Exo (Korean: 엑소; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean–Chinese boy band based in Seoul and consists of nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai and Sehun. Former members Kris, Luhan, and Tao departed the group amid legal battles in 2014 and 2015. 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 and includes 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 labelled "Kings of K-pop" 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). Exo-K and Exo-M performed music in Korean and Mandarin, respectively, until the release of their third EP Overdose in 2014. Since 2014, 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, with over 1.9 million copies sold.
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.
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.
History
2006–2012: Formation and early years
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. Exo-K and Exo-M debuted with the single "Mama" on April 8, 2012, followed by the EP Mama on April 9. 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
The group's first studio album, XOXO, was released on June 3, 2013, in two versions: one in Korean and one in Mandarin. Exo's third EP, Overdose, was released on May 7, 2014. 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.
2015: Critical acclaim
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. 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. 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.
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."
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. On July 21, contractual disputes between Kris and Luhan and SM Entertainment were settled. 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.
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. Exo's fourth studio album The War was released on July 18, 2017. Exo began their third world tour, "Exoplanet#4 – The EℓyXiOn", with three consecutive nights at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome, beginning on November 24.
2018–present: 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. 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.
Exo's fifth studio album, Don't Mess Up My Tempo, was released on November 2, 2018. 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. Exo's sixth studio album, Obsession, was released on November 27, 2019. Suho became the fourth Exo member to debut as a soloist with his debut EP Self-Portrait which was released on March 30, 2020.
- Wikipedia Last Updated 8 January 2021