Exo
Exo in June 2016
From left to right,
standing: Baekhyun, Chen, Lay, Sehun, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai
From left to right, kneeling: Suho, Xiumin
Background information
Origin Seoul, South Korea
Genres K-pop
electronica
hip hop
R&B
Years active 2012–present
Labels S.M. Entertainment
Avex Trax
Associated acts Exo-CBX
SM Town
Website [Link]
Members Xiumin
Suho
Lay
Baekhyun
Chen
Chanyeol
D.O.
Kai
Sehun
Past members Luhan
Kris
Tao[fn 1]
Exo (Korean: 엑소; stylized as EXO) is a South Korean-Chinese boy group based in Seoul. Formed by S.M.
Entertainment in 2011, the group debuted in 2012 and has nine
members: Suho, Baekhyun, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, Sehun, Xiumin, Lay and Chen.[1] Their wide variety of
musical styles, which have been praised for their diversity, include traditional genres such as pop, hip
hop and R&B along with EDM genres including house, trap and synth-pop among others.[1][2] They
release and perform music in Korean, Mandarin and Japanese.[1] They were ranked as one of the top five
most influential celebrities on the ForbesKorea Power Celebrity list from 2014 to 2018 and have been
named "the biggest boyband in the world" and the "Kings of K-pop" by media outlets.[1][3]
The group initially debuted with twelve members separated into two subgroups, Exo-K
(Suho, Baekhyun, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, and Sehun) and Exo-M (Xiumin, Lay, Chen and former
members Kris, Luhan and Tao[fn 1]), performing music in Korean and Mandarin respectively. However, the
last time Exo separated into subgroups to release music was in 2014.[4] They have been active as a single
group since then while continuing to release and perform music in multiple languages. The group
became nine after the departures of Kris, Luhan and Tao amid legal battles in 2014 and 2015.[5] Since
2016, three members, Chen, Baekhyunand Xiumin, have also been active as a subunit named Exo-CBX,
incorporating the initials of each member's stage names.[6] All members also maintain solo careers
across music, film and television.
Exo's first album XOXO (2013), which contained the breakthrough hit "Growl", was a critical and
commercial success, winning both Disc Daesang at the 28th Golden Disc Awards and Album of the
Year at the 15th Mnet Asian Music Awards. It sold over one million copies, making Exo the best-selling
Korean artist in twelve years.[7] Subsequent albums and EPs continued with strong sales. Their second
album EXODUS (2015) and third album Ex'Act (2016) both sold over one million copies each as
well.[8] These albums along with Exo's third EP Overdose (2014) won Exo multiple awards including Disc
Daesang at the 29th, 30th and 31st Golden Disc Awards,[9] Album of the Year at the 16th, 17th and
18th Mnet Asian Music Awards[10] and the Daesang award at the 24th, 25th and 26th Seoul Music
Awards.[11] Their fourth album The War (2017) became their best-selling album to date, selling over 1.6
million copies in South Korea[12] and winning the group a second consecutive Artist of the Year award at
the 9th Melon Music Awards[13] and record fifth consecutive Album of the Year award at the 19th Mnet
Asian Music Awards.[10] The War also became their highest charting album on the Billboard 200.[14]
