Recently, I tweeted:
Even if you have been listening to KPop for the shortest of whiles, you would have already know by now the power of EXO. You've heard about the crazy fans and their dedicated wallets, you know that the group is under a top-three company machine, you've heard about the scandals and controversies, etc, etc, et cetera. I started to become wary of them. Don't get me wrong! I've liked their music, their voices, and their handsomeness. I just felt like I couldn't connect with them as a bias level group.
Here, I wanted to talk about my conflicting thoughts about EXO, as well as my increasing interest in getting to know more about them.
I've tried. I tried watching variety shows, interviews, games cuts, laugh compilations. Feelings and attachments were formed, but nothing officially stayed. I never really stanned anyone. Then, I found the sources of my discomfort while watching EXO Showtime. To be honest, it was the members who left EXO that made it really hard for me to concentrate the group as a whole. All I could do was find faults between the members that left.
In the beginning, I tried to to blame the leader Suho because I thought he wasn't leading the group well. But after I watched his almost 2-hour chat with the fans on V-app, I realized that he had a lot of pressure to uphold such a popular group + the reputation of his company + his own exceptions for greatness. Then I tried to blame SM Entertainment, their company. However, I had to give them some props by giving the remaining members many opportunities in acting, producing their own music, and large venues to perform to their talents. I would hope their management learned from their mistakes.
"Growl" was EXO's first commercial hit as the original group, however "Love Me Right" was their first single and video as the final nine. I fell in love that music video in general (again, the magic of purple mesmerized me), but I felt something different this time. "Love Me Right" was cleaner, professional, and had a clear, artistic purpose. And during their hiatus, I followed EXO on social media and watched as they fought to keep their private lives safe and continue to make music for their loyal fans. I was impressed and gradually came to admire their fierce work ethic.
During this comeback, I tried to maintain some composure but whoo! they looked so good. I'm still trying to overcome D.O with his face concept to reach into his personality. I know I shouldn't be scared but I am. I wasn't expecting to love "Lucky One"'s club vibe and "Monster"'s dance so much. I only listened to EX'ACT once all the way through. I haven't had time to really immerse myself in it fully. However according to reviews from hardcore fans, EXO has finally started to experiment with their sound to see where they truly fit in musically and creatively.
Even though EXO has a lot on their plate already, there are some things I wish they would do. I won't list them in case I sound insensitive, but I think they are going on the right path. I'll try to keep prejudice to myself as I watch older videos, however as they create new material, I hope they bring their truer selves out closer to the camera without fear.
image credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
@qualityw_ilmo -
Nobody can deny EXO's music.
Their music is exceeds every comeback without looking back.
#EXACT #EXOGrandComeback
Even if you have been listening to KPop for the shortest of whiles, you would have already know by now the power of EXO. You've heard about the crazy fans and their dedicated wallets, you know that the group is under a top-three company machine, you've heard about the scandals and controversies, etc, etc, et cetera. I started to become wary of them. Don't get me wrong! I've liked their music, their voices, and their handsomeness. I just felt like I couldn't connect with them as a bias level group.
Here, I wanted to talk about my conflicting thoughts about EXO, as well as my increasing interest in getting to know more about them.
I've tried. I tried watching variety shows, interviews, games cuts, laugh compilations. Feelings and attachments were formed, but nothing officially stayed. I never really stanned anyone. Then, I found the sources of my discomfort while watching EXO Showtime. To be honest, it was the members who left EXO that made it really hard for me to concentrate the group as a whole. All I could do was find faults between the members that left.
- Kris - A pompous young man who got his dish served to him many times.
- Luhan - All I can remember about Luhan is that he hated being called cute and baby-faced and wanted be considered as a sexy and manly. How?
- Tao - A kid that was much like me in trying really hard to fit into what he thought were his dreams and his true friends group, but snapped out of it early to realize his real ambition.
In the beginning, I tried to to blame the leader Suho because I thought he wasn't leading the group well. But after I watched his almost 2-hour chat with the fans on V-app, I realized that he had a lot of pressure to uphold such a popular group + the reputation of his company + his own exceptions for greatness. Then I tried to blame SM Entertainment, their company. However, I had to give them some props by giving the remaining members many opportunities in acting, producing their own music, and large venues to perform to their talents. I would hope their management learned from their mistakes.
"Growl" was EXO's first commercial hit as the original group, however "Love Me Right" was their first single and video as the final nine. I fell in love that music video in general (again, the magic of purple mesmerized me), but I felt something different this time. "Love Me Right" was cleaner, professional, and had a clear, artistic purpose. And during their hiatus, I followed EXO on social media and watched as they fought to keep their private lives safe and continue to make music for their loyal fans. I was impressed and gradually came to admire their fierce work ethic.
During this comeback, I tried to maintain some composure but whoo! they looked so good. I'm still trying to overcome D.O with his face concept to reach into his personality. I know I shouldn't be scared but I am. I wasn't expecting to love "Lucky One"'s club vibe and "Monster"'s dance so much. I only listened to EX'ACT once all the way through. I haven't had time to really immerse myself in it fully. However according to reviews from hardcore fans, EXO has finally started to experiment with their sound to see where they truly fit in musically and creatively.
Even though EXO has a lot on their plate already, there are some things I wish they would do. I won't list them in case I sound insensitive, but I think they are going on the right path. I'll try to keep prejudice to myself as I watch older videos, however as they create new material, I hope they bring their truer selves out closer to the camera without fear.
image credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
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