Korean Media News

The members of the rookie group EXO-K have a few common points. First they all started to dream of becoming singers since elementary school, secondly they all went through a trainee life until their debut; they all believed firmly that they could do it.

They were told they were going to be in one team EXO-K (Suho, Baekhyun, Chanyeol, D.O, Kai, Sehun), who all joined SM Entertainment as trainees. Chanyeol revealed “I was of course happy just at the fact I was going to debut but I was even happier I’d be in one team with them whom I was always close with” and “Our relationship is the kind that starting from our trainee days, even during our days off we would hang out together”.

‘MAMA’ revives the SMP… “It’s out of season? It’s rather refreshing”

You’re tied with the name ‘trainee’ but in a situation where you don’t know who’ll debut first, or without knowing if you’ll die out beforehand, you can’t avoid the competition. But EXO-K said “Rather than rivals, it was friends around the same age we were spending a lot of time with” and “We also felt like we were all attached to each other. It was a relationship where we were all releasing stress together in a family-like mood”.

With social lyrics, vocals like screams, the imposing sound that EXO-K’s debut song ‘MAMA’ lets us hear is typically the SMP (Reporter’s note-It’s the name of SM Entertainment’s unique Music Performance) style. They’re proud to show this SMP after a long time but the pressure is also big.

Kai said “Because we’re coming out with SM’s trademark performance, we’re really proud” and “After being here for quite a long time, we also think a lot ‘let’s do well’”. Chanyeol added “But we were also pressured because our singer seniors opened the K-POP and Hallyu wave’s path well, what if we fall short on it? So we practiced hard” and “You can think that it’s (the SMP) out of season but we’d rather think it’s refreshing”.


When they were asked about ‘their strongest act of deviance’ … “We got caught making and eating Dalgona”

EXO-K had their debut with a big scale showcase after their 100 days promotion. Every week they appear on music programs and they have a lot more on their schedules too but they said they were watching movies during their free time. They said they had fun watching lately and in one voice, they added seriously “We think we have superpowers too. We just don’t know about it”.

Because on stage they have to leave a deep impression and show a strong performance, that day before the interview, when they were told “let’s smile” during the photoshoot, EXO-K were somewhat awkward. But if you meet them in real life, they’re closer to pranksters than to the charismatic image on stage. They say “I’ll run and come back” and go to the Han river, joyfully ride bicycles, and when they’re practicing they play (T/N: It’s the game Grandma’s Footsteps). They were even once scolded because they got caught making and eating Dalgona (T/N: Dalgona is a kind of candy you make with baking powder) secretly at the dorm, when we heard that we could really feel their innocence.

Kai explained EXO-K’s charms “When we come off stage, our real personalities aren’t as strong as the song” and “Because the gap between the stage and our daily lives is big, won’t the fans feel even more of our charms?”. EXO-K added “Our charm is showing our innocent image under our charismatic and cool image on stage”.


Only two months after their debut, they go to the SM Town concert in the US “We’re very very excited of course”

On May 20th, EXO-K are experiencing something new. They will stand on ’s stage at California’s Honda Center in the US. They will be with the company’s seniors such as DBSK, Super Junior, SNSD, f(x), etc. for a concert in the US, only 50 days after debuting.

Chanyeol didn’t hide his excitement, he said “I’ve already attended an SM Town concert in Korea as a spectator. I was wondering ‘Will we be able to stand on this stage too someday? I wish we could perform’ but we already get to stand there” and “Moreover it’s in the US. It’s an honor and I’m very very excited”.

Kai added “There will be a lot of opportunities to perform on stage in the future but I think it’d be nice if we could stand on stage, the 6 of us to do a musical with a story too” and “With EXO-M (EXO-K’s brother group, debuted and promoting in China) too, I want to do something like a musical on stage, the 12 of us”.

EXO-K describe themselves as ‘Mysterious and new stars from an unknown world’. They said resolvingly “Acting, variety, we will become a group that challenges constantly various fields”, “EXO will be a group that lasts forever and we will make EXO’s music known to the whole world”. The image they have showed until now is only the very start of what they can do. We’re looking forward to the unknown ‘abilities’ EXO-K will show.




source: oh my news
translation cr; emilie @ exok-trans