K-Pop’s boy legion ‘harder to organize’

EXO GETS the best of both markets, performing in Korean and Chinese. mtvasia

PETALING JAYA, Malaysia—Robin Thicke might have been the main act at the recent “MTV World Stage: Live in Malaysia,” but the one-night gig’s biggest draw turned out to be EXO, one of K-Pop’s fastest-rising boy bands.

Majority of the 15,000-strong crowd that gathered at the Sunway Lagoon theme park’s Surf Beach last month were ardent, banner-toting teenage fangirls. Relentless high-pitched shrieks greeted the 12-member group, which sang and danced to urban-vibed pop hits such as “Wolf,” “History,” “3.6.5.” and “Growl.”

In the course of their 20-minute set, the boys busted out synchronized dance moves with clockwork precision, while thrilling fans with cutesy gestures.

EXO is divided into two sub-units: EXO-K (Suho, Baekhyun, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai and Sehun), which targets the Korean market; and EXO-M (Kris, Xiumin, Lu Han, Lay, Chen and Tao) for the Chinese-speaking fans. The two groups usually perform in separate gigs.

Recently, however, both EXO-K and EXO-M have been appearing together to promote their new album “XOXO,” which has so far sold over 700,000 copies since its release in June.

Dressed in hip school uniforms, the EXO members entered the room one by one, smiling as they politely waved at Southeast Asian reporters at the group interview the next day. The boys settled onto their seats, gave each other quick glances, and chorused, “Hi, we’re EXO!”

Excerpts from the interview:

How does it feel to be the first K-Pop act since 2002 to sell more than 700,000 copies?

Suho: We’re very happy to have this kind of success in Korea and China. The next time we come back we’ll try to give better quality performances and albums.

What are the challenges of being presented as a 12-member group?

Kris: It’s a bigger group, so it’s harder to get organized in the beginning. It takes more time to make everything work. But there are many good things about performing together as 12—we can deliver more powerful performances; we can show more.

What sets you apart from other K-Pop groups?

Chanyeol: We get to promote not only in Korean but also in Chinese. We capture a wider audience. That’s our biggest advantage.

Are there any international artists you want to collaborate with?

Suho: We want to collaborate with any foreign artist because it’s going to be a good experience for all of us.

Are there plans to release an English album soon?

Baekhyun: We would like to try making an English album in the future. Watch for it!

Kris: Anything is possible.