EXO members (from left) Sehun, Baekhyun, Suho, Lay (Zhang Yixing), Kai (Kim Jongin), Chanyeol, Chen (Kim Jongdae), Xiumin (Kim Minseok), and D.O. (Do Kyungsoo). Image: Twitter/@weareoneEXO
EXO’s Suho has hinted on the K-pop boy group’s return to the music scene sometime in 2023.
The leader of the Korean boy band took to his personal Instagram account on Sunday, Jan. 1 to greet his fans, as well as tease EXO’s upcoming comeback within the year. However, details about the group’s concept, release date, and album are yet to be disclosed.
“Happy new year 2023. EXO WILL COME BACK IN 2023,” Suho wrote in the caption.
EXO recently made waves on social media after performing their hit songs “First Snow” and “Love Shot” at the “Smtown Live 2023: SMCU Palace at Kwangya” joint concert on New Year’s day.
Suho and other members Xiumin, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, and Sehun were present during the event, as seen in a video uploaded by fan account S_A lyrics on its YouTube channel.
Despite the release of their seventh EP “Don’t Fight the Feeling” in 2021, this marks EXO’s first performance as a group since 2019.
Details about the group’s upcoming album is yet to be revealed. However, it’s been a while since they performed as a complete unit. Even if EXO released their seventh EP “Don’t Fight the Feeling” in 2021, their SMTOWN stage marks their first performance since 2019.
While all nine members have been spreading their wings in their respective paths, it’s quite remarkable that the group remains to be one of the biggest names in the K-pop industry.
Here’s a glimpse at what the members of EXO have been up to.
Suho
Being the leader of a legendary boy group comes with massive responsibility, but Suho managed to emerge as a successful soloist. He released his second mini-album “Grey Suit” in April 2022, shortly after his military discharge in February 2022. The EP contains six tracks including the title track “Grey Suit” and its follow-up single, “Hurdle.”
Suho also recorded the song “Call Me a Freak,” a contribution to the soundtrack of the K-drama “Bad Prosecutor” which stars his bandmate D.O.
Xiumin
Born as Kim Minseok, the K-pop idol debuted as a soloist in September 2022 with the release of his first EP “Brand New” which contains the lead single of the same name. He is also set to star in his first Korean drama, “Sajangdol Mart,” which is slated to premiere sometime in 2023.
Xiumin also returned to the Philippines with bandmate Chen as one of the performers of the “Be You 2” concert in December of last year.
Lay
Lay embarked on a successful solo career in his home country China, where he released his fifth solo EP “West” in September 2022. He also expressed his love for EXO through the single “Jiu” which was released in commemoration of the boy group’s 10th anniversary in April 2022.
He also made headlines after announcing his departure from SM Entertainment in April 2022, although he clarified to fans that he is still a member of the K-pop boy group.
Baekhyun
Fans of Baekhyun have been waiting for his discharge from the military since enlisting as a public service worker in May 2021.
Prior to his enlistment, Baekhyun had been active in the music scene as a soloist and member of two K-pop groups. His recent releases include his first Japanese EP “Baekhyun” in January 2021 and third Korean EP “Bambi” in March 2021.
Apart from his activities as an EXO member, Baekhyun was also active as the leader of SuperM before his enlistment.
Chen
Chen, who was born as Kim Jongdae, reflected about change in his third solo mini-album of the same name. The six-track record marks the singer-turned-soloist’s first release in three years, since his second EP “Dear my dear” in October 2019.
The EXO member also performed for fans at the “HallyuPopFest London” concert in July 2022 and “Be You 2” joint show in Cebu and Quezon City, Philippines last month.
Apart from his life in the spotlight, Chen welcomed his second child with his non-celebrity wife in January 2022.
Chanyeol
Chanyeol, who was recently discharged from his mandatory military service in September 2022, performed with SM Entertainment labelmates aespa’s Winter and NCT’s Mark at the SMTOWN New Year concert.
Before his military service, Chanyeol participated in the production of “Don’t Fight the Feeling” and “1 Billion Views,” the first full-length album of EXO-SC alongside bandmate Sehun. The sub-unit is set to perform for Indonesian fans at the “Back to Back” fanmeet in February 2023.
D.O.
Born as Do Kyungsoo, D.O. is living the best of both worlds as an actor and soloist after his military discharge in January 2021. He debuted as a solo artist with his EP “Empathy” which contains seven tracks, including two songs containing lyrics he wrote himself.
He also released the single “Bite” in October 2022, in participation with the soundtrack of his 2022 K-drama “Bad Prosecutor.”
D.O. has been also making a name for himself as an actor in “Bad Prosecutor,” where he bagged the Top Excellence for Actor and Best Couple awards at the KBS Drama Awards in December 2022. He is also set to appear in the upcoming Korean films “The Moon” and “Secret: Untold Melody.”
Kai
Kai, also known as Kim Jongin, has been active in the entertainment industry as a soloist and fashion icon. Among his recent performances include the collaborative single “Hot and Cold” with labelmates Seulgi of Red Velvet, Karina of aespa, and Jeno of NCT at the SMTOWN New Year concert.
The K-pop idol also released his sophomore mini-album “Peaches” in November 2021 and participated in the production of SuperM’s first unit EP “Super One” in September 2020 with bandmate Baekhyun.
Meanwhile, Kai was featured as the cover artist of local magazine L’Officiel Philippines for its December 2022 issue and has been a global ambassador of luxury brand Gucci since 2019.
Sehun
Sehun is another whirlwind in the entertainment scene, as he remained active as a K-pop idol, actor, variety star, and fashion icon. Among his recent acting projects include the role of Chi-hyung in the K-drama “Now, We Are Breaking Up” and Han-goong in the film “The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure.” He is also confirmed to portray the character Go Yoo in the upcoming web series “All That We Loved.”
The EXO member was also named as the Man of Dior global ambassador in December 2021 and a member of Cartier’s digital project in February 2022.
Apart from his acting and fashion gigs, Sehun was also a cast member of the variety show “Busted!” until January 2021 and was included in the production of EXO-SC’s album “1 Billion Views” in July 2020. EDV