EXO is a South Korean/Chinese boy band formed by S.M. Entertainment in 2011. The group consists of 9 people (previously 12), divided into two subgroups, and EXO-M, targeting the music markets of South Korea and China, respectively.
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, it became known full composition groups.
main idea EXO group: each track, single, video of the group will have two versions, Chinese and Korean, respectively.
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. 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 “MAMA” and “History”.
On March 25, SM Entertainment on its official channel released a teaser video for the group's debut show 'EXO-SHOWCASE'. 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 performed at a film festival in China. The group's debut single is "MAMA". In anticipation of the group's first official release on 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 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 5th, 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 3rd KST, EXO has sold 424,260 copies regular version 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 guys, musical accompaniment are songs from the album (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 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.
2014-2015:
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. On this 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.
Members of musical groups and various shows attract a lot of attention. These are bright and talented people who are created a certain image in order to attract and retain an even larger audience. Today we will talk about the members of EXO, who have recently achieved unprecedented heights.
Formation
In the spring of 2011, at one of the seminars on Hallyu business, which was held at Stanford University, Lee Man talked about the fact that there is a certain strategy for the development of a men's group. The team was planned to be divided into two separate sub-groups, which would promote simultaneously in China and Korea. They would have the same music, but they would sing it in two languages - Mandarin and Korean.
There were many options for the name of the future team, but in the end it became EXO. The name comes from the word “exoplanet”. The male team was divided into 2 sub-groups: EXO-M (North Chinese language) and EXO-K (Korean language). In the winter of 2011, the group performed for the first time at one of the popular festivals.
A year later, in the winter of 2012, the first single What Is Love was released to Korean and Chinese audiences. In one of the popular Gaon charts, the song only ranked 88th. In March, the second single History was released, which took 68th place in the same ranking, but in the Chinese Sina chart it got 6th place. At the end of March, the group’s first full-fledged concert took place at the Olympic Stadium. It was announced that about 8 thousand fans from all over the country would come to the show, but in fact only 3 thousand people came. In April, the University of International Economics and Business (Beijing) hosted a talented boy band. In the same month, a debut song called Mama was released. Literally a day after the song was released, the group's first small album appeared on the shelves. Promotion took place simultaneously in China and Korea. So, on the day the song was released, both sub-groups performed at high-profile popular festivals. The Chinese and Korean versions of the song were almost equally successful. By the way, the Korean version quickly took 7th place in the overall Youtube rating. At the end of the month, EXO-M performed by invitation in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.
November brought new victories to the young team. The group received a nomination for "Best New Asian Group". EXO-K won the "Best Newcomer" category, while EXO-M won the "Most Popular Group" category.
First commercial success in 2013
In the summer of 2013, the group's first studio album, called XOXO, was released. It was released in two versions. The Korean one is called Kiss, and the Chinese one is called Hug. The peculiarity of this period is that the group’s first singles were promoted separately by each sub-group, and new album became common project, which was most actively advertised in Korea. The main track Wolf was recorded with the full band, despite the fact that all other songs from the album were written separately. The Chinese and Korean versions of the album soared to the top of the Billboard global music chart just a week after its release. The album was re-released in August.
The new track Growl was released to the world in August and scored a huge number of points, setting a record. In just three weeks of active promotion, the group managed to win more than 10 times at various music festivals and competitions. Already in winter, sales of the XOXO album exceeded 1 million copies. Over the past 12 years, this was the first Korean team to achieve such success. Thus, the boy band received the status of the fastest-selling artist. The group won the “Album of the Year” nomination and thereby set another record: they became the youngest male group to receive this award. In 2013, the album was the leader in sales.
In December they released the album Miracles in December as a small Christmas gift. Promotion of the album began on one of the cable channels in November. The reality show featured performances by Chen, Luhan, Baekhyun and Do. As a result, the fruitful 2013 ended with all 6 of the group's albums entering the Gaon chart.
Solo concerts
The members of EXO, whose names we will name below, released a small album called Overdose in 2014. The album's release was scheduled for April, but it had to be postponed due to the Sewol ferry disaster. The promotion for the album followed the same principle as the promotion for the single Mama: EXO-K toured in Korea, and EXO-M toured in China. Pre-orders amounted to about 660 thousand copies. Such an indicator has never happened before. The Korean version peaked at number two on the Billboard World Chart and number 129 on American chart Billboard 200. At the same time, the boy band had the highest performance among all Korean musical groups.
EXO is a Korean group whose members once again made their best-selling album Overdose in 2014. After some time, the album took a leading position in the Gaon charts and won the Album of the Year nomination.
In the spring, information appeared that the leader of the EXO-M subgroup, Chris, filed a lawsuit in order to break off contact. The reason was a severe violation of human rights. In October, Luhan, another member of EXO-M, also filed a lawsuit to break his contract. The reason was a sharp deterioration in health.
Later S.M. Entertainment stated that the group will continue to promote with 10 members. Already in May, the group's first solo concert took place in Seoul. The Korean record fell when all tickets were sold out in just 1 minute 47 seconds.
Japanese debut
EXO members held their second solo concert in the winter of 2015. During one week of March, 5 concerts took place in Seoul. It is known that more than 1 million people tried to buy tickets online.
At the end of March, the boy band's second studio album, Exodus, was released. Less than 24 hours have passed before the number of pre-orders has crossed half a million. 3 days before the planned release date of the album, the world saw the track Call Me Baby. After 4 days, a video for the song was released, which became the most viewed video in the first half of 2015. The drama “EXO Next Door” began airing in April. The drama broke all viewing records, but soon the leading position was taken by the drama “I Fell in Love with Do Jeon.”
The song Call Me Baby collected more than 18 victories in various competitions and nominations. Thus, it was the second track to receive the most awards. The Korean version was in the top for more than a month. The Exodus album also crossed the 1 million copies mark and became Album of the Year. In May, the boy group ranked 90th on the US Billboard 200 chart. The group became the first Korean music group to enter the Canadian Hot 100 chart.
In April, member Tao's father posted a letter expressing his feelings about his son's work. He noticed that Tao’s health had deteriorated greatly recently, and no measures had been taken to resolve the situation. It became known that while working for the company, Tao was repeatedly injured and did not receive any treatment. Because of this, he did not participate in Exodus promotions. After some time in the media, Tao confirmed the information that he had filed an application to the court to terminate the contract.
At the beginning of June, a re-release of Love Me Right was released, after which a track with the same name was released. The promotion was carried out with the participation of 9 people. In October 2015, the group became the first act to hold the EXO-Love Concert in Dome at Gocheok Sky Dome ( South Korea). When tickets appeared on the website, after just 50 minutes it went down due to too much large number users.
In November they released their debut Japanese album Love Me Right, which included the song of the same name and the track Drop That. On the day of release alone, 147 thousand copies were sold, which propelled the album to the top positions of the Oricon chart. In Japan, the album became the best-selling music product from Korean artists. In the same month, concerts were held in Tokyo, which were attended by total amount more than 145 thousand fans. The group became the first group to hold a concert in front of such a huge audience despite such an early debut. In collaboration with Disney, the single Lightsaber was released to promote the film " star Wars: the awakening of the force."
Probably everyone has wondered how old the members of EXO are, because it seems that these guys have 100 hours in a day. If you study their biography, it becomes clear that they are all no older than 30 years old. They release albums one after another, but remain just as young and bright. In fact, the speed of promotion is determined by the company itself. In 2015, two albums of the group were released on the same day. One was dedicated winter holidays, and the second was called Sing For You. In the first 7 days, more than 250,000 thousand copies were sold. This once again broke all records among Korean artists. The track “Unfair” was included in the “Best of the Week” list from Apple Music. Some of the profits from the sale of the album were donated to the UNICEF project “Smile for You”. The year ended with the band taking 7th place in the ranking of leaders in the South Korean music industry.
Members leaving the group
Biography of EXO membersIt’s still small, because they are all young, their lives have just begun. However, unpleasant moments have already appeared in it. So, in the summer there are two more soloists Luhan and Chris announced that they would leave the group. Despite this, the team continued to be active. Came out album The Exo'rdium. In September, the world saw the track Dancing King. The members of EXO, whose names were heard throughout the country, became increasingly popular, despite the fact that tension was growing within the group. However, no new faces appeared in the team. Let's look at what happened to the group this year.
EXO Members (2017)
In the spring of 2017, a concert tour took place in Seoul, which became the largest event in Korea. The team became the fifth and youngest group to hold an event at a stadium with such capacity. Tickets sold out in just 20 minutes. In July, a new studio album was released under called The War. In the history of Korea, the boy band became the best-selling group. In such a short period of time, the Korean group EXO has achieved incredible success. The biography of the participants confirms their professionalism, because almost each of the children was interested in music from childhood and developed in this direction.
What is the composition of EXO? Every teenager in China and Korea knows the names of the participants and photos. But only a few of us will be able to name these artists.
What is the composition of EXO? The names of the participants and photos, as well as brief biographical information, are discussed below.
Xiumin and Suho
Full name Xiumina - Kim Min Seok. In the group he is the vocalist and main dancer. The guy was born in March 1990 in South Korea. Zodiac sign: Aries. In 2008, he auditioned for SM, where he took second place. Already in the winter of 2012, he was taken as the seventh member of the boy band.
In the group, his best friend was Tao. Most of all, the artist loves to eat pork and sweets. He is good at cooking spaghetti. Respects cleanliness and order.
The leader of the group is Suho, whose full name is Kim Joon Myung. The guy was born in May 1991 in Seoul, his zodiac sign is Gemini. He has an older brother. The boy studied well at school and was a leader. Interested in acting. Favorite movie - "Pirates of the Caribbean", favorite number - 8.
Lay and Baekhyun
Lei's real name is Zhang Yi Xing. In the group he is the leading dancer and vocalist. Born in October 1991 in a province of China. Zodiac sign: Libra. I got into the group through SM casting. Most of all, he loves spicy and fried foods, respects the action genre, and loves to cook. Plays the guitar and writes songs.
Baekhyun's real name is Byun Baek Hyun. He is the main vocalist in the group. Born in May 1992 in South Korea. Zodiac sign: Taurus. Successfully graduated from Jungwon High School. I got into the group while taking an exam in music school. In 2012, he became the 9th member of the team. Loves science fiction films.
Chen and Chanyeol
Chen's full name is Kim Jong Dae. In the group, the guy is the lead vocalist. Born in September 1992 in South Korea, his zodiac sign is Virgo. Has an older brother. Plays the piano, loves to sing and eat chocolate.
Chanyeol's full name is Park Chan Yeol. Born in November 1992 in Seoul. Zodiac sign is Sagittarius. Has an older sister. Before participating in the group, he starred in many videos. Became the 12th member of the group in 2012. It is believed that Lay, Baekhyun and Chanyeol are the funniest guys in the group.
D.O, Kai and Sehun
D.O's full name is Do Kyung Soo. He is the lead vocalist in the group. Born in the winter of 1993 in a province of South Korea, according to the horoscope he is a Capricorn. Since childhood, he has participated in various music competitions. Became the eighth member of the group.
Kai's full name is Kim Jung In. Born in the winter of 1994 in Seoul. Zodiac sign - Capricorn. Sehun's full name is Oh Se Hoon. Born in 1994 in Seoul (Aries).
We found out the names of the members of the EXO group, got acquainted with their biography, and declassified their little secrets. These guys create mass music that breaks all records. Many people dream of being in their place. The girls try to get their autographs. And very few people know what their life is like in reality. These guys create mass music that breaks all records. How many members are there in EXO? Today there are only five of them. But no matter how many of them remain, the group’s popularity will still not fall, and fame will follow on their heels. No one knows how their career path will develop further, but this is certainly not the limit of their capabilities. would not have remained, popularity would still follow on their heels. No one knows how their career path will develop further, but this is certainly not the limit of their capabilities. The members of EXO, whose photos we presented to you, is a Korean phenomenon that has captured millions of hearts.
Summing up the article, I would like to say that the world of music is very diverse. It’s always easy to criticize someone’s activities, but not everyone can try to do something on their own. No one is saying that the group discussed in the article is a standard, but there are people who like this kind of music and this choice should be respected. The guys work really hard, it’s very difficult to keep up with their schedule. It's incredible how they manage to release 2 albums a month. In this case, it is necessary to take into account participation in various events, competitions and festivals, as well as regular tours. Young guys are still full of strength and energy to move on, but health should come first. Without it, career success and popularity are worthless.
EXO / 엑소 is a Chinese-South Korean boy band consisting of 12 members belonging to the SM Entertainment label. The group was formed in 2011 and consists of two subgroups Exo-K and Exo-M, which perform in Korean and Mandarin respectively. The name "EXO" symbolizes "exoplanet", i.e. planet beyond solar system. The group's debut took place on April 8, 2012, with the single "Mama", which had incredible success. Exo-M's version of "Mama" topped Chinese music charts after one day of release, and music video Exo-K's song became number seven on YouTube's Global Chart. Both of the group's debut albums, "MAMA" 2012 and studio "XOXO" 2013, were a great commercial success, with sales of more than 1 million copies worldwide. The main songs of the album "XOXO" "Wolf" and "Growl" became number one hits on music shows and radio stations in South Korea, and also peaked at number three on Billboard's Korea K-Pop Hot 100 chart.
EXO-K
EXO-M
Stage name: Suho / 수호 / Suho
Real name: Kim Joon Myeon / 김준면
Position in the group: Leader, vocalist
Blood type: AB (fourth)
Gemini
By Chinese horoscope: Sheep
Family: Older brother
Academics: Did well in school and was active in the classroom. He was class president in elementary school and vice president in high school. Currently studying acting at the Korea National University of the Arts.
Suho became the first member to join the SM label. He was spotted by SM managers on the street in 2006 and stayed as a trainee for 6 years.
Before debut: In 2007, appeared in Super Junior's movie "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”.
Stage name: Baek Hyun / 백현 / Baekhyun Real name: Byun Baek Hyun / 변백현
Position in the group: Main Vocalist
Place of birth: Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
Nationality: Korean
Zodiac sign: Taurus
According to the Chinese horoscope: Monkey
Family: Older brother
Education: Graduated from Jungwon High School. At school he was a member of the school musical group.
SM discovered Baekhyun in 2011 while taking a music exam for college.
He became one of the latest members to join EXO. And on January 30, 2012 he was officially introduced as the 9th member of the group.
Stage name: Chan Yeol / 찬열 / Chanyeol
Real name: Park Chan Yeol / 박찬열
Position in the group: Main rapper
Place of birth: Seoul, South Korea
Nationality: Korean
Blood type: A (second)
Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
According to the Chinese horoscope: Monkey
Musical instruments: Drums, guitar, bass guitar and djembe (a type of drum)
Family: Older sister
Education: 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", I decided to learn to play the drums. In middle school, Chanyeol and his best friends formed the musical group "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 he appeared in the Japanese video of Girls' Generation - "Genie".
Stage name: Kai / 카이 / Kai
Real name: Kim Jong In / 김종인
Position in the group: Lead Dancer, Vocalist, Rapper
Place of Birth: Seoul, South Korea Nationality: Korean
Blood type: A (Second)
Zodiac sign: Capricorn
According to the Chinese horoscope: Dog
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, after winning the 10th SM Youth Best Contest in 2007, Kai was the second EXO member to sign with SM. He was inspired to become a singer by the group Shinhwa. Kai acquired skills in hip-hop, popping and locking after joining SM. Before debut: In 2008, he took part in the filming of TVXQ's "HaHaHa Song" video 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 members of the EXO-M subgroup Luhan, Chen and Tao.
Kai is also part of the Younique Unit group together with Exo-M Luhan and a member with Exo-M Lay dance group SM The Performance.
Stage name: Se Hun / 세훈 / Sehun
Real name: Oh Se Hun / 오세훈
Position in the group: Main dancer, vocalist, rapper, maknae (junior in the group)
Place of Birth: Seoul, South Korea Nationality: Korean
Zodiac sign: Aries
According to the Chinese horoscope: Dog
Family: Older 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. For two years he participated in various castings and in 2008 he finally signed a contract with SM.
Sehun took part in the filming of the Girls' Generation-TTS video - "Twinkle" along with Baekhyun, Chanyeol and Kai. He was an invited guest with Chanyeol in the second episode of the 2013 sitcom "Royal Villa"
Stage name: D.O. /디오/Dio
Real name: Do Kyung Soo / 도경수
Position in the group: Lead Vocalist
Place of Birth: Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
Nationality: Korean
Zodiac sign: Capricorn
According to the Chinese horoscope: Rooster
Family: Older brother
Studies: Started singing in elementary school. He constantly participated in local singing competitions throughout his high school years.
After winning a local song festival in 2010, he was recommended for audition by SM. Last 2 years high school was a SM trainee. At the audition for the agency, he performed the songs Na Yoon Kwon - "Anticipation" and Browneyed Soul - "My Story".
Before debut: Participated in the recording of f(x)'s song "Goodbye Summer" for their second album Pink Tape.
Stage name: Kris / 크리스 / Kris
Real name: Wu Fan / 우판
Position in the group: Leader, Vocalist, Main Rapper
Place of Birth: Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
Nationality: Chinese
Zodiac sign: Scorpio
According to the Chinese horoscope: Horse
Foreign languages: Chinese, Korean, English, Catonian (Chinese dialect)
Education: Graduated from high school in China, high school in Canada. At both schools he was captain of the school basketball teams.
In 2007, he auditioned for SM, held in Vancouver, Canada.
Before debut: In 2011, appeared in a special video for the Girls' Generation tour.
Stage name: Xiu Min / 시우민 / Xiumin
Real name: Kim Min Seok / 김민석
Position in the group: Main dancer, vocalist
Place of birth: South Korea
Nationality: Korean
Zodiac sign: Aries
According to the Chinese horoscope: Horse
In 2008, he auditioned for SM, taking second place in the SM Everysing Contest.
Stage name: Lu Han / 루한 / Luhan
Real name: Lu Han / 루한
Position in the group: Main vocalist, main dancer, "face" of the group
Place of Birth: Haidian, Beijing, China
Nationality: Chinese
Zodiac sign: Taurus
Chinese horoscopes: Horse
Studies: Studied at Shida Middle School and Haidian Foreign Language Shi Yan School in Beijing. After arriving in Korea, he entered Yonsei University as an exchange student. Currently studying at the Korean Institute of Arts, Faculty of Applied Music.
In 2008, he participated in the JYP Entertainment casting in China, but did not make it. While studying in Seoul, he was noticed by SM agents and, after passing the casting in 2011, signed a contract with the agency.
Luhan is a member of the group "Younique Unit" along with Kai.
Stage name: Lay / 레이 / Lay
Real name: Zhang Yi Xing / 장이씽
Position in the group: Lead Dancer, Vocalist
Place of Birth: Changsha, Hunan Province, China
Nationality: Chinese
Blood type: A (second)
Libra
According to the Chinese horoscope: Sheep
In 2008, there was a Chinese casting for SM. Before joining SM, Lay 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.
Lay is part of the dance group SM The Performance along with EXO-K Kai.
Stage name: Chen /첸/Chen
Real name: Kim Jong Dae / 김종대
Position in the group: Lead Vocalist
Place of birth: South Korea
Nationality: Korean
Zodiac sign: Virgo
According to the Chinese horoscope: Monkey
Family: Older brother
In early 2011, Chen became one of the last EXO members to join SM.
Stage name: Tao / 타오 / Tao
Real name: Huang Zi Tao /황지타오
Position in the group: Lead Rapper, Vocalist
Place of birth: Qingdao, China
Nationality: Chinese
Zodiac sign: Taurus
According to the Chinese horoscope: Rooster
Study: Studied at one of the most prestigious schools in his hometown, Humen Center Primary School, and at Qingdao Middle School. Tao is a martial artist. He started practicing wushu at the age of 6. Won first place in a rap competition in Hong Kong.
In 2011, he auditioned for SM.
A country: South Korea
Compound: 9 people
Direction: Pop, K-pop, Mandor-pop and R&B
Date of foundation: 2012
Label: SM Entertainment
View: description
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. Thereby " 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 participants 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 at the Great Hall of the 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 the 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 win the "Best popular group" 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 music charts online services in Korea and China. Both versions of the albums peaked at number nine on the Billboard World Album Chart a week after release. 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 title of "Triple Win". 
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.
Composition of the group:
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 type: 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
Favorite 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, in a thank you note for the album "Mr. Simple"
Kyuhyun calling Suho - "Joonmyunnie-ah"
Family: Older brother
Studies: Did well in school and was active in the classroom. He was class president in elementary school and vice president in 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 type: 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 free time loves 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 together with Kai.
Stage name: Baekhyun / 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
An 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
Meaning of the name: 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: Older 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 the last members to join 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: Older 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 type: 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: Elder 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 he appeared in the Japanese video of 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.
An 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 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: Older 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 type: 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
An 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 sport 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 the age of 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
An 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 as well as 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: Older 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. For two years he participated in various castings and in 2008 he finally signed a contract with SM.
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" together 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. 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 “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 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). 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 5th, 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 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.
2014-2015:
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 23 to 25, 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.
