Who’s EXO?

EXO is a twelve member boy group from South Korea, yes TWELVE. That’s like One Direction times TWO with an additional TWO Justin Biebers. Of course EXO cannot be compared to them, but that is just to emphasize their size.

EXO is a Chinese-Korean boy group formed by the company S.M Entertainment. They consist of 4 Chinese members and 8 Korean members. EXO is known for their dance, vocals, and good looking faces. Seriously, you cannot not fall for them.

 

EXO-K (top) and EXO-M (bottom) in 2012

EXO debuted with title track “MAMA” in 2012. Also released were two prologue songs titled “What is Love” and “History”. For promotions, EXO was split into two sub-units, EXO-K and EXO-M, to promote in Korea and China. The “K” stands for Korean and the “M” stands for Mandarin.

After taking a year hiatus, EXO  came back with their song “Wolf” and later their hit song “Growl” along with different versions of the music videos. They exploded in popularity and “Growl” was named one of the best songs of 2013. As December came, EXO released their special holiday album titled “Miracles in December” along with the MV. The title track was a sad ballad that surprised many fans with their vocal skills. Also in 2013, EXO aired their very first reality show titled “EXO Showtime!”.

Members:

Kris- EXO-M, Chinese

Xiumin- EXO-M, Korean

Luhan- EXO-M, Chinese

Chen-EXO-M, Korean

Tao-EXO-M, Chinese

Lay-EXO-M,Chinese

Baekhyun-EXO-K, Korean

Suho-EXO-K, Korean

Chanyeol- EXO-K, Korean

Kai-EXO-K, Korean

Sehun-EXO-K, Korean

D.O-EXO-K, Korean

Let’s start introducing the members!

First we have EXO-M’s leader, Kris Wu! Kris is a Chinese raised in Canada who is fluent 4 languages (Cantonese, Mandarin, English, and Korean). Kris, or Wu Yifan, was a former basketball captain and is one of the tallest member in EXO. He is known for his cold guy image, blonde hair, and model-like visuals. He’s easy to spot out! Kris is in charge of rap.

Next we have Xiumin. Xiumin, born Kim Minseok, is known for his round face therefore the Chinese fans nicknamed him ‘baozi’ which means ‘steamed bun’. Despite his baby face, Xiumin is actually the oldest member of EXO! Xiumin is very shy, humble, and hardworking. Even though he doesn’t show it, he is a very great dancer and singer! Xiumin is a sub-vocalist.

Luhan, who’s full name is Xi Luhan, is from Beijing, China. Luhan is known for his doll like face and deer like eyes. Even though he looks like one of the younger members, he is actually the second oldest! He was an exchange student at Yonsei University before he was casted on the street. Luhan is in charge of the lead vocals. He is closet with EXO-K’s Sehun. (He’s voted the most popular member in China)

Chen, or Kim Jongdae, is known for high cheekbones and is dinosaur looking (according to Baekhyun). Chen is also apart of the ‘beagle line’, or the playful members, which consists of Baekhyun, Chanyeol and himself. Chen is the main vocalist and has an incredible vocal range.

Tao, who was born Huang ZiTao, is the maknae, pronounced ‘mang-nay’, or the youngest of EXO-M.You can recognize him from his eye bags and dark complexion. His nickname is panda. Tao is also skilled in martial arts, Wushu to be exact, and is actually a real diva. Tao is also really into luxury brands along with Kris. Tao is in charge of rap.

Lastly in EXO-M, we have Lay or Zhang YiXing. Before Lay debuted with EXO, he had participated in a few Chinese T.V shows. Lay is known for his fair skin and dorky nature. Lay plays the piano, the guitar and composes in his free time. Lay is in charge of dance and sub-vocals.

This time it’s EXO-K’s leader Suho. Suho’s real name is Kim JoonMyeon. “Suho” in Korean means guardian. The members nicknamed him that because he was always taking care of the other members. Suho has trained for 7 years and is quite close to SHINee’s Jonghyun. Suho is known for his fair skin, pretty forehead (according to Donghae and Eunhyuk), and awkward nature. He is in charge of the sub-vocals.

Chanyeol, aka. Park Chanyeol, is known for his deep voice and baby face. He is the second tallest member and is nicknamed ‘happy virus’. He is easy to spot because of his large ears, smiling face, and tall height. Chanyeol can play the guitar, drums, and the bass. Before he debuted, he was popular for his good looks. Chanyeol is in charge of rap but he can sing too (he’s good at harmonizing).

Baekhyun, born as Byun Baekhyun, is apart of the ‘beagle line’. He is close with Chanyeol. He is known as EXO’s ‘eyeliner’ because he likes to wear it. Baekhyun is filled with aegyo (cuteness, pronounced ay-gyo) along with fellow member Chanyeol. He is known for his pretty hands, his talkative/playful nature, amazing voice, and square smile (according D.O). Baekhyun can play the piano, he knows taekwondo, hapkido, and has a nickname, “Bacon”. He is the main vocalist of EXO.

Kai, aka. Kim Jongin, is known for his dark complexion and is one of the more popular member. Kai’s best friend is SHINee’s Taemin (they bear a resemblance and are both the main dancers). Kai has learned ballet, jazz and specializes in hip-hop dancing. He also has a soft spot for puppies! Kai the the main dancer, rapper, and sub-vocalist.

Next we have D.O, or Do KyungSoo. D.O is known for his large eye white, heart shaped smile, and full lips. He is also the shortest member, the manliest member, and his love for cooking. He was dubbed the title the ‘mom’ of the group. He is close to member Kai. D.O is known for his crystal clear voice and good English pronunciation. He is the lead vocalist.

Last but not least, we have EXO-K’s maknae, Oh Sehun (se-hoon) or simply as Sehun. Sehun is known for his sharp jawline and manly visuals. He has a tendency to blurt out random things that don’t make sense. He usually sports unique hair colors and is one of the taller members. His best friend is Luhan. Sehun is in charge of rap and dance.

EXO’s Hittin’ It Big

As everyone knows, 2013 had become EXO’s year. They dominated the Kpop scene and stole the hearts of many. With numerous comebacks, MVs, a concert, and shows, EXO has proven themselves as one of the most popular Kpop group in Korea. EXO has broken the record of selling over 1 million albums in 12 years!

Now, they are being noticed by the world.

Websites like Fuse and Billboard have named EXO one of the rookies to look out for in 2014. As I fan that has been there since the beginning, I can’t to feel so proud of my boys. They worked hard for their debut, took a year preparing for a comeback, dealt with crazy fans, and worked their butts off in 2013. They were nominated for the MTV EMA’s, won 3 daesangs, and received multiple Triple Crown’s. The proudest moment I felt was at the MTV EMA’s. Even though they didn’t win the Worldwide Act, Kpop fans from around the world came together to tweet about EXO. They ended up winning against Beliebers and Directioners with around 32,000 tweets per minute. Maybe it was because I participated in it, but it made me see how strong the Kpop community actually is.

But that’s not the end. Late last year EXO aired their new reality show called “EXO’s Showtime!”. Showtime showed many aspects we never saw from EXO before. It showed how EXO was really like and we got to see how they got along. We got to see how much EXO really liked to eat, how much they played, how much a diva Tao is, and how loud and fun the ‘beagle line’ is.  Also in addition to that, Chanyeol has been in Micronesia chopping trees and lighting fires (Kind of), D.O is close to making his acting debut in the upcoming movie “Cart”, and Suho has participated in being a voice actor in the movie “Saving Santa”. (Plus much more.)

Even my mom fell for them..Their charms and talents are undeniable.

As fans, it’s time to spread the word about EXO! EXO saranghaja!

ONE MORE!!! CONGRATS TO EXO FOR WINNING THE DISK DAESANG AND BONSANG!!

Sasaeng Strikes Again

Oh jeez…the sasaengs strike yet again.
Or saeseng more specifically. One special little snowflake, decided it was time to threaten Korea’s hottest idol group, EXO. She goes by the name Kim Yeoshin. Now, most EXOtics would have already have heard this news, but I just have to get this out. (Like most saeseng happenings.) Kim Yeoshin is a sasaeng known for her over the top acts. She poisoned B.A.P’s Himchan, and attempted to poison Infinite’s L and Dongwoo, and B1A4’s Baro…etc (You get the gist.)  Now rumor has it, she’s planning to kill an idol in 2014. And netizens are saying that she has her eyes set on EXO’s maknae, Sehun.

Now this is really unsettling for me. Like seriously. I’m sitting in my Spanish class while writing this. I can’t help to feel this squirming feeling at the pit of my stomach. I WAS going to write about it later, but here I am now. 

Number 1, Sehun is one of my biases. I am really worried for him. (And EXO in general) Lately, they have been traveling back and forth between countries and it is World War III at the airports. On top of that, this rumor had to surface and I can’t help but to have a thousand thoughts running through my head. According to an article, I’ll link it below, they think she either might be using Sehun as a stepping stone to reach another member, or trying to murder him. Why Sehun of all people? He had been under fire not long ago and now this? I’m really scared for him. He’s still young and he’s already receiving so much pressure. I’m not sure what he will do next. All I wish is for EXO to be healthy and well. It isn’t even that much to ask for.Thing is, the Korean police can’t do anything about this. (Which makes me very mad.) The police cannot press charges against a minor. (Idk if she is or not) She should be arrested or at the very least put on some kind of restraint. She has committed so many acts that can hurt the idols who are people nonetheless. Instead of petitioning for EXO to be exempt from military service, we should petition to stop the sasaengs acts. I believe this all we can do to help our idols.

LUNAFLY STARDUST MV!!!

Please watch! I know it sucks but I worked really hard on it! ENJOY!! Have a fantastic day~
Try to guess where I was!!

EXO Sasaengs

As an EXOtic, I am embarrassed to write this. But as an EXOtic I have no choice but to write this. This morning I was woken up to this post on my feed:

(from baekhyun’s hyung’s wedding yesterday, 130928)

baekhyun was extremely mad (notice his whole face to his ears are red) because sasaengs somehow got themselves into the wedding and took pictures and made a mess out of the whole event and supposedly baekhyun said:
“this is my one and only hyung and his one and only wedding, why would you this you crazy humans”
this also could be the reason behind tao’s weibo rant, and the boys all generally had upset expressions at gimpo airport on the way to their ulsan fansign 
(source: nate pann, twitter, naver, trans@ kyungbabe)

I was mad beyond imagination. My fellow fans (If I can even call them that) created a ruckus during a wedding. No, it didn’t have to be any wedding, it had to be Baekhyun’s hyung. I was so embarrassed and still am. How can you even do that to them? Its a wedding that has absolutely NOTHING to do with you sasaengs. Sasaengs are delusional human beings that need desperate medical help. The thing that makes me pissed off the most is that nobody tries to stop. At this point sasaengs are really unstoppable. The companies, and even the government, make up excuses like “Oh they are underage” and all that crap. Well, look at the us. Here, in the states we have juvie. Juvie is a juvenile detention center. Otherwise known as a jail for kids underage. We don’t have any excuses for crimes we have done. If its terrible enough we get put in there. Well who cares if they are underage? They just use that as an excuse to chase around idols and put their lives in danger. Last blog post I wrote, I had complimented Korean fans. Now what do we have here? A post about sasaengs.

The thing that hurts me the most is when people start hating on EXOtics in general. Not all of us are sasaengs. In fact, most of the EXOtics I know are waiting for me to write this. How can a fandom turn onto each other? This is not meant to happen. If you think that you’re a fan, you better act like one. I read some articles online earlier today. Guess what I saw? D.O is scared of his fans. That totally ripped my heart from my chest. Isn’t an idol supposed to love their fans? Well not in this case. Another post I read was about EXO’s depression because of their fans. I don’t know if you have noticed but EXO has changed so, so much since their debut. The happy virus Chanyeol has lost his glow, D.O doesn’t smile as much as he used to, and over all, EXO has lost that luster they used to have. No one is as bright as they used to be. They seem dull and worn out. 

I have considered many many times if I should stop being an EXOtic. There seems to be no more hope, and the stubborn me refuses to believe that there is none. Sasaengs have dug a 50 foot hole and dragged all of us in there. Just when I thought we could climb out, they dig a hole deeper. I hope and wish these sasaengs would open their eyes and experience what a real fan would be like and to feel the sincere love from the idols. Even for just one day, I wish that would happen. This doesn’t simply affect Korean fans, it impacted us international fans all over the globe. People are lashing out like there is no tomorrow. 

What good is there being a sasaeng fan? How are you helping us fans? How are you leading an example to us international fans? Sasaengs are just selfish. They want their idols for themselves, they want them to notice them. That’s selfish. Sasaengs will probably say they aren’t, but according to the dictionary, it is. An idol should feel proud of their fans, and fans should proud of each other. They shouldn’t feel ashamed of each other. EXO shouldn’t feel ashamed to us. If you really love EXO that much you better ask yourself; “Am I making EXO happy right now? Am I making them feel proud?” Do you need a member of EXO to come to you in tears to beg you to stop? I think that the main problem of sasaengs is that they feel powerful. They think they have control on their idols. They talk to them like they are friends and that the idols have started the problems. Oh how I wish someone would go over there and yell some sense into you all.

I don’t think sasaeng issues should be taken lightly anymore. To EXO, its okay if you break your image once in a while, and now is the time. Go up there and scold them. Make them realize how difficult it is for you. Don’t be afraid because we normal fans will support you from the side lines. 

How difficult is it to be a normal fan? Not that hard. All you do is support the group sincerely and that’s about it. You don’t need to attend every show, watch every broadcast and attend every fansign. If you really love them, show it the right way. Treat them with respect, send teddy bears and cute cards telling them to be happy. Cheer as loud as you can, make covers, and so on. You don’t have to be by their side 24/7 to love them. Being a regular fan, you can feel the love stronger then being a sasaeng. It doesn’t have to be expressed in actions or words, you just feel it in your heart. What is the purpose of you sasaeng anyway? I’m really curious.

To all sasaengs,

I sincerely wish you realize that there are more benefits being a normal fan then being a sasaeng. If you decide to become a normal fan, I will become your fan. You are worth a fan. For trying hard and realizing. I will accept you with an open heart. Just know that you can do it.

International Fans and Korean Fans

There has been never ending disagreements between Korean fans and International fans. International fans come from America, Europe, Africa….etc. and not just China or Japan. International fans are more open-minded and free minded. (If that makes sense) Maybe its because our cultures are different or that our government is different. That doesn’t change the fact that we still love the same music. I’m writing this blog post because I want our Korean part of our fandom to understand us.

Since forever disagreements have been around but no one tries to clear it up. In the end it just piles up to a big ball of hate. I understand that our Korean counterparts look at us differently. We ARE different, heck, most of us aren’t even Korean.( I know I’m not) Its natural to feel a bit of unease towards us. You, (Korean fans) might feel like we are invading your property. I get that. Its K-POP. KOREAN POP. Its for Koreans. Its natural to feel a bit territorial and possessive. (Not saying all are) Something like getting you laptop taken away and replacing it with a crappy one. Your going to respond like “that’s my computer, you can’t take it away!” (Happens to me all the time)

 People ask me what music I listen to. I used to respond right away, “K-pop. Korean pop.” Immediately, they would look at me. “Are you Korean?” I shake my head. “Do you speak Korean?” I would shake my head again. “I’m Chinese.” I respond. They would nod and put up a fake smile. “Why do you listen to it when you can’t even understand it.” I smile wider. “I can. I learned. I listen to it because I like it.” And usually after that they leave. My best friend (Who’s white btw) loves K-pop as well. I cannot even describe how difficult is was for her to get accepted. (She still isn’t) People would ask her the same questions, she would respond the same. This time, they don’t let her off because she’s Asian. Because she’s not, they alienate her. People called her a “wannabe Asian” and made fun of her all the time because she doesn’t listen to her own country’s music. Its even harder for her because she isn’t Asian. Multiple times she had told me she had given up, I would say, “Don’t you want to keep seeing your bias and supporting him? You can’t give up. Ignore them.” She would agree and become an even better fan. If its hard for you, its harder for us. (Not to mention learning Korean)

We international fans got through so much. We get alienated and talked upon. We can’t go to concert and events as easily as Korean fans can. Buying a few merchandise rips a hole out of our pockets. We rely on Korean fans much more then they rely on us. They are responsible for fan cams, fan chants, fan accounts, information, support…etc. The list could go on and on. We really appreciate K-fans a lot and we really do. We depend on Korean fans to show our love in our place, I mean come on, they aren’t going to hear you through a computer screen on the other half of the world. If I encountered a Korean fan here I would do my best to help him/her. With the limited Korean I have, I would try to help and translate and make them feel welcome. I would respect him/her. K-fans are respected and looked up upon to us international fans. (I usually side with the Korean fans.)

I believe we can all clear this misunderstanding and help each other out. I don’t want to go to Korea someday and be “blacklisted”,as I have read somewhere, and I truly hope its false. Here are somethings we do differently as international fans:

-We are dedicated to multiple groups (That DOES NOT mean we are not loyal. We very much are but its extremely difficult to choose one because they are all so awesome)

-We have multiple biases, but usually only one ultimate bias (An idol that rules above all)

-We are a bit more wild during concerts. (Like who wouldn’t? We only have one chance to meet them and its very hard to)

-We usually have messy fan chants. (Because we are up dancing and singing)

-Military enlistments make us upset. We haven’t really got used to it, but we accept it.

-Sharing a bias usually isn’t too big of a problem. I share my ultimate bias with anyone (*whispers* B.A.P’s Daehyun)

-We usually do fan cams with cellphones and crappy cameras. Usually security wouldn’t let us bring them to concerts.

And that’s about all that I can think of so far. But differences aren’t the point here. The point is our similarities. we both love K-Pop don’t we? We all love our biases don’t we? We support them don’t we? The answer should be yes we do.

I joined in a Facebook group for B.A.P’s concert last May. We were all different. Different ethnic groups. Different cultures. Different places. Different languages. We were basically a rainbow of diversity. Yet by loving Kpop, we all came together. We looked past our barriers and came together as a family. Just by one single similarity, we became one. (WE ARE ONE! EXO-IMNIDA! sorry…) I hope you can understand us more now. 나는 당신이우리를 이해할 수 있기를 바랍니다.

 

This group of SHINee fans have all sorts of people in it.

 

The oh-so-famous light stick oceans. I would say Korean fans are more organized when it comes to these things.

A Quote By CL

“You can just enjoy music without understanding it. Music is a universal language.” -2NE1, CL