Exo (group)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search

Exo

Exo in June 2016

From left to right,

standing: Baekhyun, Chen, Lay, Sehun, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai

From left to right, kneeling: Suho, Xiumin

Background information

Origin Seoul, South Korea

• K-pop
Genres
• R&B
• hip hop

• EDM

• electropop

• dance-pop

Years active 2012–present

Labels • SM

• Avex

Associated acts • SM Town

• Exo-CBX
• Exo-SC

• SuperM
 Website exo.smtown.com

Members • Xiumin

• Suho

• Lay

• Baekhyun

• Chen

• Chanyeol

• D.O.

• Kai

• Sehun

Past members • Luhan

• Kris

• Tao

Exo (Korean: 엑소; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean-Chinese boy band based
in Seoul, consisting of nine
members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai and Sehun. The
band was formed by SM Entertainment in 2011 and debuted in 2012. Their music—
released and performed in Korean, Mandarin, and Japanese—primarily
incorporates pop, hip-hop, and R&B, including elements of electronic dance
music genres such as house and trap. The band ranked as one of the top five most
influential celebrities on the Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list from 2014 to 2018 and
have been labeled "Kings of K-pop" and the "Biggest boyband in the world" by various
media outlets.
The band debuted with twelve members separated into two sub-groups: Exo-K (Suho,
Baekhyun, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, and Sehun) and Exo-M (Xiumin, Lay, Chen, and former
members Kris, Luhan, and Tao). Kris, Luhan, and Tao departed the group individually
amid legal battles in 2014 and 2015. Exo-K and Exo-M performed music in Korean and
Mandarin, respectively, until the release of their third EP Overdose in 2014. Since 2015,
Exo have exclusively performed as one group while continuing to release and perform
music in multiple languages. Members Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin debuted as the
sub-unit Exo-CBX in 2016, and members Sehun and Chanyeol began promoting as the
sub-unit Exo-SC in 2019. Each member also maintains solo careers in music, film and
television.
Exo's first album XOXO (2013), released alongside breakthrough single "Growl", was a
critical and commercial success; it sold over one million copies, which made Exo the
first Korean artist to do so in twelve years. Their later works also had strong sales, with
their Korean studio albums each selling over one million copies. Exo's sixth
album, Don't Mess Up My Tempo (2018), became their highest-charting album on the
US Billboard 200, debuting at number 23, and their best selling album in South Korea,
where it sold over 1.9 million copies.
Exo have won numerous awards throughout their career, including five
consecutive Album of the Year awards at the Mnet Asian Music Awards and two
consecutive Artist of the Year awards at the Melon Music Awards, and have performed
over 100 concerts across four headlining tours and multiple joint tours. Outside of
music, the band members have endorsement deals with brands such as Nature
Republic and Samsung and participate in philanthropic efforts such as Smile For U, an
ongoing project by SM Entertainment and UNICEF that began in 2015.

Contents

• 1Background
• 2History
o 2.12006–2012: Formation and early years
o 2.22013–2014: Commercial success
o 2.32015: Critical acclaim
o 2.42016–2017: Worldwide success
o 2.52018–2019: International recognition
o 2.62020–present: Focus on solo activities and group comeback
• 3Members
o 3.1Timeline
• 4Sub-units
o 4.1Exo-CBX
o 4.2Exo-SC
• 5Artistry
o 5.1Musicality
o 5.2Songwriting
o 5.3Stage
• 6Awards and achievements
• 7Impact and influence
• 8Other ventures
o 8.1Endorsements
o 8.2Philanthropy
• 9Discography
o 9.1Korean and Chinese albums
o 9.2Korean exclusive albums
o 9.3Japanese albums
• 10Tours
• 11Filmography
• 12Footnotes
• 13References
• 14External links

Background
In 2011, SM Entertainment CEO, Lee Soo-man, revealed plans to debut a new boy
band that would be divided into two sub-groups, promoting the same music
simultaneously in South Korea and China by performing songs in both Korean and
Mandarin.[1][2] After several member changes in December 2011, the group finalized its
name as Exo, taken from the word "exoplanet".[3] The news of an upcoming debut from
SM Entertainment attracted substantial media attention from within South Korea and
internationally, with many comparing Exo to fellow SM boy band TVXQ.[2][4] It was also
reported that Exo would compete with a new girl group from rival YG Entertainment.[5]

History
2006–2012: Formation and early years

Exo at SM Town Live World Tour III in Singapore in November 2012

Exo-K's leader, Suho, was the first member to join SM Entertainment, after a successful
audition through the company's casting system in 2006. The following year, Kai, with
encouragement from his father, auditioned at the SM Youth Best Contest; he won and
received a contract.[6] Chanyeol, who took second place in a Smart Model Contest,
and Sehun, who went through four auditions in two years,[7] were the next members to
become trainees in 2008. In 2010, Exo-K's D.O. sang for his audition and was
eventually offered a contract.[8] The last member of Exo-K to become a trainee
was Baekhyun, who joined in 2011 through SM Entertainment's casting system and
trained for approximately one year before debut. In Exo-M, Kris auditioned in 2008 at a
global SM Entertainment audition in Canada, before moving to South Korea for training.
That same year, Lay auditioned in Changsha, China, and subsequently moved to South
Korea, while Xiumin attended an audition with his friend and won second place.[9] In
2010, Luhan was scouted by an SM Entertainment representative in Seoul and passed
his audition, while Tao was scouted at a talent show. The last member to join Exo-M
was Chen, who took part in the casting system in 2011. The band's first televised
performance was at the annual SBS Gayo Daejeon event on December 29, 2011.[10]
Exo-K and Exo-M debuted with the single "Mama" on April 8, 2012, followed by the
EP Mama on April 9.[11] The two sub-groups promoted the album separately; Exo-K
performed on South Korean music program The Music Trend while Exo-M performed on
the Top Chinese Music Awards in Shenzhen on the same day.[12] The Korean version of
the EP peaked at number one on South Korea's Gaon Album Chart[13] and at number
eight on the Billboard World Albums Chart,[14] while the Mandarin version reached
number two on China's Sina Album Chart and number one on various Chinese
streaming platforms. Prior its debut, Exo released two singles, titled "What Is Love" and
"History", which peaked at number 88 on and number 68 respectively on the Gaon
Digital Chart and at number six on the Sina Music Chart.[15] Exo was awarded Best New
Asian Group at the 2012 Mnet Asian Music Awards and the Newcomer Award at
the Golden Disc Awards.
2013–2014: Commercial success

Exo with South Korean President Park Geun-hye in China on June 28, 2013

The group's first studio album, XOXO, was released on June 3, 2013, in two versions:
one in Korean and one in Mandarin.[16] Unlike the EP Mama, for which Exo-K and Exo-M
had separate promotions, XOXO was jointly promoted, mainly in South Korea.[17] Exo
recorded the album's lead single "Wolf" together, but the rest of the album tracks were
recorded separately.[18] A repackaged version of the album, titled Growl, was released
on August 5, 2013, with three additional tracks. New single "Growl" peaked at number
three on the Billboard K-Pop Hot 100[19] and at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart. All
versions of XOXO collectively sold over one million copies, making Exo the first South
Korean artists to reach that milestone in 12 years.[20] That December, Exo released a
second EP, Miracles in December, as a special winter album containing the single of
the same name.[21] Prior to the release, the group promoted the album through their first
reality show, Exo's Showtime, which premiered on November 28, 2013 on the cable
channel MBC Every 1.[22] Following their 2013 releases, Exo won Song of the Year at
the Melon Music Awards for "Growl",[23] Disc Daesang at the Golden Disc Awards[24] and
Album of the Year at the Mnet Asian Music Awards[25] for XOXO, and the Daesang at
the Seoul Music Awards.[26] In addition, Exo-M received the Most Popular Group Award
at the 2013 Top Chinese Music Awards.[27]
Exo's third EP, Overdose, was released on May 7, 2014.[28] Originally scheduled to be
released on April 21, the album was delayed due to the Sewol Ferry accident on April
16. Overdose was promoted similarly to Mama, with Exo-K in South Korea and Exo-M
promoting primarily in China. The album had over 660,000 pre-orders, making it the
most pre-ordered Korean EP in history.[29] The Korean edition also peaked at number
two on Billboard's World Albums Chart, and at number 129 on the Billboard 200, making
Exo the highest-ever charting male Korean group at that time.[30][31] Overdose became the
best selling release of 2014 in South Korea, and was the first EP to top the yearly charts
and win the Album of the Year Award at the Mnet Asian Music Awards.[32] On December
22, Exo released their first live album, Exology Chapter 1: The Lost Planet[33] The
album's single, "December, 2014 (The Winter's Tale)", peaked at number one on the
Gaon Digital Chart, making it Exo's first number one single.[34] By the end of 2014, Exo
was Japan's best-selling K-pop artist of the year.[35]
On May 15, 2014, Kris filed a lawsuit against Sm Entertainment to terminate his contract
and alleged that SM: disregarded his health; maintained unfair profit distributions;
restricted his freedom; and treated him like a product rather than a person. [36] On May
24, the group began its first headlining tour, "Exo from Exoplanet 1 – The Lost Planet",
at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena.[37] Tickets for the concert sold out in 1.47 seconds,
breaking the record for the quickest concert sell-out by a Korean artist.[37] On October
10, Luhan also filed a lawsuit against SM Entertainment to terminate his contract. [38][39] He
cited health problems and alleged he was treated differently than the band's Korean
members.[40]
2015: Critical acclaim

From left to right: D.O, Lay, and Kai at the 24th Seoul Music Awards in January 2015

On March 7, 2015, Exo began their second headlining world tour, "Exoplanet 2 – The
Exo'luxion", with 70,000 attendees across five nights at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena
in Seoul.[41] The group released its second studio album Exodus on March 30, 2015, in
both Korean and Mandarin versions.[42] Domestic pre-orders for the album surpassed
500,000 copies within 24 hours, setting a new record for pre-orders.[43] Lead single "Call
Me Baby" was released ahead of schedule, on March 27, because versions of the song
had been leaked online.[44] The music videos were released four days later; the Korean
version later became the most-watched K-pop music video of the first half of
2015.[45] The album spent a record four consecutive weeks at number one on the Gaon
Album Chart[46] and sold over a million copies, making it Exo's second album to do so,
after XOXO.[47] Exodus won Album of the Year at the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards,
giving Exo their third consecutive win. In April 2015, Exodus peaked at number 95 on
the US Billboard 200, making the group the highest charting Korean artist. [48][49] Exo also
entered Billboard's Canadian Hot 100 chart at number 98, making them the first K-pop
group and second Korean artist to chart there.[50]
Tao was absent during promotions for Exodus due to injuries and, on August 24,
became the third member to file a lawsuit against SM Entertainment to terminate his
contract.[51][52] This followed social media posts earlier in the year from Tao's father on
Chinese social network Weibo, expressing his wish for his son to withdraw from the
group and return to China due to health issues and a lack of support for individual
career development.[51] SM responded to his legal action with a statement: "Our
company plans to use everything in our power including both Korean and Chinese legal
professionals and partners to respond legally both in Korea and China in a multi-faceted
manner. We also plan to take legal steps to respond to Tao's illegal promotions and
actions."[53] Exo released a repackaged version of Exodus, titled Love Me Right, on June
3, 2015. This edition added four new songs, including the single "Love Me Right".[54] Due
to Tao's absence, the group promoted the song as nine members. That October, Exo
became the first artists to hold a dome concert in South Korea; it was called "Exo –
Love Concert in Dome", and took place at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.[55]
On November 4, 2015, Exo released their Japanese debut single Love Me Right
~romantic universe~, which contains the Japanese version of "Love Me Right" and an
original Japanese song titled "Drop That". On the day of its release, the album sold
147,000 copies and reached the top of the Oricon chart, becoming the all-time best-
selling debut single in Japan by a Korean artist.[56] Five days later, Exo released a
special single titled "Lightsaber" to promote the movie Star Wars: The Force
Awakens ahead of its release in South Korea, as part of a collaboration between SM
Entertainment and Walt Disney. On December 10, Exo released its second winter
special release and fourth EP, Sing for You, containing the singles "Sing for You" and
"Unfair". The album sold 267,900 copies in its first week, breaking the record for the
highest first-week sales by a Korean artist. "Unfair" also became the first K-pop song to
be featured in the "Best of the Week" playlist by Apple Music, and Exo became the first
Korean artists to appear on the platform's homepage.[57] Part of the profits from the
album were donated to UNICEF's Smile For U campaign, to support the music
education for children in Asia.[58] In December 2015, South Korean entertainment
industry leaders ranked Exo at number seven in the top ten pop culture leaders of 2015,
the highest rank held by a K-pop artist.[59]
2016–2017: Worldwide success

Exo at Ex'act release press conference in June 2016

On January 5, 2016, SM Entertainment won one of its countersuits against Tao

following the ruling of the Intermediate People's Court in Qingdao, China. The company
sued Tao over his failure to repay the company after his departure; it released an official
statement that said: "SM has ongoing lawsuits against Exo members Wu Yifan (Kris),
Luhan, and Tao for violating their exclusive contracts and partaking in illegal promotions
in China. Among these lawsuits, SM filed a lawsuit against Tao for failing to repay SM
on October 13, 2015. An intermediate court in Qingdao, China made the verdict that
Tao is to repay SM Entertainment as well as interest for the delayed payment." [60][61]
Exo's third studio album Ex'Act and its singles, "Lucky One" and "Monster", were
released on June 9, 2016, in both Korean and Mandarin versions.[62] Domestic pre-
orders for the album exceeded 660,000 copies, making it the most pre-ordered K-pop
album ever at that time.[63] The album broke the record for the highest first-week sales of
a Korean album, previously set by the band's own fourth EP Sing For You.[64] "Monster"
became Exo's first number one on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart, and "Lucky
One" debuted at number three.[65] On August 18, 2016, a repackaged edition of the
album, titled Lotto, was released; it added four new songs, including the single of the
same name.[66] "Lotto" became Exo's second number one on the Billboard World Digital
Songs Chart, and peaked at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart.[67] The repackaged
edition's Korean and Mandarin versions reached number one and two on the Gaon
Album Chart, respectively[68][69] Within two months of its original release, Ex'Act had sold
over 1.17 million copies, becoming Exo's third album to sell over one million copies,
earning them the title of "triple million sellers" from the media.[70]
On July 21, contractual disputes between Kris and Luhan and SM Entertainment were
settled.[71][72] The two sides settled during their third court-mandated arbitration; the
previous two were held in September 2015 and June 2016, when the court settled the
case with a recommendation for reconciliation.[72][73] The singers will maintain their
contracts with SM until 2022.[72] SM would contract out their work outside of Korea and
Japan; i.e., Kris and Luhan's Chinese agencies will "share related revenues" with SM for
activities anywhere but Korea and Japan (where SM has exclusive rights per their
contract) because SM is technically "contract[ing] out management" for its non-
Korean/Japanese activities until 2022, when their contracts with SM expire.[72]
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.[74] 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, with an estimated maximum seating
capacity of 100,000.[75] Tickets for the first date went on sale on April 12 and were sold
out within 20 minutes.[76] The tour brought the band's total number of concerts to over
100.[77] In June, Lay announced he would not take part in the band's next album, and
would instead focus on his acting career. Since then, he has been absent from Exo
albums and public appearances.[78] On December 7, Exo released their second
Japanese single, "Coming Over".[79] Selling over 158,000 copies, it reached number two
on the weekly Oricon Chart and became the band's second Japanese single to receive
a Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan.[80] Exo's third
winter release and fifth EP For Life was released on December 19.[81] The band did not
publicly promote the album, which sold over 442,000 copies in less than two weeks.[82]

Exo-CBX at their debut showcase in Seoul on October 31, 2016

Also in 2016, the group's members spent time advancing their solo careers. On January
7, Baekhyun released "Dream", a collaboration with popular South Korean singer Suzy.
The single proved very popular, and won Best Collaboration at the 18th Mnet Asian
Music Awards among other awards.[83] On October 31, Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin
debuted as the group's first sub-unit, Exo-CBX,[84] which is a combination of the first
letter from each member's stage name. Exo-CBX released their debut EP Hey
Mama! and the music video for the single of the same name on October 31. [85] The EP
was a success, selling over 293,897 copies.[86] As of 2018, they have released two EPs
in Korean and two EPs in Japanese.[84] Lay's debuted as a solo artist in May 2016 with
the release of "Monodrama" through the project SM Station. The song was a success in
China, ranking number one on Billboard China V Chart for four consecutive weeks.[87] On
October 28, Lay released his debut EP, Lose Control. It was a commercial success,
breaking several Guinness World Records[88] and debuted at number one on South
Korea's Gaon Album Chart.[89] In 2016 he also acted in The Mystic Nine, a television
show in China that drew over 12 billion views online.[90] All of the other members also
pursued solo activities in various industries, including music, film, television, and
theater. Exo-CBX debuted in Japan on May 24, 2017, with the release of an EP
titled Girls,[91] which followed the release of a short version of the music video for the
lead single "Ka-CHING!" in late April.[92] The EP sold over 60,000 copies in Japan within
a month of its release.[93]

Exo at the Dream Concert in June 2017

Exo's fourth studio album The War was released on July 18, 2017.[94] The album had
received 807,235 pre-orders, surpassing the band's own record of 660,000
for Ex'Act.[95] Lead single "Ko Ko Bop" debuted at number one on the Melon Digital
Chart, making Exo the first K-pop group to enter at number one after chart changes
were implemented on February 27, 2017.[96] Upon release, the album recorded the
highest first week sales of any K-pop album.[97] It debuted at number 87 on
the Billboard 200, number one on the Billboard World Albums Chart, and on many other
charts around the world – a first for Exo.[98][99][100] On August 29, the 2018 edition of
the Guinness World Records named Exo as having won the "Most Daesang" (grand
prize) awards at the Mnet Asian Music Awards.[101] On September 5, the group released
a repackaged edition of The War, titled The War: The Power of Music. It added three
new songs to the tracklist, including the single "Power".[102] On September 14, "Power"
recorded the all-time highest score on M Countdown with 11,000 points, which made
Exo the first artists to achieve a perfect score after the show's calculation system
changes were implemented in June 2015. The win also marked the group's 100th win
on a music show.[103]
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.[104] As of November
30, Korean sales of The War had 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.[105][106] In early December, Exo announced its fourth special winter
release and sixth EP, Universe. It was originally due for release on December 21, but
was delayed until December 26 because of the death of labelmate Jonghyun.[107]
2018–2019: International recognition
Exo with the President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in, Ivanka Trump and CL at the 2018 Winter Olympics in
February 2018

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.[108] The song's initial run was extended from January to
March.[109] It was also brought back from September until November of the same
year.[110][111] On January 31, Exo released its first Japanese studio
album Countdown.[112] The album debuted at number one on the weekly Oricon chart,
selling approximately 89,000 copies. This achievement made Exo the first non-
Japanese band whose debut single and debut studio album both reached number one
on the weekly Oricon chart.[113] Ten days after its release, on February
9, Countdown was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. [114]
Exo performed at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang
on February 25, serving as representatives of K-pop along with CL.[115] Prior to the
performance, Baekhyun sang the national anthem at the opening ceremony of
the International Olympic Committee general assembly on February 5, and Exo
performed at the official D-100 Concert in late 2017, which marked 100 days until the
start of the Winter Olympics.[115][116] The band's performance drew widespread global
media attention and praise.[117] The Russian two time Olympic silver medalist and figure
skating world champion Evgenia Medvedeva also drew media attention for her support
of Exo.[118] In April 2018, the Korean Mint Corporation released official commemorative
medals for Exo, honoring the group for their contribution to the global spread of Korean
culture.[119] The nine medals, each commemorating one of the group's members, were
unveiled at a ceremony in Seoul.[120] In October 2018, Lay debuted in the U.S. with his
third solo album Namanana. The album topped the charts of Billboard's World Albums
and Independent Albums, and placed 21st on the Billboard 200, making Lay the
highest-ranked Mandopop artist on the chart.[121]
Exo's fifth studio album, Don't Mess Up My Tempo, was released on November 2,
2018.[122] Don't Mess Up My Tempo featured all nine Exo members – the group's first
release to do so since Lotto in 2016.[122] The album received 1,104,617 pre-orders,
surpassing the group's own previous record.[123] The album was a commercial success,
selling 1,179,997 copies by November 30, making Exo "quintuple million sellers" in the
media.[124] With the release of Don't Mess Up My Tempo, Exo became the first artist to
surpass 10 million total album sales in South Korea.[124] The album debuted at number
23 on the Billboard 200 with 23,000 equivalent album sales and number one on
the Independent Albums and World Albums Billboard charts.[125][126] The album is Exo's
highest charting album on the Billboard 200 and fourth number one album on the World
Albums Chart.[125] Love Shot was released on December 13, as a repacked version
of Don't Mess Up My Tempo.[127] The lead single, also titled "Love Shot", became Exo's
third number one single on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart and held the position
for three consecutive weeks.[128][129] Don't Mess Up My Tempo sold 1,951,879 copes in
South Korea in 2018 and is Exo's best selling album.[130]
Chen became the second Exo member to debut as a soloist with his debut EP April,
and a Flower, which was released on April 1, 2019.[131][132] The album peaked at number
two on the Gaon Album chart and number three on the Billboard World Albums
Chart.[133][134] Xiumin enlisted for his mandatory military service as an active duty soldier
on May 7, 2019.[135][136] D.O. enlisted as an active duty soldier on July 1.[137][138] Baekhyun
debuted as the group's third soloist with the release of his EP, City Lights, on July
10.[139][140] City Lights sold over 500,000 copies in July 2019, breaking the Gaon Chart
record for the highest monthly album sales by a solo artist.[141] The album also peaked at
number four on both Billboard's World Albums and Heatseekers Albums
charts.[142][143] Chanyeol and Sehun debuted as Exo's second official sub-unit, Exo-SC,
and released their first EP, What a Life, in July 22; the duo released "We Young" for SM
Station X 0 in September 2018.[144][145] What a Life debuted at number eight at the World
Albums chart, and at number ten at the Heatseekers Chart.[143] Chen released his
second EP, Dear My Dear, on October 1;[146] the album peaked at number one at the
Gaon Album Chart.[147] Baekhyun and Kai represented Exo in SM
Entertainment's supergroup SuperM.[148] The group released its self-titled extended
play on October 4, which debuted at number one at the Billboard 200 albums chart,
becoming the first Korean act to top the chart with their debut release.[149][150] Exo
embarked on their fifth headlining tour, Exo Planet 5 – Exploration, with six dates in
Seoul from July 19–28, accumulating to thirty-one overall shows.[151]
Exo's sixth studio album, Obsession, was released on November 27, 2019.[152] It was the
first album that featured a six-member lineup.[152] Obsession debuted at number one on
the Gaon Album Chart.[153] The group debuted several songs from the album live through
Exo Planet 5 - Exploration [dot] encore concerts in December 2019, which also served
as the tour's concluding shows.[154]
2020–present: Focus on solo activities and group comeback
In February 2020, SM Entertainment revealed that Exo members would prioritize solo
and unit activities for 2020, due to hiatuses from the group by several members while
serving their military enlistment.[155] Suho became the fourth Exo member to debut as a
soloist with his debut EP Self-Portrait which was released on March 30, 2020.[156][157] Self-
Portrait sold over 200,000 copies in March 2020 and peaked at number one at the Gaon
Album Chart.[158][159] Suho enlisted in the military as a public service officer on May
14.[160][161][162] On May 25, Baekhyun released Delight, featuring the lead single "Candy".
The EP garnered over 732,000 pre-orders, making it the most pre-ordered album by a
soloist in South Korean history.[163] On July 1, it was announced that the album had sold
more than 1,000,000 copies, making it the first solo album in South Korea to do so
since Another Days (2001) by Kim Gun-mo.[164] Lay released his third studio album, Lit,
through two-part EPs; the first part was released on June 1, while the second part was
released on July 21.[165][166] The album's pre-orders surpassed 1.5 million copies within
seven minutes; Lit went on to sell 2.5 million records, making Lay the best-selling artist
in China in 2020.[167] The album also reached number one on iTunes charts in twenty-
one countries.[167] Exo-SC released their first studio album, 1 Billion Views, on July
13.[168] The album debuted atop the Gaon Album Chart.[169] Baekhyun and Kai returned to
activities with SuperM for the group's first studio album, Super One,[170] which debuted
atop the Gaon Album Chart and number two at the Billboard 200 albums
chart.[171][172] Chen enlisted as an active duty soldier on October 26.[173][174] Kai debuted as
the group's fifth soloist with his self-titled mini-album on November 30.[175]
Xiumin was officially discharged from the military on December 6,[176] while D.O. was
discharged on January 25, 2021.[177] Baekhyun released his self-titled Japanese
extended play on January 20, 2021,[178] as well as his third extended play, Bambi on
March 30.[179] Lay released his fourth studio album, Producer, on February
5.[180] Chanyeol enlisted on March 29,[181] while Baekhyun enlisted on May 6.[182] Prior to
the enlistment of Chanyeol and Baekhyun, the active members recorded Exo's next
album in secret. In a video celebrating their ninth anniversary on April 8, the group
showcased the filming of their upcoming music video and that they were preparing for
their album to be released in the first half of the year; the album would mark Xiumin and
D.O.'s return to the group.[183] Lay also participated in the album, marking his first Exo
group activity since Don't Mess Up My Tempo.[184] The group's seventh extended play,
the "special album" Don't Fight the Feeling, was released on June 7.[185]

Members
On May 15, 2014, Kris Wu stopped promoting with Exo and its subunit, Exo-M, as a
result of a lawsuit filed against SM Entertainment.[186] He was followed by Luhan on
October 10, 2014.[187] Both members formally left the group on July 21, 2016.[71] Tao went
on an official hiatus during Exodus promotions due to an injury, and filed a lawsuit
against SM on August 15, 2015, formally leaving Exo on March 15, 2018. [188][189] Following
Tao's lawsuit, Exo promoted their albums as a full group rather than in M and K units.
On June 13, 2017, SM Entertainment announced Lay would not be participating in
activities for the group's upcoming album due to conflicting schedules with his solo
activities.[190] Lay did not return to active participation in Exo until 2021, although he
contributed vocals to the Chinese version of their song "Tempo" in 2018.[191] On May 26,
2021, Lay was reported to be returning to the group to take part in their special
album, Don't Fight the Feeling.[184] Lay participated in each of the songs on Don't Fight
the Feeling and was featured in the music video for the title song "Don't Fight the
Feeling".
On May 7, 2019, Xiumin became the first member of the group to participate in
mandatory military service, being discharged on December 6, 2020.[192] On July 1, 2019,
D.O. enlisted for his service, and completed his service on January 25, 2021. [138][177] Suho
enlisted on May 14, 2020,[193] and Chen enlisted on October 26.[194] Chanyeol enlisted on
March 29, 2021,[181] while Baekhyun enlisted on May 6.[182]
As of May 2021, Exo has five active members: Xiumin, Lay, D.O., Kai, and Sehun.

Current (active) Current (ina

 • Xiumin (시우민) •
• Lay (레이) •
• D.O. (디오) •
• Kai (카이) •
• Sehun (세훈) Former

•
•
•

Timeline

Sub-units
See also: Exo-CBX and Exo-SC
Exo-CBX
In October 2016, SM Entertainment formed the group's first sub-unit, Exo-CBX (also
known as Chen-Baek-Xi), which is composed of three members: Chen, Baekhyun, and
Xiumin.[195] Exo-CBX has released one studio album: Magic (2018)[196] and three extended
plays: Hey Mama! (2016),[197] Girls (2017),[198] and Blooming Days (2018).[199]
Exo-SC
In July 2019, SM Entertainment formed the group's second sub-unit, Exo-SC, which is
composed of members Sehun and Chanyeol.[200] Exo-SC has released one studio
album: 1 Billion Views (2020)[201] and one extended play: What a Life (2019).[202]

Artistry
Musicality
Exo are considered by many to be a vocal powerhouse in the K-pop industry; the
group's three main vocalists D.O., Chen, and Baekhyun have received praise from
industry figures and the media.[203][204][205][206]
Beginning in 2013, Exo has released special winter-themed EPs in December nearly
every year. These EPs feature many classic, emotional ballads, diverging from the
dramatic and upbeat singles usually featured on the band's full-length
albums.[207][208][209] Billboard applauded the band's single "Universe" from the 2017 EP of
the same name, saying, "With soaring, emotive vocals courtesy of the Exo members,
'Universe' is a power ballad that showcases the group's strengths."[210]
The group has frequently worked with veteran Korean and international producers,
including Kenzie, Dean, LDN Noise, The Underdogs, and MARZ Music.[211][212] Many of
Exo's songs – especially the singles, which blend pop, hip-hop, and R&B with electronic
dance music genres like house, trap, and synth-pop– are produced with onstage
performance in mind.[213][214] 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."[214]
Early in their career, Exo were described by Billboard as sounding "wholly inspired by
the late '90s/early '00s sound ... with bigger beats, loads more hooks and adding rap
and dance breakdowns."[215][216] The group explored a more "mature" and "dark" sound in
2016 with the release of their third studio album, Ex'Act, featuring an increased use of
electronic dance music styles like house and synth-pop.[217][218][219][220] Their fourth studio
album, The War, deepened the group's experimentation with genre, including the
addition of trap music.[214] With the album's single "Ko Ko Bop", Exo received praise for
unconventionally hybridizing laid-back reggae sounds with heavy electronic breaks.[221]
Songwriting
Exo's members faced criticism early in their careers because of their lack of involvement
in the writing and producing of their songs.[222] 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.[223][224] 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.[225]
In a 2017 interview with Billboard, Chanyeol spoke about his contributions to the lyrics
for "Chill", stating that because he "worked on the lyrics with an empty track without
demo lyrics", the process came more "naturally" to him.[214] Chen explained the process
of writing their single "Ko Ko Bop": "[we] wrote the lyrics separately and worked on
putting [them] together for the song afterwards. I don't think I have any regrets [about
the song] since it's the best result produced through all the effort that our members and
other writers have put into the process."[214] Chen was also credited with writing the
Korean lyrics for the track "Lights Out" from Exo's fourth special winter
EP, Universe.[107] Member Lay is also a songwriter and producer, having written and
composed all tracks on his solo albums, as well for other artists.[226][227] Chanyeol
participated in writing lyrics for "Gravity" and 'With You", both on Exo's sixth studio
album Don't Mess Up My Tempo.[228]
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.[229] More recently, Exo collaborated with choreographer Kim Tae
Woo.[230] Dazed admired the band's "seamless...knife-point choreography", saying it has
put them "at the forefront of pop domination".[231] 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." [232] 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."[233]
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".[234] 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."[235] 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." [236]

Awards and achievements

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Exo

Exo at the 16th Mnet Asian Music Awards in December 2014

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
Korea's Music Bank,[237] a music program that recognizes the week's most popular song
in the country based on digital chart performance, album sales and social media
popularity.[238] Exo hold the record for the most music show wins for a single song, with
18 for "Call Me Baby" (2015).[239] The band have won over 100 music program awards
cumulatively, becoming the second act to do so after their label-mates Girls'
Generation.[240][241]
Exo have also received 23 Daesang ("grand prize")[242] awards from various year-end
award shows.[243] These wins include six from the Mnet Asian Music Awards, a feat that
was recorded in the 2018 Guinness World Records book.[244]
On November 3, 2017, Exo received a Prime Minister Commendation at the Korean
Popular Culture and Arts Awards, an honor bestowed in recognition of public service
and/or excellence in a given field. When receiving the award, Suho said: "We have
received such a big award alongside brilliant people ... It's such a huge honor. We will
become performers who promote not only K-pop, but also Korea."[245]

Impact and influence

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;[20] the previous artist to
reach this milestone was g.o.d, in 2001.[246] In 2018, Exo became "quintuple million
sellers", meaning the band has sold over one million copies apiece for five different
albums.[124] 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.[124]
Exo have also contributed significantly to the financial success of their management
agency, SM Entertainment. In the fourth quarter of 2018, SM Entertainment recorded
the largest ever quarterly profit for any South Korean entertainment company at $13.4
million.[247] Exo generated the highest revenue of all SM artists, at 31% of the total $188
million fourth quarter revenue.[247]
Exo have been described as "the biggest boy band in the world". [231] They have also
been labelled "Kings of K-Pop" by international outlets Vogue, Metro, PageOne and
South Korean outlets such as OBS,[248] as well as "Nation's pick" and "Global pick" by
South Korean media.[249] Exo have gained immense popularity in South Korea and were
named by Forbes on the Korea Power Celebrity 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[250][251] They are considered a prominent force in the Hallyu Wave,
which refers to the rise and spread of Korean pop culture around the
world.[252][253][254] 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."[252] 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.[255] Similarly, Dazed considered Exo's success to be that of "a continent-
straddling pop juggernaut".[231] In 2016, AsiaOne said "Exo are turning into an
omnipresent, unstoppable global force," citing their worldwide popularity, critical
acclaim, and large fandom size.[256]
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,[257] even
exceeding the reach of American artists such as Beyonce, Justin Bieber and Taylor
Swift.[257] Twitter statistics from Next Big Sound showed that Exo recorded 14,000 times
more mentions than expected, with 24 million in total.[257] In addition, Exo ranked second
on the Billboard Social 50 Year-End Chart in 2018.[258]
Exo's work has influenced numerous artists, including MVP,[259] Kim Dong-han,[260] NCT
127,[261] Wanna One,[262] Ong Seong-wu and Kang Daniel.[263]