User:Requiem II/sandbox3

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

History[edit]

2011: Formation[edit]

In May 2011, at a Hallyu business seminar held at Stanford University, Lee Soo-man spoke about a strategy of debuting a new boyband, in which they would be divided into two subgroups, promoting the same music simultaneously in South Korea and China by performing songs in both Korean and Mandarin.[1] After several member changes,[2] in December 2011, the group finalized their name to Exo, taken from the word exoplanet. They are divided into two subgroups, Exo-K ('K' for Korean) for South Korea and Exo-M ('M' for Mandarin) for China. They debuted their first televised performance at SBS's annual Gayo Daejun event on December 29, 2011.[3]

2012: Debut and Mama[edit]

Exo at SM Town Live World Tour III in Singapore in November 2012

Exo-K and Exo-M's prologue single "What Is Love" was released on January 30, 2012, in mainland China and South Korea.[4] The single peaked at number 88 on South Korea's Gaon Single Chart. On March 9, the group released their second prologue single "History",[5] which was written and produced by Thomas Troelsen and Remee. The single peaked at number 68 on the Gaon Single Chart and number six on China's Sina Music Chart.[6]

A concert for the group was held in Seoul's Olympic Stadium on March 31.[7] Approximately 3,000 fans from 8,000 applicants were selected to attend.[8] A second concert was held in the Great Hall of the Beijing University of International Business and Economics on April 1.[9]

Exo-K and Exo-M released their debut single, "Mama", on April 8[10] followed by an EP Mama, on April 9. The two sub-groups would be promoting the album separately in two countries. On April 8, Exo-K performed on South Korea's music program The Music Trend, while Exo-M made their debut in China's Top Chinese Music Awards on the same day.[11] The mandarin version of Mama reached number two on China's Sina Album Chart, while the Korean album peaked at number one on the Gaon Album Chart[12] and number eight on the Billboard World Albums Chart.[13] The mandarin version of "Mama" music video reached number one on Chinese streaming websites, while the Korean version reached number seven on YouTube's Global Chart.[14] In late April, Exo-M performed as a guest act for Super Junior's Super Show 4 concert tour in Jakarta, Indonesia.

In November, Exo won Best New Asian Artist Group at the 2012 Mnet Asian Music Awards. Exo-K received three nominations at the 27th Golden Disc Awards, winning the Newcomer Award. Exo-M received the Most Popular Group Award at the 2013 Top Chinese Music Awards.[15]

2013: XOXO, Commercial success and Miracles in December[edit]

Exo with South Korean President, Park Geun-hye in China on June 28, 2013

The group's first studio album, XOXO was released on June 3, 2013 with two versions, a Korean-language and a Mandarin-language edition.[16] Unlike Mama era when Exo-K and Exo-M had separate promotions, XOXO was jointly promoted; mainly in South Korea.[17] Exo recorded together for the album's lead single, "Wolf", but the rest of the album tracks were recorded separately.[18] The two versions collectively peaked at number one on the Billboard World Album Chart a week after release.[19]

A repackaged version of XOXO, titled Growl, was released on August 5, 2013 with three additional tracks. The reissue's lead single, "Growl", was released on August 1, 2013.[20] "Growl" peaked at number three on Billboard's Korea K-Pop Hot 100[21] and number two on the Gaon's Singles chart. As of December 2013, all versions of XOXO have collectively sold over one million copies, making Exo the first Korean artist to sell over a million copies of one album in twelve years and breaking the record for being the fastest-selling K-pop act.[22] XOXO was named Album of the Year at the 2013 Mnet Asian Music Awards.[23] XOXO is the best selling album in South Korea of 2013, winning the Disc Daesang Award at various award ceremonies like the Golden Disc Awards.[24]

Exo's second EP Miracles in December was officially released on December 9, 2013 as a special winter album through South Korean commercial outlets and online music stores.[25] Exo jump-started album promotions through their reality show Exo's Showtime, which premiered on November 28, 2013 on the cable channel MBC Every 1.[26]

Exo ended 2013 with six albums in the Gaon's Yearly Top 10 Best-Selling Albums, including all their 2013 album releases in both the Korean and Chinese version as well as their debut EP Mama.[27]

2014: Overdose, Kris' and Luhan's lawsuits and first solo concert[edit]

Exo at the 16th Mnet Asian Music Awards in December 2014

Exo's third EP, Overdose, was released on May 7, 2014.[28] Originally scheduled to be released on April 21, the album was delayed due to the Sewol Ferry Accident on April 16. Overdose was promoted similarly to Mama, with Exo-M promoting primarily in China and Exo-K in South Korea. The album reached over 660,000 preorders before its release, making it the most pre-ordered Korean mini-album in history.[29] The Korean edition also peaked at number two on Billboard's World Albums Chart, and number 129 on the Billboard 200, making Exo the highest charting Korean male group act on the Billboard 200 at the time.[30][31] Overdose became the best selling album in South Korea of 2014 and was the first mini album to top the yearly charts and win the Album of the Year Award at Mnet Asian Music Awards.[32] By the end of 2014, Exo was Japan's best-selling K-pop artist of the year.[33]

On May 15, 2014, S.M. Entertainment confirmed that Exo-M's leader, Kris, had filed a lawsuit against the agency to terminate his contract, stating violation of human rights as the main reason.[34] On October 10, Exo-M's Luhan also filed a lawsuit against S.M. Entertainment to nullify his contract, because of health issues and being treated differently than the Korean members, therefore having no promotions.[35][36]

S.M. Entertainment announced that Exo would continue to promote with 10 members. The group held their first solo concert "Exo from Exoplanet #1 - The Lost Planet" starting May 24 at the Seoul Olympic Gymnasium.[37] Tickets for the concert sold out in 1.47 seconds, breaking the record for the fastest sold out concert by a Korean artist.[37]

2015: Exodus, Tao's lawsuit, Japanese debut and Sing for You[edit]

From left to right: D.O, Lay, and Kai at the 24th Seoul Music Awards in January 2015

Exo's second solo concert was announced in January 2015 entitled Exo Planet #2 - The Exo'luxion. Five concerts were held in Seoul at the Olympic Park Stadium starting March 7. 1.2 million fans had attempted to buy tickets online.[38] On February 4, 2015, S.M. Entertainment filed a counter-suit against Kris and Luhan for illegally continuing their promotions in China. The lawsuit was to stop their acting and advertisement under the use of the S.M. trademark.[39]

Exo's second studio album, Exodus, was released on March 30, 2015 in both Korean and Mandarin versions.[40] Domestic pre-sales for the album surpassed 500,000 within 24 hours, setting a new record for pre-sales.[41] The title track, "Call Me Baby", was released early on March 27, due to leaked versions of the song.[42] The music videos were released four days later, with the Korean version later becoming the most watched K-pop music video in the first half of 2015.[43] Exo also starred in their own mini drama series titled Exo Next Door, which became the most watched Korean web drama in 2015 until later being surpassed by member Xiumin's web drama, Falling for Challenge.[44] "Call Me Baby" proved to be successful, winning eighteen times on music shows, making it the second most awarded song of all times. The album's Korean version also broke records after staying at number one on the album chart for four consecutive weeks.[45] Exodus eventually went on to sell over a million copies, and is the group's second album after XOXO to do so. It was named Album of the Year at the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards, making this the third consecutive win in this category for the group since 2013. In May, Exo broke the record on Billboard as the highest ranking Korean artist, topping at 90th place.[46][47] Exo also entered the Canadian Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 98, making them the first K-pop group and second Korean artist to enter the Canadian chart.[48][49]

On April 22, member Tao's father posted a letter through Weibo expressing his sentiments for his son to withdraw from the group and return to China; due to lack of support concerning individual career developments and health issues.[50] Tao had previously sustained several injuries which had not been properly treated that worsened[50] and caused him to be absent during promotions for the group's second studio album Exodus.[51] On April 23, S.M. Entertainment released an official statement saying that they would be "seeking a solution in a developmental direction" by negotiating with Tao and his father.[52] Tao later confirmed that he had left S.M. Entertainment and after failed negotiations, Tao filed an official lawsuit against S.M. Entertainment on August 24 for the termination of his exclusive contract.[52][53][54]

On June 3, a repackaged version of Exodus, titled Love Me Right, was released. This edition contains the original tracks from Exodus and four new songs, including the title track "Love Me Right".[55] Due to Tao's absence, the group promoted the song as nine members. On October 10, Exo became the first artist to hold a dome concert in South Korea with "Exo - Love Concert in Dome" at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.[56] Tickets for the event went on sale on September 21, causing the server to crash for over 50 minutes from high demand.[57][58] In preparation for the concert, S.M. Entertainment also released Exo's first official light stick, which features a black wand topped with Exo's logo which displays a white light.[59] 20,000 fans attended the concert.

On November 4, Exo released their debut Japanese single "Love Me Right ~romantic universe~", which contains the Japanese version of "Love Me Right" and an original Japanese song titled "Drop That". On the day of its release, the single sold a total of 147,000 copies and reached the top of the Oricon chart, becoming the best selling debut single in Japan by a Korean artist of all time.[60] As part of the Exo'luxion tour, Exo performed for 145,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome from November 6–8, breaking the record for the shortest amount of time since debut to hold a concert at this venue.[61][62] On November 9, Exo released a special single titled "Lightsaber" to promote the movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens ahead of its release in South Korea, as part of the collaboration between S.M. Entertainment and Walt Disney.

On December 10, Exo released their second winter special album and fourth extended play Sing for You along with double title tracks "Sing for You" and "Unfair". The album broke the record for the highest first week sales for a Korean artist by selling 267,900 copies in its first week. "Unfair" also became the first K-pop song to be featured in the "best of the week" playlist by Apple Music, while Exo became the first Korean artist to appear on the Apple Music homepage.[63] Part of the profits from the album was reportedly donated to UNICEF's "Smile For U" campaign to support the musical education of children in Asia.[64] Near the end of 2015, prominent South Korean entertainment industry leaders ranked Exo at number seven, the highest of any K-pop artist, in the top ten pop culture leaders of 2015.[65]

2016: Ex'Act, Kris' and Luhan's departures and For Life[edit]

In February 2016, Exo held the North American leg of The Exo'luxion tour in Dallas, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New Jersey, playing to over 41,000 people.[66] The same month, Exo were again ranked as the most powerful celebrity by Forbes Korea Power Celebrity for the year 2015.[67] In March, they completed the Exo'luxion tour with three performances in Seoul to over 42,000 people. With a total of over 740,000 tickets sold across 44 concerts in 12 countries, it was their largest tour to date.[68]

Exo's third studio album, Ex'Act, along with its singles "Lucky One" and "Monster", were released on June 9, 2016 in both Korean and Mandarin versions.[69] Domestic pre-orders for the album surpassed 660,000, making it the most pre-ordered K-pop album ever at the time.[70] The album later broke the record for the highest first week sales of a Korean album, breaking their previous record set by Sing For You, by selling 522,372 copies in one week.[71] "Monster" became Exo's first number one on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart, while "Lucky One" debuted at number three.[72] As part of their Ex'Act promotions, Exo and Korean fashion magazine W Korea collaborated on "Exoclusive", a project to publish a 54-page, nine-cover edition of the magazine. "Exoclusive" ended up recording the highest number of sales as a fashion magazine in Korea after selling nearly a million copies.[73] On July 15, S.M. Entertainment and Putto Entertainment released Exo's official mobile game Exorun.[74]

On July 21, Kris and Luhan officially parted ways with Exo as their contractual disputes with S.M. Entertainment drew to a close.[75] On July 22, Exo embarked on their third solo concert tour, Exo Planet #3 - The Exo'rdium. In preparation for the tour, S.M. Entertainment announced the release of Exo's second official light stick. The new light stick featured a white wand with Exo's official logo on top that displays a multi-color changing light.[76] After holding concerts from July 22 until July 24 and July 29 until July 31 with over 84,000 attendees,[77] Exo established a record as the first artist to hold as many as six consecutive concerts at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena.[78]On August 18, a repackaged edition for Ex'Act, titled Lotto, was released. It contained the original tracks from Ex'Act along with four new songs including the single of the same name.[79] "Lotto" became Exo's second number one on the Billboard World Digital Songs Chart and peaked at number two on Gaon's Digital Chart.[80]Lotto's Korean and Chinese versions reached number one and two respectively on Gaon's Album Chart.[81][82] Within two months of its original release, Ex'Act sold over 1.17 million copies, honoring Exo with the title of "Triple Million Sellers".[83]

In September, Exo appeared on Infinite Challenge and collaborated with Yoo Jae-suk on a dance song titled "Dancing King", which was released as part of S.M. Entertainment's music project Station.[84] The song reached number two on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart and number three on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart.[85][86] On December 7, Exo's second Japanese single "Coming Over", containing three original tracks, was released.[87][88] It reached number two on the weekly Oricon Chart, selling over 158,000 copies and became their second Japanese single album to receive a Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.[89] Their third winter album and fifth extended play For Life was released on December 19.[90] They did not engage in promotions for the album or its single "For Life", and as of 2017 it had sold over 442,000 copies.[91] It was revealed at the end of 2016 that during the year, the group had sold 2.13 million albums including solos and sub-units.[92]

2017: The War and Universe[edit]

Exo performing in Sydney during KCON Australia in September 2017

On May 27 and 28, 2017, Exo concluded the Exo'rdium tour with two concerts at the Seoul Olympic Stadium.[93] They were the fifth and youngest K-Pop act to hold a concert in the 72,000 seat stadium, following JYJ, H.O.T., g.o.d and YG Entertainment.[93] Tickets for the first date went on-sale on April 12 and were sold out within 20 minutes.[94] In June, Lay announced he would not take part in their next album to focus on his acting career. As of then, he has been absent from Exo as a whole.[95]

Exo's fourth studio album The War was released on July 18, 2017.[96] The album had received 807,235 pre-orders, surpassing their own record of 660,000 for Ex'Act.[97] "Ko Ko Bop" debuted at number one on the Melon Digital Chart, making Exo the first K-pop group to enter at number one after chart changes were implemented on February 27, 2017.[98] Upon release, the album recorded the highest first week sales of any K-pop album previously, with 602,094 copies sold.[99] It debuted at number 87 on the Billboard 200 chart and number one on the Billboard World Albums Chart, while the lead single "Ko Ko Bop" debuted at number two and "The Eve" debuted at number eight on the Billboard World Digital Songs Chart.[100] "Ko Ko Bop" topped Gaon Digital Chart for four non-consecutive weeks, making Exo the first artist to do so in 2017. Exo also became only the third idol group to chart at number one on Gaon for four weeks as well as the only male idol group.[101] The song also ranked number one on the Gaon Monthly Chart for August, making Exo the first group in 2017 and the fifth boy group since 2012 to top the chart.[102]

On August 29, the 2018 edition of the Guinness World Records book was released, naming Exo as having the "Most Daesang" ("Grand Prize") awards won at the Mnet Asian Music Awards" in history.[103] On September 5, a repackaged edition for The War, titled The War: The Power of Music, was released. It contains the original tracks from The War along with three new songs, including the single "Power".[104] On September 14, "Power" recorded the highest score of all time on M Countdown with 11,000 points, making Exo the first artist to achieve a perfect score after the system changes were implemented in June 2015. The win also marked their 100th win on music shows.[105] On October 19, Exo announced their third world tour, Exo Planet #4 – The EℓyXiOn, starting with three concerts in Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome on November 24–26, 2017.[106]

It was announced on November 4, via Exo's Japanese website, that Exo would release their first full length Japanese album titled Countdown on January 24, 2018.[107] A short version of the music video for the lead single "Electric Kiss" was released on December 5.[108] It was also revealed that Countdown would feature a total of 10 songs including previously released and new songs.[108] As of November 30, Korean sales of Exo's fourth studio album The War reportedly reached 1,592,792, making it Exo's best selling album to date and earning them the title of "quadruple million seller".[109]

On December 5, Twitter released information on the most popular tweets, trends, artists, songs and more in 2017 worldwide on Twitter. It was revealed that Exo were "the most popular celebrities who joined Twitter in 2017".[110][111] This followed their entry onto the platform in July shortly before releasing The War, which reportedly generated 11 million tweets within a day.[112] In addition, their lead single "Ko Ko Bop" from The War was the most mentioned song of the year worldwide using the hashtag "#kokobop".[110][111]

On December 12, Exo's "Ko Ko Bop" music video (Korean version) surpassed 100 million views, which was Exo's sixth music video with over 100 million views.[109] On December 14, Exo members Xiumin, Baekhyun, and Chen attended the Korea-China Economic And Trade Partnership Event held in Beijing with South Korean president Moon Jae-in, along with actress Song Hye-kyo as the representatives of South Korea.[113] In early December, Exo announced their fourth winter album and sixth extended play, titled Universe. It was originally due to release on December 21, but was delayed to December 26 due to the death of labelmate Jonghyun.[114] Billboard described the lead single "Universe" as a power ballad that showcases the group's strengths as they sing about the feelings that have them searching the universe for a former lover.[114] The album earned praise for its gender-neutral lyrics. All songs on the album only use non-gender specific personal pronouns like "me" and "you" rather than "he" or "she".[115][116]

2018: Countdown and Winter Olympics[edit]

On January 16, "Power" became the first K-pop song to play at The Dubai Fountain, the world's largest choreographed fountain system, which is located on Burj Khalifa Lake in Dubai. Seven members of the group (excluding D.O and Lay) traveled to Dubai to view the first showing.[117] "Power" was initially scheduled to play until the end of January, but was later extended until March 31 with a total of five shows per week.[118] On January 31, Exo released their first full-length Japanese album Countdown. It debuted at number one on the weekly Oricon chart which sold approximately 89,000 copies. This made Exo the first foreign group whose debut single and complete album both reached first place on the weekly Oricon chart.[119] 10 days after its release, Countdown was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.[120]

In early February, it was announced that Exo and CL would perform at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang on February 25 as representatives of K-pop.[121] This came after Baekhyun sang the national anthem at the opening ceremony of the International Olympic Committee general assembly, and Exo's performance at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics D-100 Concert that marked 100 days until the start of the Winter Olympics.[121][122]

In March, the Korean Mint Corporation announced that they will create an official commemorative medal for Exo and have it released in April. The medal will honor them as representatives of K-pop who have been in the centre of the Korean Wave as the top idol group.[123]

  1. ^ "SM's Lee Soo-man announces new boy band" (in Korean). Nate. May 9, 2011. Retrieved 2012-04-15.
  2. ^ "S.M. Entertainment's chairman Lee Soo-man discusses culture industry secrets and slave contracts" (in Korean). Chosun Ilbo. October 16, 2010. Retrieved 2012-04-30.
  3. ^ "S.M.'s rookie group EXO made debut in the SBS Gayo Daejun". Newsen (in Korean). December 29, 2011. Retrieved 2012-04-30.
  4. ^ "SM 새 그룹 Exo, 30일 프롤로그 싱글 공개" [Exo releases first single]. Nate.com (in Korean). 2012-01-27. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
  5. ^ "The Prologue Single II 'HISTORY' of SM's New Groups, EXO-K and EXO-M, will be Released on the 9th at 00:00 a.m.!" (Press release). S.M. Entertainment. 2012-03-26. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
  6. ^ 新歌飙升榜 [Sina Music Charts] (in Chinese). Sina.com. 2012-03-12. Retrieved 2012-04-11.
  7. ^ Exo (2012-04-07). Exo Showcase Part 3 (in Korean and Chinese). S.M. Entertainment. Retrieved 2012-04-11.
  8. ^ "Exo debuts in front of 3000 fans". Korea.net. 2012-04-01. Retrieved 2012-04-13.
  9. ^ "SM新团Exo中国发布会劲歌热舞展多样魅力" [S.M.'s new group Exo first press conference in China]. Sina.com (in Chinese). 2012-04-01. Retrieved 2012-04-13.
  10. ^ "The First Mini Album Title Song 'MAMA' of Exo-K and Exo-M will be Released Worldwide on the 8th at 00:00!" (Press release). S.M. Entertainment. 2012-04-07. Retrieved 2012-04-11.
  11. ^ "Exo-K and Exo-M will Make Their Debut on April 8th both in Korea and China!" (Press release). S.M. Entertainment. 2012-04-03. Retrieved 2012-04-26.
  12. ^ "<Exo-K>차트 검색결과" [Exo-K Chart Positions] (in Korean). Gaon. Retrieved 2012-04-21.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ "World Albums". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-04-21.
  14. ^ Lee, Jinho (2012-04-09). "Exo-K's Music Video Comes In Seventh on Youtube Chart". Mnet. Retrieved 2012-04-13.
  15. ^ Herald, The Korea (2013-12-08). "EXO wins twice at Chinese music awards". Retrieved 2018-03-14.
  16. ^ Cho Suyoun (June 3, 2013). "EXO to release first complete album around the world today". BNT News. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  17. ^ Lee Kyong-hee (June 23, 2013). "EXO sees roaring success with 'Wolf'". Korea Joongang Daily. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  18. ^ Cho Suyoun (May 31, 2013). "EXO to visit Super Junior's Kiss the Radio". BNT News. Retrieved August 4, 2017. For EXO, it was their first time uniting all the members from EXO-K and EXO-M as they have been separated in two unit group and worked separately as well.
  19. ^ "엑소(EXO), 美빌보드 월드 앨범 차트 1위 '기염'" [Exo (EXO), the world's No. 1 Billboard Chart]. Korea Herald (in Korean). June 14, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  20. ^ Kim Ji-yeon (July 25, 2013). "EXO to Release Repackage of ′XOXO′ with New Single 'Growl'". Mwave. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  21. ^ Jeff Benjamin (August 15, 2013). "Crayon Pop rides viral wave to No. 1 on K-Pop Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
  22. ^ Lee Sun-min (December 28, 2013). "Exo reaches a sales record". Korea Joongang Daily. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  23. ^ "Mnet Asian Music Awards 2013 Winners". Mnet Asian Music Awards. Archived from the original on 23 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  24. ^ "Golden Disk Awards, the 27th winners". Archived from the original on February 6, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
  25. ^ "EXO gifts fans with 'Miracle In December'". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-04-12.
  26. ^ "MBC+Media - EXO'S SHOWTIME" (in Korean). MBC. Retrieved 2013-10-31.
  27. ^ "Gaon Yearly Physical Albums Chart". Gaon. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2015-06-19.
  28. ^ "EXO confirms release date of "Overdose" for the 7th". Asia Today. 2014-05-07. Retrieved 2018-02-25.
  29. ^ Jeon Su Mi (May 13, 2014). "EXO 'Overdoses' Asia by Topping Various Weekly Charts". enewsWorld. Mwave. Retrieved 2015-02-24.
  30. ^ "EXO's 'Overdose' EP Enters Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 2014-09-23.
  31. ^ "World Albums The Week of MAY 24, 2014". Billboard. May 24, 2014. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  32. ^ "Gaon 2014 Album Chart". Gaon. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  33. ^ "EXO named 2014′s bestselling K-pop artist in Japan". Venture Capital Post. 2 December 2014. Retrieved 2014-12-31.
  34. ^ Jackson, Julie (May 16, 2014). "EXO-M's Kris wants out, files suit against SM". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2014-12-31.
  35. ^ Sung So-young (October 11, 2014). "Luhan plans to leave Exo". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2014-12-31.
  36. ^ Chung Joo-won (October 10, 2014). "EXO Luhan sues S.M. to end exclusive contract". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2014-12-31.
  37. ^ a b "EXO's solo concert tickets sold out in 1.47 seconds". Hellokpop. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  38. ^ "EXO Fans Crash Ticketing Site for 'EXO Planet #2 – The EXO'luXion". hellokpop. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  39. ^ "SM Entertainment file new lawsuit against Kris (Wu Yifan) & his employers". sbs popasia. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  40. ^ "EXO Reveals Release Date, Track List of Upcoming Album 'EXODUS'". International Business Times. Retrieved 2015-06-19.
  41. ^ "EXO's second album pre-order sales hit 500K". Retrieved 2015-06-19.
  42. ^ "K-pop superband EXO releases title track 'Call Me Baby'". Korea Times. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  43. ^ "엑소, '콜 미 베이비' M/V.. 2015 상반기 가장 많이 본 K팝 영상". Naver (in Korean). Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  44. ^ 정아란. "지난해 최고 인기 웹드는 '도전에 반하다'<컨스TV>". 연합뉴스 (in Korean). Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  45. ^ 4 Consecutive weeks at #1 for Exodus:
  46. ^ "EXO breaks record on "U.S. Billboard 200" as highest ranking Korean artists". Koreaboo. Retrieved 2016-08-07.
  47. ^ "EXO's 'Exodus' Album Earns Biggest Sales Week Ever for a K-Pop Act". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  48. ^ "EXO is the first to enter Canadian charts following viral phenomenon Psy". Koreaboo. Retrieved 2016-08-07.
  49. ^ "EXO's 'Call Me Baby' Lands on Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  50. ^ a b "黃子韜父親要兒子與SM解約 因身心俱受傷". Sina (in Mandarin). Retrieved 2016-06-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  51. ^ "'발목부상' 엑소 타오, 컴백 사전녹화 불참…"당분간 치료에 집중"". MyDaily (in Korean). Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  52. ^ a b "SM "타오父 글 안타까워…발전적 방향 모색할 것" 공식입장". 네이트뉴스 (in Korean). Retrieved 2015-11-15.
  53. ^ "[단독] 타오, SM에 전속계약 소송 제기…루한·크리스와 같은 변호사". news.kmib.co.kr. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
  54. ^ "엑소 이탈 타오, 오늘(24일) SM 상대로 전속계약 소송 제기". tvdaily.co.kr. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
  55. ^ "EEXO Reveals Release Date of Repackaged Album 'Love Me Right'". International Business Times. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  56. ^ "EXO to Hold Dome Concert in Korea for First Time Ever". mwave.interest.me. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  57. ^ "EXO proved their ultimate power in ticket sales for 1st dome concert". Koreaboo. Retrieved 2016-08-07.
  58. ^ "EXO Concert Ticket Sales Crash Website". koogle.tv. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  59. ^ "SM Entertainment formally unveils EXO's 1st official light stick". Koreaboo. Retrieved 2016-08-07.
  60. ^ "EXO Breaks Records in Japan Becoming Best Selling K Pop Act". www.koogle.tv. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  61. ^ "EXO's first Tokyo Dome concert". kpopherald.koreaherald.com. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
  62. ^ "EXO Gathers 145,000 Fans to Tokyo Dome Concert". Mwave. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  63. ^ orionight. "EXO Continues Winning Streak on iTunes Charts Across the Globe!". Koogle.tv. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  64. ^ "EXO to Donate Partial Proceeds of Upcoming New Album to UNICEF". BNT News. Retrieved 2016-08-18.
  65. ^ "[대중문화 파워리더 빅30 ④] 1위~10위…나영석, 예능PD 최초 첫 빅5". entertain.naver.com. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  66. ^ "EXO ANNOUNCE FIRST NORTH AMERICAN TOUR FOR EARLY 2016". fuse.tv. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  67. ^ Cite error: The named reference 1위 지킨 엑소, 단숨에 정상권 오른 유아인·혜리 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  68. ^ "EXO PLANET #2 – The EXO'luXion World Tour". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  69. ^ "EXO FURTHER PROVE WHY THEY'RE A BOY BAND FORCE WITH 'MONSTER' & 'LUCKY ONE' VIDEOS: WATCH". fuse.tv. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
  70. ^ "'컴백' 엑소, 정규3집 선주문 66만장 돌파..사상 최다". Naver (in Korean). Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  71. ^ "엑소, 엑소를 넘었다" 정규 3집 앨범 '이그잭트', 발매 3일만의 역대 초동 1위 기록". asiatoday. Retrieved 2016-06-12.
  72. ^ "EXO Earns First No. 1 on World Digital Songs With 'Monster'". billboard. 2016-06-14. Retrieved 2016-06-14.
  73. ^ ""역시 엑소!" 패션지 新역사 썼다…업계 초토화 [화보]". naver. 2016-06-24. Retrieved 2016-06-24.
  74. ^ "SM Launches New EXO Mobile Game "EXORUN"". Nate. 2016-07-15. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
  75. ^ "SM "크리스·루한과 소송 종결…2022년까지 전속계약 유지"(공식입장 전문)". Nate. 2016-07-21. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  76. ^ "K-Pop Boy-Group EXO Introduces Brand New Official Lightstick For EXO-Ls And Fans". Koreaboo. 2016-08-07. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  77. ^ "'역대급 기록제조기' 엑소, 체조경기장 6회 공연+8만4천 관객 동원". newsen. 2016-08-01. Retrieved 2016-08-01.
  78. ^ "시우민·찬열·세훈, 엑소 첫 유닛될까…미발표곡 '같이해' 첫선". Naver (in Korean). July 24, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  79. ^ "Exo Shows off Bad Boy Side in New Music Video, 'Lotto'". 2016-08-18. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
  80. ^ "EXO Scores Second No. 1 on World Digital Songs With 'Lotto'". Billboard. 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
  81. ^ "2016년 34주차 Digital Chart". Gaon. 2016-08-14. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
  82. ^ "2016년 34주차 Album Chart". Gaon. 2016-08-14. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
  83. ^ "EXO becomes the triple million seller". Vyrl. 2016-08-18. Retrieved 2016-08-18.
  84. ^ Herald, The Korea (2016-09-12). "EXO and Yoo Jae-suk to release collaborative single". Retrieved 2018-03-14.
  85. ^ "Gaon Digital Chart - Week 39, 2016". Gaon. 2016-09-25. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
  86. ^ "World Digital Song Sales". Billboard. 2016-10-15. Retrieved 2016-10-07.
  87. ^ "EXO To Release 2nd Japanese Single 'Coming Over'". 2016-09-07. Retrieved 2016-09-08.
  88. ^ "Intip Bocoran Single Jepang Kedua EXO 'Coming Over' Ini". wowkeren. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  89. ^ "一般社団法人 日本レコード協会". www.riaj.or.jp. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  90. ^ Jung Ahn-ji (December 14, 2016). "엑소, 19일 0시 겨울 스페셜 'For Life' 음원 공개". Chosun (in Korean). Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  91. ^ "국내 대표 음악 차트 가온차트!". www.gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  92. ^ "엑소, 올해 누적 음반판매량 213만장 돌파..'역대급 기록'". entertain.naver.com (in Korean). Naver Corporation. December 28, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  93. ^ a b "EXO set new milestone with upcoming Korea concerts". SBS PopAsia. Retrieved 2017-04-12.
  94. ^ "Sold Out".
  95. ^ http://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=014&aid=0003833618&gid=999339&cid=1064841
  96. ^ Hong Dam-young (July 10, 2017). "EXO to return with 'The War' on July 18". The Korea Herald. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  97. ^ "EXO set personal album pre-order record for 'The War'". SBS PopAsia. Retrieved 2017-08-02.
  98. ^ "멜론 멈추게 한 엑소의 힘... '코코밥' 대박 히트 조짐". 한국스포츠경제 (in Korean). 2017-07-18. Retrieved 2017-08-02.
  99. ^ "[뮤직톡톡] 엑소, 엑소의 벽 넘었다…역대 초동 기록 경신" (in Korean). Retrieved 2017-08-02.
  100. ^ "EXO Soar to New High on Billboard 200 With 'The War'". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-08-02.
  101. ^ Gaon Weekly Digital Chart
  102. ^ "2017년 08월 Digital Chart". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
  103. ^ "Most "daesang" ("grand prize") awards won at the Mnet Asian Music Awards". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 2017-11-24.
  104. ^ Times, Music (2017-09-05). "EXO Returns With 'The Power of Music' & Released More Teaser Images: Album Releases On Sept 5". Music Times. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
  105. ^ "엑소, 국내 음악 방송 통산 100회 1위 기록... 신곡 'Power', '엠카운트다운'도 1위 ::" (in Korean). Retrieved 2017-09-27.
  106. ^ "엑소, 11월 고척스카이돔서 4번째 단독콘서트 개최 확정 [공식입장]" (in Korean). Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  107. ^ "EXO announces that it will make their Japanese comeback in 2018 with their 1st full album. - iHeart Korea". iHeart Korea. 2017-11-04. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  108. ^ a b "EXO Drops New Japanese 'Electric Kiss' Music Video Ahead of 'Countdown' Album". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
  109. ^ a b "'K-POP end board king' EXO, 'Ko Ko Bop' music video also exceeded 100 million!". Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  110. ^ a b Machin, Jennifer. "Twitter's most popular tweets, accounts, and hashtags of 2017". Mashable. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  111. ^ a b "BTS, Seventeen and Camila Cabello Are Twitter's Buzziest Artists in 2017". Fuse. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  112. ^ "EXO Receives Warm Response to New Twitter Account Ahead of 'The War' Album". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  113. ^ "[스브스타] 문재인 대통령 방중 행사 응원 나선 송혜교-엑소 첸백시". Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  114. ^ a b "EXO Delivers Up Winter Album 'Universe'". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  115. ^ "[인티포털] 타이틀곡포함 전 수록곡에 성지칭 단어없는 아이돌 앨범". 인스티즈(instiz, 音思提资) (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  116. ^ "EXO release new video for Universe as fans praise gender neutral album". Metro. 2017-12-28. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  117. ^ "[스타캐스트] 파워 엑부심! EXO in 두바이! (feat. 분수쇼)" (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  118. ^ "Extended Power: Exo's hit song to play at the Dubai Fountain until March 31". The National. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  119. ^ "[Oh! 재팬] 엑소, 日 첫 싱글→정규앨범도 오리콘 주간차트 1위.."해외 최초"" (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  120. ^ "一般社団法人 日本レコード協会". www.riaj.or.jp. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  121. ^ a b Herman, Tamar (8 February 2018). "Korean Singers, K-Pop Acts Get Drawn Into Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics: EXO, CL to Perform At Closing Ceremony". Billboard. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  122. ^ "2018 평창 동계올림픽 D-100 콘서트 이벤트" (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  123. ^ "[공식] 엑소 공식 메달 나온다…K팝스타 기념메달 1호". Naver (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-03-14.