Sometimes I feel like the only person who doesn't have a strong opinion about SM's latest moneymaker group EXO. I'm pretty convinced they have some of the most dedicated and passionate fans out there at the moment, but also a lot of antis that just hate everything they do. I'm sort of torn a bit in between. On one hand, I enjoy them to a certain extent, but on the other hand I still feel like they're enormously overrated.
EXO debuted in spring of 2012 in two units, EXO-K and EXO-M, with the song Mama. The song was quite alright, and it had a nice choreography too, but I wasn't by any means blown away by them. It was average, as most debuts are. For some reason though, all of the kpop world exploded with opinions of these 12(!) boys, and l personally never got the deal about it.
Being with a company as big and successful as SM definitely has its privileges, which is very clearly shown in the marketing of the group. The name was finalized in December 2011, and for the next two months 23 teasers featuring various members were released. That is some pretty crazy promoting. Each of the teasers had a song playing in the background, some of which weren't released until the drop of their 2013 album XOXO.
You could already tell from the beginning just how much money and effort SM were putting in this new group, and how determined they were to make them the next big thing.
The thing is though, that I never got caught in all of this hype. Instead I was almost annoyed at just how many teasers there were and how unfair the treatment for these boys were compared to other groups (for example f(x), who should just leave SM like now). I also didn't find them any more interesting than any other rookie group (I much preferred BAP), because they didn't bring anything particularly new to the table. Sure, they were absolutely gorgeous (and I'm not going to deny that), had a catchy song, a cool music video and so forth, but it wasn't anything that hadn't been seen before. I was also upset about their live performances (lack of stage presence and lip-synching) and their overall chemistry as a group. EXO-K barely got to do anything, no variety shows or TV appearances at all, and the ones I saw with EXO-M in China were stiff and boring. It was obvious these boys were nervous and insecure, and I couldn't find a way to connect with them on a personal level either. It seemed they weren't comfortable and on friendly terms with each other as well, which didn't help my case in any way. I wanted to find a reason to root for them, but they never gave me one.
My initial problem was not only their (lack of) performance skills and awkward and shy personalities but the fact that they were so underwhelming after such big hype prior to their debut. I didn't find any depth, any interesting personalities or stories to attach myself to. There was so much on the surface, their pretty faces, flashy clothes and concepts, but underneath there was nothing. It was so empty and disappointing. It's hard to explain, but I felt like I had been promised more than I was given. These young men were no prodigies with exceptional skills, they were only slightly above average. Still, fangirls went crazy and I could not get my head around it! It was obvious just how much just being with SM matters in terms of promotion.
I know this is very much a matter of personal taste, and I just didn't find them interesting enough to care more about.
For 2013, their long awaited comeback finally came, this time as 12 people and not two units, with Wolf. This is a comeback I would rather like to pretend never happened, because it was just horrendous. The song was very disjointed and confusing, and the concept was not a hit with me along with many others. After such a long time, this is all they give us? Once again, I was let down because the result didn't live up the expectations. I had been willing to give them a second chance to win me over, but I was yet again betrayed. However, they did release their full length debut album, which was probably the only good thing to come out of that comeback (talked about more in this previous post) . Not surprisingly, they managed to snatch a few awards, which only made me even more angry because I didn't feel like they were deserving of it, not with that song.
I was honestly the most irritated I'd ever been with them, so when they released follow up song Growl, I was reluctant to even listen to it. It turned out to be pretty much the hit of the year, winning them multiple triple crowns on music shows and lots of public recognition, so their faces were pretty unavoidable. The song itself was good, the music video nicely shot and the choreography made good use of all the members.
For 2013, their long awaited comeback finally came, this time as 12 people and not two units, with Wolf. This is a comeback I would rather like to pretend never happened, because it was just horrendous. The song was very disjointed and confusing, and the concept was not a hit with me along with many others. After such a long time, this is all they give us? Once again, I was let down because the result didn't live up the expectations. I had been willing to give them a second chance to win me over, but I was yet again betrayed. However, they did release their full length debut album, which was probably the only good thing to come out of that comeback (talked about more in this previous post) . Not surprisingly, they managed to snatch a few awards, which only made me even more angry because I didn't feel like they were deserving of it, not with that song.
I was honestly the most irritated I'd ever been with them, so when they released follow up song Growl, I was reluctant to even listen to it. It turned out to be pretty much the hit of the year, winning them multiple triple crowns on music shows and lots of public recognition, so their faces were pretty unavoidable. The song itself was good, the music video nicely shot and the choreography made good use of all the members.
They also appeared on a few variety shows, and so slowly starting to win my interest. This just shows how important it is not only to have good music, but to feel easily approachable as well. I didn't know them, I didn't know their personalities or their chemistry as a group, so I couldn't bond with them.
They now have their own variety show called Exo Showtime, airing once a week, and I have been paying closely attention to it. For an EXO stan, this show is probably God's gift from heaven, but for someone like me who has yet to be impressed it's very slow. The first episodes were awkward and non-eventful, and it was painfully obvious how much lack of chemistry between the members there were. Maybe they're only stiff in front of the camera, but I think that being such a large group, it's natural for some of the guys not to feel comfortable with each other. These are things that work themselves out over time, but for now it's very clear how strained some of the relationships are. It doesn't help either that a lot of the members don't have any great variety personalities, forcing others to overcompensate instead (looking at you Chanyeol and Baekhyun).
The latest episode, episode 6, has been my favorite so far, being funnier and feeling less scripted than previous episodes. I especially enjoy the interactions between the maknae line and the 92-line, and Lay is just too precious.
They now have their own variety show called Exo Showtime, airing once a week, and I have been paying closely attention to it. For an EXO stan, this show is probably God's gift from heaven, but for someone like me who has yet to be impressed it's very slow. The first episodes were awkward and non-eventful, and it was painfully obvious how much lack of chemistry between the members there were. Maybe they're only stiff in front of the camera, but I think that being such a large group, it's natural for some of the guys not to feel comfortable with each other. These are things that work themselves out over time, but for now it's very clear how strained some of the relationships are. It doesn't help either that a lot of the members don't have any great variety personalities, forcing others to overcompensate instead (looking at you Chanyeol and Baekhyun).
The latest episode, episode 6, has been my favorite so far, being funnier and feeling less scripted than previous episodes. I especially enjoy the interactions between the maknae line and the 92-line, and Lay is just too precious.
However, SM needs to relax a bit and let the boys run free for a while to showcase themselves better, because right now they are so restricted by their image, and it shows.
So to conclude, I am as of now still not a fan of them as a group even though I immensely enjoyed their debut album, but I don't think too badly of them. There is a lot of talent and potential in there, but they still have a long way to go to perfect it. I also hope they become more comfortable and natural being in variety shows and with each other, because then I might give them another honest chance to impress me.
Are they overrated? Yes, they are.
Do they still have a chance? Yes, definitely.
So to conclude, I am as of now still not a fan of them as a group even though I immensely enjoyed their debut album, but I don't think too badly of them. There is a lot of talent and potential in there, but they still have a long way to go to perfect it. I also hope they become more comfortable and natural being in variety shows and with each other, because then I might give them another honest chance to impress me.
Are they overrated? Yes, they are.
Do they still have a chance? Yes, definitely.
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