EXO is a Korean/Chinese boy band who began stealing teenaged girls’ hearts four years ago, in 2012. The group consists of nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Baekhyun, Chanyeol, D.O, Kai, Sehun, Chen, and Lay, each with their individual charm and strength, which has contributed to the group’s astounding success worldwide.
Since their debut, they’ve only grown in popularity, with tours across Asia and North America, making history as the first K-pop group to be featured in the Canadian Hot 100 as well as the first group from their entertainment company — SM Entertainment — to hold a concert on Canadian soil. The fact that they came to Vancouver for their EXO From EXOPLANET #2 — The EXO’luXion tour was a big surprise for a lot of K-pop fans, since Vancouver has often been snubbed by SM entertainment as a tour destination until now. Me and my fellow K-pop fanatics rejoiced and eagerly bought tickets, which were fairly pricey but also well worth it.
My experience before the concert was a nightmare. It had nothing to do with the boys themselves (let’s be real, they’re pretty perfect), but the organizers were completely incompetent. They didn’t sell tickets until a little over a month before the show, the arena layout was only revealed after tickets had gone on sale, photography was banned (though this didn’t stop anyone), and there was a lot of general confusion about what to expect.
The concert was delayed by almost an hour, security was tight and forced patrons to leave their belongings unattended at the door, and the stadium layout didn’t suit EXO’s usual set, leaving concert-goers watching from odd, sideways angles. All these things left a sour taste in my mouth, but luckily, once EXO came up on stage and screamed “VANCOUVER!” those negative emotions turned into pure excitement and pandemonium from the crowd, leaving me squealing like I’ve never squealed before.
EXO opened with “Overdose,” “History,” and “MAMA,” all classics from their earlier EPs, which definitely hit everyone in the stadium with a wave of nostalgia. Spirits were high, and my normally calm demeanor turned into a screaming machine for a good 10 minutes. However, the setlist after that was a bit odd.
It was a mixed bag of songs from their Christmas EP, their Japanese album, and their biggest hits, with a tear-jerking bittersweet video, a group striptease, and an EDM DJ set from Chanyeol, all in a matter of three hours. Albeit out-of-season, “Miracles in December,” featuring D.O., Chen, and Baekhyun, was enchanting. Chen is, in my opinion, the best singer of the group, however midway through the concert his voice became noticeably more nasally, and D.O., who is also a phenomenal vocalist, missed some high notes, likely due to illness.
Regardless, they all have velvety, incredible voices, and it was surreal to hear them live. Other notable tracks from that night were “Playboy,” “Call Me Baby,” “Love Me Right,” and “Unfair” — the last of which has been on repeat on my phone ever since the concert ended.
K-pop groups must be able to sing and dance simultaneously, and I will always applaud them for being able to achieve both without collapsing — not to mention the jetlag and K-pop’s notorious reputation for overworking their idols — but I’m going to be honest, EXO isn’t famous for their dancing ability. They do have a few phenomenal dancers like Sehun and Kai, but the rest of the group felt somewhat uncoordinated. To be fair, this may have been because the UBC Thunderbird Arena could not accommodate EXO’s usual extended stage, thus creating significant changes in choreography.
EXO really kept the energy going strong; Xiumin with his lighthearted dance breaks, Chanyeol with his charismatic hair-tousling, and adorable attempts at speaking English from Suho, the crowd went wild. Though some people in the mosh-pit got a little too wild, perhaps from scrambling over each other in excitement, or getting too close to the stage pyrotechnics, a few minor injuries affected the mood, but the boys managed to pull through and encouraged safety with their “One step back!” chant.
One thing I admire most about them is how much they care for their fans, and this concert was a prime example of that. They consistently showed concern for their fans’ safety with speeches that would melt anyone’s heart.
EXO’s first stage in Vancouver will hopefully not be their last, and despite the many mishaps surrounding the event, EXO managed to pull off an amazing, memorable show which will go down in K-pop history.
You might want to use a more recent photo of the group! lol