO-M). In total, more than 8,000 spectators attended. “SHOWCASE” is a small concert of the group, during which, in addition to demonstrating their talents and skills, the participants talk about themselves and answer questions from fans from all over the world. "SHOWCASE" became a popular event among debutants in 2012.
The group's official debut date is April 8th. On April 8, the official performances of the groups took place, as promised, on the same day in both countries. EXO-K performed on SBS's music show 'Inkigayo', while EXO-M held their performance at a film festival in China. The group's debut single is "MAMA". Ahead of the group's first official appearance on the music scene, SM Entertainment has released music videos for their debut single. And, on April 9, the first mini-album of the group “MAMA” was released (in two versions). Following the completion of promotions, the group embarked on a general label tour called SMTown.
A year after their debut, the group returned to the music scene with their first full-length album. The album was called “XOXO ~Kiss&Hug~”. Just like the previous one, it consists of two parts: “XOXO - Kiss” for the subgroup EXO-K and “XOXO - Hug” for the subgroup EXO-M. In addition to new tracks, the album included two songs: “My Lady”, “Baby, Don’t Cry”, which viewers could hear in the debut teaser videos of the participants. The title song of the album was the track “Wolf” (in a mixed style of hip-hop and dubstep, with a powerful beat), for which a video was presented. Based on the concept of the main track, EXO / EXO-K & EXO-M appeared before the audience as wolf people.
With the promotion of “Wolf”, the group managed to win their first awards: on June 14 at the music show “Music Bank” and the next at the music show “Show! Music Core". Exactly one year after their debut, EXO took home the award, proving that they are one of the best newcomers in the music scene.
On August 5, the reformatted album was released. The title track was the song “Growl”, for which the group presented videos. With the promotion of "Growl", the group managed to collect 12 awards on music shows, including the Triple Crown on "Show Champion" and "Inkigayo".
As of September 5, EXO's full-length album "XOXO (Kiss&Hug)" broke a new record by selling 740,000 copies just three months after its release! Since September 3 KST, EXO has sold 424,260 copies of the regular version of their album "XOXO" which was released on June 3 and 312,899 copies of its re-release released in August, bringing the total to 737,159 copies sold! S.M. Entertainment stated:
“According to the Korean Music Industry Association, EXO is the first artist to break the sales record of over 700,000 units (a record that has stood since 2012).”
On July 15, the group presented the first episode of the video drama, and on September 4, the second episode was released. Viewers will see a whole series with the participation of the guys, the musical accompaniment is songs from the album (the first and reformatted). Just like the group's music videos, the drama includes two versions for the Korean and Chinese markets.
Completing such a successful year, on December 9, the group presented the winter mini-album “Miracles in December”. On December 5, the group presented a video for the album's title track of the same name, which featured EXO's main vocalists, while the remaining tracks were recorded full staff.
2014-2015:
The group's comeback with their second mini-album "Overdose" was scheduled for April 15, 2014, but due to the Sewol ferry tragedy, the group's comeback did not occur until May 7.
On May 15, 2014, EXO-M subgroup member and leader Chris (Wu Yifan) filed a lawsuit to terminate his contract. At the moment, the contract problem has not been resolved, and Yifan is engaged in solo activities.
From May 23rd to 25th, EXO held their first solo concert- EXO From EXO Planet #1 - The Lost Planet. The guys performed with this program until October, giving concerts in different Asian countries.
On August 4, 2014, SM Entertainment officially announced EXO's fandom name as EXO-L. L stands for Love. Also, L is the letter that is between K and M. The letter L represents fans who support both subgroups: EXO-K and EXO-M. In addition, the group launched an official website. As of January 1, 2015, the site has a total of over 2.9 million members.
On October 10, 2014, EXO-M subgroup member Luhan (Lu Han) filed a lawsuit to terminate the contract, but at the moment, both parties have not reached an agreement. Luhan is also busy with solo activities.
On March 7, 8, 13, 14 and 15, the second solo concert - EXO PLANET #2 - The EXO'luXion took place in Seoul. On March 27, the pre-release of the title track of the second full-length album “EXODUS” took place, and on March 30, the release took place. With the title song "Call Me Baby," EXO won 17 awards on music shows, breaking their own record for previous comebacks.
On April 16, Chinese media reported that Tao was leaving EXO, but the company denied the rumors. However, just a few days later, Tao's father released a statement asking him to leave his son from SM, explaining that Tao was not receiving adequate support from the company, but was also exposed to too many health risks. On the same day, SM released a statement in response, claiming that they were currently in negotiations with Tao's father. After the release of the message from Tao's father, the company's shares fell to a record low.
Tao officially left EXO and began pursuing solo activities.
On June 2, EXO released a video for the title song of the re-released album EXODUS - Love Me Right, and the album was released on June 3. The comeback consisted of 9 people.
On August 24, Tao officially filed a lawsuit at the Seoul Central Court to terminate his contract with SM Entertainment and permanently leave EXO. His legal representative was the same person who worked with Lujan and Chris. The company, in turn, issued a statement in response, saying that they were filing retaliatory lawsuits and would take other legal action in connection with Tao's illegal activities in both Korea and China.
One of the most popular South Korean groups last decade critics call the boy band EXO. The biography of the team began with resounding success and continues to develop along the same track. How did this story begin, what did you have to go through and what successes were achieved? More on this later.
EXO: group biography
The group was first mentioned by Korean music mogul Lee Soo Man. He shared his thoughts about the upcoming project with participants at a seminar at Stanford in May 2011.
The producer said that he plans to create a team divided into two groups. One will sing for the Chinese market, and the second for the South Korean market. At the same time, the style and music are exactly the same.
At that time, the working name of the team was “M1”, but no one knew anything about the composition yet. After dozens of castings and reviews, the group members became:
- Oh Se Hong.
- Kim Jun Myung.
- Zhang Yi Xing.
- Kim Min Seok.
- Kim Jongdae.
- Byun Baek Hyun.
- Do Kyung Soo.
- Park Chanyeol.
- Kim Jongin.
- Wu Yi Fan.
- Huang Qi Tao.
- Lu Han.
The name had to be changed to EXO. It comes from the astronomical term 'echoplanet' - a planetoid located outside the solar system. The twelve participants were divided into two lineups: Exo-K and Exo-M. The former performed on the Korean stage, and the latter sang songs in Chinese in the north of China.
The guys first appeared in public on December 29, 2011. The test took place at a festival organized by SBS, the largest television and radio company in South Korea.
Having assessed the reaction of the audience, the producer gave the go-ahead to record the first single, What Is Love. The composition entered the top 100 of the Gaon Music Chart. The second test song History was also expected to be a success.
At the end of March 2012, EXO performed at the Chamshil Stadium. A week later, the first full-length song Mama was released. The single immediately soared to the top of music ratings. The same fate awaited the album of the same name, released a few days later.
The versions of the Mama album of both subgroups occupied approximately the same positions in the world and national ratings, but the Korean version was still ahead of the adaptation for the Chinese market.
The result of the first year of work was the title of “Best Asian Boy Band” according to the Mnet Asian Music Awards show, victory in three categories at the 27 Golden Disk Awards and the “Most Popular” award musical group"at the Top Chinese Music Awards.
During the first half of 2013, EXO worked on recording their second album “XOXO”. The collection was presented at the end of June, and it immediately received enthusiastic support from fans. Unlike the first disc, the guys were promoting “XOXO” in full force. In addition, all twelve performers participated in the recording of the song Wolf.
The Chinese and Korean versions of the albums entered the top 10 on the Billboard World Album Chart seven days after release. And a month later the guys released an extended generation of the collection with the main song Growl. Soon this single collected a dozen national awards.
By mid-autumn, more than a million people had bought the album, allowing EXO to become the most commercially successful Korean boy band of the early 21st century. At the same time, the composition Growl earned the title “Single of the Year” (according to the Mnet Asian Music Awards).
It seemed like a great end to the year, but the guys didn’t stop there. Immediately after the end of promotions for "XOXO", the group announced that they are already working on a new mini-compilation, Miracles in December, and hope for support from fans.
And they got it. Even before the release, the number of purchase requests exceeded 400 thousand copies, which already guaranteed success.
The spring of 2014 was marked by three events for EXO:
- New record for pre-orders.
Before the release of the new collection, the group's management received 660 thousand applications. This made the future mini-album the record holder for this indicator in the entire history of show business.
- Release of the album Overdose.
- Two team members leaving.
In early May, the main vocalist of the Chinese division of EXO, Wu Yi Fan, nicknamed Chris, filed a lawsuit against the production agency to terminate his contract. The official reason is violation of human rights.
Six months later, another participant followed his example - Lu Han, who complained of health problems and the inability to normally participate in the life of the team.
Over the next two years, EXO released five more studio albums. The last of these was The War, which was released in May 2017. Less than a month after release, sales crossed the million-copy mark.
Unfortunately, by this time another member had left the team. Huang Qi Tao, nicknamed Tao, terminated his contract with the agency due to a sharp deterioration in his health. Apparently, the load for the guy was excessive.
At the beginning of 2018, the group included nine guys. All of them play an important role in creating a vocal and dance show. A few words about each of the participants:
- Kim Min Seok (Xiumin).
He joined the group after winning the SM Everysing Contest casting. Then he was barely eighteen years old. In 2012, he became the main dancer of the group EXO, and also performs vocal parts. Among his friends they call him “bun”. Experiences a complex due to his short stature.
- Kim Jun Myung (Suho).
Band leader and main vocalist. He has an innate talent to lead people. He was class president in elementary school and vice-president in high school. She studies acting and loves to ride a bike. Before joining the group he played cameo role in the movie Super Junior.
The only Chinese in EXO. Plays the role of lead dancer and vocalist. Before joining the boy band, he appeared on local variety shows and also served as a substitute in Jon Hyun's dance performances. Likes to cook, play the piano and write songs.
- Byun Baek Hyun (Baekhyun).
In his youth he was in school music group. Then the guy already knew that he would connect his life with creativity. Fate provided a chance at the entrance exams in music college. There he was noticed by an agency representative and offered to become the main vocalist of a new boy band.
Last to join the group. First performed with the group at the SBS Gayo Daejun festival.
He considers himself a stubborn person, but does not like to play at anything, since he is constantly left with his nose. When asked what he would have become if not for his career in EXO, Chen replies: “A fan of Lay.” Hobbies are playing the keyboard and singing.
- Park Chanyeol (Chanyeol).
I became interested in music after watching School of Rock. Learned to play the drums and organized own group Heavy Noise. He became a member of EXO after a modeling competition. The team is listed as the main rapper.
Before the boy band gained widespread recognition, Chanyeol starred in the video for TVXQ's HaHaHa Song with Kai and Suho.
- Do Kyung Soo (D.O).
I started singing in elementary school. In 2010, after winning another competition, he was recommended to a production center that was promoting a new boy band.
As a child, he dreamed of becoming a chef, so he often cooks for his friends. After finishing my career I would like to try myself as a stylist or clothing designer.
One of the most promising artists of the EXO team. Kai is not only the main dancer, but also a vocalist.
In addition to his main job, Kai is a dance group The Performance, and also performs together with Lu Han, who left the boy band, in the group Younique Unit.
He has been dancing since the age of eight, inspired by watching the ballet “The Nutcracker.” Before coming to the stage, he performed at ballet competitions of various sizes.
- Oh Se Hoon (Sehun).
He plays the role of rapper, dancer and vocalist. I got into EXO thanks to incredible perseverance. The manager of the SN agency, which promotes the boy band, noticed the guy when he was 12 years old. Sehun went through dozens of auditions until he signed a contract in 2008.
Before the advent of popularity, he appeared in the TTS group’s video for the song Girl’s Generation. As a child, he dreamed of becoming president in order to surpass the importance of the mayor of Seoul (2006‒2011), who is his full namesake.
WITH creative activity There are so many facts related to the team that it is impossible to fit them all into one article. However, some of them need to be mentioned:
- In May 2014, tickets for the group's first solo concert sold out in 1 minute 47 seconds. Then 3 thousand people out of 8 thousand declared were able to attend the performance.
In the spring of 2015, their popularity increased many times over. Therefore, EXO performed five concerts in seven days in Seoul alone. In total, about a million spectators wanted to attend the performance.
- In five years, EXO has released nine albums. Each of them beat the records of the previous one. Thus, the latest album The War set a historical record for pre-orders. Even before the release, the collection was paid for by 800 thousand people.
EXO also holds the record for an unbroken streak of Album of the Year wins. Their collections have won the Mnet Asian Music Awards three times since 2013.
Total sales of the four studio albums, excluding mini-compilations and re-released versions, exceeded 5 million copies - an unprecedented figure for the Asian market.
- Successful sales are largely due to quality promotion. The boy band is extremely active in the media space. Guys often appear in entertainment shows, in episodes of TV series and at social evenings.
However, they are not limited to this. Since 2012, six reality shows have been released on Korean and Chinese television, as well as two television series. On air, the stars played various games related to music and vocals, talked about themselves and interacted with fans.
EXO is an example of a successful combination of talent, hard work and marketing. Their performances are not just a show, they are a real celebration of creativity. A clear confirmation of their success are tens of millions of fans not only in Asia, but throughout the world. Do you like EXO?
EXO-K Videos:
EXO-K - What Is Love
EXO-K - History (Russian sub.)
EXO-K - MAMA (Russian sub.)
EXO-M Videos:
EXO-M - What Is Love
EXO-M - History (Russian sub.)
EXO-M - MAMA (Russian sub.)
EXO Videos:
EXO - Wolf (Russian sub.)
EXO - Wolf (Russian sub.)
EXO - Growl (Russian sub.)
EXO - Growl (Russian sub.)
EXO - Growl
EXO - Growl
EXO - Miracles in December (Russian sub.)
EXO - Miracles in December (Russian sub.)
EXO - Overdose (Russian sub.)
EXO - Overdose (Russian sub.)
EXO Drama:
EXO - Drama Korean ver. Ep.1-2
EXO - Drama Chinese ver. Ep.1-2
EXO as actors:
TaeTiSeo (Chanyeol, Baekhyun, Kai, Sehun) - TWINKLE (Russian sub.)
K.Will (ChanYeol) - You Don't Know Love
JIN (XiuMin) - Gone (Russian sub.)
Zhang Li Yin (Tao) - Agape (Russian sub.)
OST:
SM Town (Lu Han, D.O) – Dear My Family (Russian sub.)
Chen - Best Luck (Russian sub.)
Wu Yi Fan (Kris) - Time Boils The Rain (Russian sub.)
Covers:
Baekhyun, Chen, D.O. - Paradise (Russian sub.)
Suho - To My Mother
SeHun - Yo! MV (Russian sub.)
Project groups:
Younique Unit (Lu Han, Kai) - MAXSTEP (Russian sub.)
S.M. The Performance (Lay, Kai) – Spectrum (Russian sub.)
S.M. The Ballad (Chen, Zhang Liyin) - BREATH (Russian sub.)
LIVE video:
BoA & LuHan - Only One
BoA & SeHun - Only One
EXO & SHINee
Henry, ChanYeo - 1-4-3 ~I Love You~ (Russian sub.)
Chen, Baekhyun - Really I Didn't Know (Russian sub.)
EXO - Still A Dark Night
EXO & SNSD / Girls" Generation - Marry You (Russian sub.)
TaeMin & Kai - PRETTY BOY (Russian sub.)
Group dramas:
2018 - (Sehun and Kai)
2018 - (Kai)
2018 - (Kai)
2018 - (in leading role Tao)
2017 - (starring Luhan)
2017 - (starring Lay)
2016 - (co-starring Kai)
2016 - (starring Lay)
2016 - (starring Kai)
2012 - (episode 2)
General concerts and tours:
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TV-Show with the participation of the group:
- - episode No. 4, 5, 7
- - episode No. 18, 21
- - episode #9
- - episode #131
- - episode No. 171-172
- - episode No. 1-2
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- - episode #18
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EXO / 엑소 / EXO is a Chinese-South Korean boy band consisting of 12 members. The group is divided into two subgroups: EXO-K, aimed at the Korean market, and EXO-M, aimed at the Chinese market. Official debut: April 8-9, 2012. During 2014, two members left the group, the label decided to leave the subgroups and develop EXO of 10 members under one name, as a single group.
2012:
- Award "Best" New Group Asia" (full composition)
- Tower Record (K-Pop Lovers! Awards): "Best Rookie of the Year (First-Half)" Award (full lineup)
- Award "Best" appearance at the event" (full composition)
- Most Popular Rookie Group of the Year Award (EXO-M)
- 19th Korean Entertainment Art Awards: Rookie Singer Awards (EXO-K)
- Arirang's Simply K-Pop Awards: "Super Idol Rookie of the Year" (EXO-K) Award
2013:
- Golden Disk Awards: "Best Newcomer Award" (with the album "MAMA", in full)
- Arirang's Simply K-Pop Awards6 "Super Idol Rookie of the Year" Award (EXO-K)
- : Top 10 Award (Bonsang)
- : Song of the Year Award
- : Netizen Popularity Award
- KBS Music Festival: Song of the Year Award (for "Growl")
- MTV Europe Music Awards: " Best Performer Asia", "Best Korean Performer"
- Seoul Music Awards: "Best Newcomer Award", "Daesang" Main Award
- So-Loved Awards: Album of the Year Award (for the album "XOXO")
- So-Loved Awards: Award "Song of the Year" (for the track "Growl")
- Soompi Awards: Artist of the Year Award
- Soompi Awards: Album of the Year Award (for the album "XOXO")
- Soompi Awards: Award "Song of the Year" (for the track "Growl")
- Top Chinese Music Awards: Most Popular Group Award
- 1st Yinyuetai V-Chart Awards: Most Popular Artist in China Award
- 1st Hawaii International Music Awards Festival: Artist of the Year Award
- Asia Young Style Awards: Most Popular Group Award
- Allkpop Awards: "Best Korean Boy Group" Award
- 2013 Korean Updates Awards: "Greatest Achievement of the Year Award"
- 2013 Baidu Music Awards: Most Popular Group Award
- 2013 Eat Your Kimchi Youtube Awards: Best dance number of the Year" (for production in "Growl")
2014:
- Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards: Mobile Popularity Award
- Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards: Album of the Year Award (Q3, XOXO)
- Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards: Album of the Year Award (for the 4th quarter, the album "Miracles in December")
- Golden Disk Awards: "Disk Daesang Award" and "Disk Bonsang Award" (for the album "XOXO")
- Korean Music Awards: "Group of the Year" and "Best Dance Song" (for "Growl")
- Seoul Music Awards: Record of the Year Award (for the album "XOXO")
- Seoul Music Awards: Main award"Daesang" (for the track "Growl")
- World Music Awards: "Best Korean Artist" and "Best World Song" (for the track "Growl")
- iF Design Awards: "Best Packaging Design" award (for the album "XOXO")
- iF Design Awards: "Best Packaging Design" award (for the re-released album "Growl")
- 2014 MYX Music Awards: “Best Music Video” (for the video “Wolf”)
- Korean Entertainment Art Awards: Group Singer Award
- 2nd Yinyuetai V-Chart Awards: Album of the Year Award - Korea (for the album "XOXO")
- 26th Korean PD Awards: Best Performance Award
- 18th Chinese Music Awards: "Asia's Most Influential Group Award"
2012: Education and debut
In December 2011, SM Entertainment announced the formation of a new pop group called EXO.
Since then, SM Entertainment has been representing EXO members by releasing teaser videos, and on March 7, 2012, the full lineup of the group was revealed.
The EXO group is divided into two subgroups: EXO-K (i.e. K-pop) and EXO-M (i.e. Mandor-pop). EXO-K has performers singing in Korean, while EXO-M is aimed at the Chinese market.
The main idea of the EXO group: each track, single, and video of the group will have two versions, Chinese and Korean, respectively.
In 2012, EXO released two videos for the tracks “What Is Love” and “History”.
On March 25, SM Entertainment released a teaser video for the group's debut show "EXO-SHOWCASE" on their official channel.
The show took place on March 31st in Korea (for EXO-K) and April 1st in China (for EXO-M). In total, more than 8,000 spectators attended.
"SHOWCASE" is a small concert of the group during which, in addition to demonstrating their talents and skills, the participants talk about themselves and answer questions from fans from all over the world. "SHOWCASE" became a popular event among debutants in 2012.
The group's official debut date is April 8-9.
On April 8, the official performances of the groups took place, as promised on the same day in both countries. EXO-K performed on SBS's music show "Inkigayo" while EXO-M performed at a film festival in China. The group's debut single is "MAMA".
Ahead of the group's first official appearance on the music scene, SM Entertainment has released music videos for their debut single. And, on April 9, the first mini-album of the group “MAMA” was released (in two versions).
Upon completion of promotions, the group went on a general label tour called SMTown.
2013: First album
A year after their debut, the group returned to the music scene with their first full-length album.
The album was called “XOXO ~Kiss&Hug~”. Just like the previous one, it consists of two parts: “XOXO – Kiss” for the EXO-K subgroup and “XOXO – Hug” for the EXO-M subgroup.
In addition to new tracks, the album included two songs: “My Lady”, “Baby, Don’t Cry”, which viewers could hear in the debut teaser videos of the participants. The title song of the album was the track “Wolf” (in a mixed style of hip-hop and dubstep, with a powerful beat), for which a video was presented. Based on the concept of the main track, EXO / EXO-K & EXO-M will appear before the audience in the form of wolf people.
This time, EXO / EXO-K & EXO-M will be promoting as a full group, first in Korea, then in China, and at the end of the year, the group will again split into two subgroups.
With the promotion of "Wolf", the group managed to win their first awards: on June 14 at the music show "Music Bank" and the next at the music show "Show! Music Core". A shitty year after their debut, EXO won the award, proving that they are one of the best newcomers in the music scene.
On August 5, the reformatted album was released. The title track was the song "Growl", for which the group presented videos.
With the promotion of "Growl", the group managed to collect 12 awards on music shows, including the Triple Crown on "Show Champion" and "Inkigayo".
As of September 5, EXO's full-length album "XOXO (Kiss&Hug)" broke a new record by selling 740,000 copies just three months after its release!
Since September 3 KST, EXO has sold 424,260 copies of the regular version of their album "XOXO" which was released on June 3 and 312,899 copies of its re-release released in August, bringing the total to 737,159 copies sold!
stated: "According to the Korean Music Industry Association, EXO is the first artist to break a sales record of over 700,000 (a record that has stood since 2012)".
On July 15, the group presented the first episode of the video drama, and on September 4, the second episode was released. Viewers will see a whole series with the participation of the guys, the musical accompaniment is songs from the album (the first and reformatted).
Just like the group's music videos, the drama includes two versions for the Korean market and the Chinese market.
Completing such a successful year, on December 9 the group presented the winter mini-album “Miracles in December”. On December 5, the group presented a video for the title track of the album of the same name, in which the main vocalists of EXO took part, the rest of the tracks were recorded by the full lineup.
2014: Second mini-album, first concert, and...
On May 7, the third mini-album entitled . This time the label decided to separate the groups like during their debut. EXO-K were busy at home, EXO-M went to China to promote their new mini-album. On the day of the album's release, the label presented the audience with a video for the title track of the same name.
New album, new, the group has its first solo concert ahead. But on May 15, the media presented shocking information: “Chris, the leader of the Chinese subgroup, sued the label demanding that his contract be terminated.” What caused the participant to do this remains unknown. The measures that the company will take are also not yet known, but the group’s first solo concert, which will take place on May 23, will take place without Chris’s participation.
In July, it became known that representatives of Chris and the company did not find common ground and did not agree to a settlement; as a result, the first court hearing on the issue of termination of the contract between the artist and the label will take place in August. Kris is no longer a member of EXO.
On October 10, the media stunned everyone with new news: “LuHan filed a lawsuit to terminate the contract.” LuHan's case is being handled by the same lawyer as Chris' case. The young man announced that he is currently suspending his activities in show business. As his friends and parents say, LuHan needs rest, and this was the main reason for leaving EXO.
A few days after the statement, representatives of the label clarified the situation regarding the group’s activities: “Starting October 13, I will move as a single group of ten people, there will no longer be divisions into EXO-K and EXO-M!”
