contributed by Jade 

Welcome to #FanHouse!

No one does music like EXO and no one is a fandom like EXO-L

Either you're a Kpop fan or not, it's impossible to have not heard about EXO. But who exactly are they from inside? A popular South Korean-Chinese boy band that I dream to meet every day!

Signed under S.M. Entertainment, EXO debuted on 8th May 2012. Their concept is very unique made them stand out from others. They were said to be aliens from the 'EXO Planet' each gifted with supernatural powers which they displayed in their MVs. Their dark and mysterious image was nothing but appealing.

Our fandom name EXO-L (Eri) has a deep meaning. The 'L' stands for Love. In alphabetical order, L is the 12th letter, for twelve members. EXO-L is considered a sub-unit of EXO so that EXO-K + EXO-L + EXO-M = One. The band's slogan, "WE ARE ONE!" means the band members and the fans are ONE.

It means that no matter who we are, wherever we are, we share the same place. 

We are one!

Have you ever been to their concerts? Which tour?

XIUMIN

"The best thing in life is being able to do what people say you are not able to do."

The eldest but cutest member is easily mistaken as the maknae. His soothing voice pairs with his squirrel face. He was a part of EXO-CBX, the first unit of EXO. Xiumin is also the first member of EXO to enlist in the military (7th May 2019).

- His nickname is Baozi (Little Bun).

- His sister had a huge crush on Chen but he never introduced them saying he doesn't trust any of the members with his sister.

- He's a pro at hand wrestling and soccer.

- Xiumin has a knack for arranging and folding items neatly.

- He's a trained barista and dreams of opening his own coffee shop one day.

SUHO

"We want our music to be unique so that people go 'Ah, that's definitely EXO,' when they hear our songs."

"Honestly, I've wanted to give up a lot of times. But I worked hard. I believed I would succeed if I worked hard."

The legendary leader of EXO, best at public speaking, with the sweetest voice you might have ever heard. If there's anyone who's kept the group strong and together even after several downfalls, it's Suho.

- His nickname is 'Just Rich' as he belongs to a rich Buddhist family.

- His name means 'Guardian' due to his position as a leader.

- He's the closest to Sehun. They've known each other for over 10 years.

- Suho's got a heart made of pure gold. He has been a part of many campaigns for UNICEF.

- Suho has proved himself a fine actor, starring in many Korean series and achieving several awards for his skills.

LAY

"Because I am loved like this, even if there is only one fan left in the end, I want to keep singing for this deep love."

"Living in this world, the person we're most unfamiliar with is probably ourselves."

Singer, actor, dancer, producer, he's everything. One of the hottest lead dancers of EXO, Lay is our Chinese pride, with the cutest dimples.

- He is the only Chinese member left in EXO.

- He would date himself if he was a girl.

- He choreographs, composes and produces his own solo albums. His recent English album NAMANA swept away the Western world, earning him an extravagant amount of recognition.

- He made his Met Gala debut in 2019, 6th May.

- He attended the 61st Grammys as FM101's Music Ambassador.

- Lay Zhang has collaborated with many artists, including Alan Walker, Jason Durelo, Far East Movement and Bazzi.

- Lay has not actively participated in EXO's activities due to conflict with his promotion schedule in China since 2017.

Which of Lay's composition is your favourite? Mine is Give Me A Chance!

BAEKHYUN

"Although we all fulfilled the dream of a singer, I also learned the truth that there is nothing in this world that is easy."

Baekhyun is the most rebellious member; the heart and soul of EXO. The one with a powerful stage appearance and a cute, quirky rectangular smile, known for his dual nature. His personality, overloaded with humor, and heart-melting high vocals are definitely eye-catching. He used to be part of EXO-CBX.

- His popular nickname is Bacon.

- His girlfriend was Girls' Generation's leader Taeyeon.

- He invented the word 'Kkaebsong' (That's a pity).

- Due to his decent and trendy fashion, he has been officially declared the Co-Director of L.A streetwear brand Privé He has designed items with simple elegance in the collection: Privé by BBH.

- He is known for his resemblance to BTS' V and B.A.P.'s Daehyun.

- His collaborations with other artists are always a hit such as Dream and Young.

- Twice, he has been bestowed with the heavy yet auspicious task of singing Korea's national anthem at ceremonies like soccer matches or international forums.

- Baekhyun opened his own Youtube channel amassing over 1 million subscribers in 24 hours.

What is your favourite EXO track?

CHEN

"The ground hardens every time after it rains."

"I won't ever forget. I will make you happy. Just like the saying, we are one!"

The most playful member, the prankster, usually very hyper and whiny with sky breaking high vocals and a smile that can lighten up the whole world. Chen was a part of EXO-CBX.

- His English name is Matteo and his nickname is Chencing Machine, or ChenChen.

- He is best at cooking and taking care of other members.

- Chen is also known as the King of OSTs.

- He has very prominent cheekbones that other members are jealous of.

- Chen made his successful solo debut with April, and a Flower, in April 2019.

- He opened his Youtube Channel in 2019, dedicated to covering other idols.

How did you become EXO's fan? Was it a song that triggered you or maybe a video clip? Tell us!

CHANYEOL

"No matter how difficult and hard something is, I will always be positive and smile like an idiot."

"Wild imaginations are possible,
Whatever that may be,
Here, fairy tale fantasies become
A daily routine."

Chanyeol is a man of many talents, whether be it acting, modeling, rapping, composing or producing music and playing musical instruments. He is the mastermind behind EXO's hexagon logo.

- He loves Coldplay.

- Plays guitar, drum, bass, and Djembe He enjoys snowboarding and cooking. He's a bowling and archery champion. Chanyeol has also acted in a number of drama serials.

- He wrote lyrics for Sweet Lies, Heaven, With You, Chill, Gravity, Kokobop (along with Baekhyun and Chen) and Promise (with Chen and Lay).

- He's part of the Beagle line (noisiest/pranksters) with Baekhyun and Chen.

- He collaborated with Far East Movement, Tinashe and Marshmallow for Freal Luv.

- Chanyeol made it to the Instagram Top 5 Accounts in 2017. Currently, he is the most followed Korean celebrity on IG having 17.8M followers.

- Also named TOMMY BOY by Tommy Hilfiger himself for being the representative of the fashion brand.

Think you know EXO? Take this quiz and brag about your results here!

QUIZ

D.O.

"We can't help but to be human and get hurt."

D.O. is the scariest, but the most caring guy of EXO with such smooth, deep vocals that can harmonize a variety of emotions.

- He has won many Popularity and Actor of the Year awards due to his extraordinary acting skills and has starred in an uncountable number of series and movies.

- His personality is very shy, but he is closest with Kai.

- His voice comes out the best when singing in English.

- He voluntarily enlisted in the Korean military service as of 2019, 1st July.

- He would have been a chef if not a singer.

Which of D.O's dramas have you watched?

KAI

"I'd have no regrets dying on stage."

"Even after we become old, we can no longer dance or sing, no longer be trendy and popular, but we'll still always be EXO."

- Tall, dark and handsome is what defines Kai.

- He has a tan that matches his dazzling smile. No doubt a deserving visual and dancing machine of EXO. Fan or not, you can't keep him off your mind after watching his captivating performances.

- He can dance ballet, jazz, hip-hop, rock, pop.

- His on-stage and off-stage personalities differ a lot.

- He has been called by several names over the years: Asia's First Love, Sun-Kissed Boy, Idol's - Idol, KkamJong (DarkJong).

- He is best friends with SHINee's Taemin, BTS' Jimin, HOTSHOT's Timoteo, VIXX's Ravi, and WannaOne's SungWoo. They are the most popular group of friends.

- He was in a relationship with Krystal from f(x). BLACKPINK's Jennie also remained his girlfriend in 2018-2019. They are no longer a couple.

- Kai is the face of a campaign with Levi's, Live in Levi's

- He is Korea's ambassador for GUCCI. Not only is he the Face of the Brand but his name, 'Kai,' has become a unified terminology when inviting celebrities or VIG.

SEHUN

"Let's live while doing things we like."

Sehun represents Taylor Swift's Lyrics, "He's so tall and handsome as hell." The striking maknae is the youngest of the group but looks a bit old for his age.

- He ranked no.9 in the worldwide list of Most Handsome Faces of 2017.

- He was scouted on the streets by an S.M. manager when he was only 12 years old, (Although he ran away from him for 30 minutes).

- He says that if he could, he would steal Baekhyun's sense of humor, Chanyeol's happy personality, D.O.'s smile, and Suho's assertiveness.

- He starred in the Netflix series Busted.

- Sehun, internationally known as a bonafide fashion icon, has been named 'Best Dressed' at Louis Vuitton's fashion resort, two years in a row.

-EXO has three more former Chinese members: Kris Wu, Luhan and Tao who left due to personal and health issues. We know they had their reasons, but we miss you guys!

Who is your favourite EXO member and why, if choosing is possible?

https://youtu.be/KSH-FVVtTf0

SONG RECOMMENDATION

"Even if it's hard and tiring, even if my heart was in pain, I will go on stage again. I'll muster up my strength once again. For you, who have waited for me."

Sometimes I wonder, how can EXO sing every genre with such perfection? What sorcery is this?

One of their best songs is POWER, having a strong feeling and a drop-dead beat. You definitely need to check out the MV of Growl, which created unbreakable records. Monter, Lotto Call me Baby, TEMPO and Wolf will bring out the dancer hidden inside you. Coming over and Love Me Right will leave you with a jolly smile. And if you're in for some vibrant, tropical music then Koko Bop might be the best choice. The melodious and addictive chorus of Love Shot is sure to sink into your heart.

What was your first EXO song? How did you feel?

ACHIEVEMENTS:

EXO, the longest running, best selling Korean artists whose fans break records to buy concert tickets in just a few seconds, is not your ordinary boy band.

The Dubai Fountain premiered its first K-pop song on 16 Jan 2018 which was EXO's hit song POWER. It played for several months after. POWER was also played on the FIFA 2018 final match.

They dominated the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics closing ceremony representing K-pop. EXO performed two songs while Kai had a solo stage.

Ivanka Trump asked to meet EXO after the Olympics ceremony, where the group gifted her their CD's.

EXO selling millions of copies of their albums (XOXO, EXODUS, EX'ACT, and THE WAR, DMUMT) made them quintuple-million sellers.

EXO became the first K-pop artist in 18 years to sell a total of 10 million albums in 2018.

EXO's knockout track, GROWL, was a commercial hit, making them the bestselling artist in 12 years. This is the representative song of EXO, setting the industry on fire.

EXO had an epic collaboration, LIGHTSABER, with Star Wars.

EXO holds the record for most music wins, 18 for a comeback (Call Me Baby).

EXO also made it to the Guinness World Record Book by being the only artist to win Daesang (Grand Prize) at Asia's biggest music awards, MAMA in the category 'Album of the Year' for 4 consecutive years.

Forbes's Korea listed EXO in Top Ten Most Influential Celebrity for 6 years.

EXO was publicly entitled, The Nation's Pride in 2018.

EXO is the first Korean group to be featured on the LED show in Burj Khalifa, sponsored by EXO-L's. This has never been used except for royalty, but now EXO is a part of that class.

EXO ranked No.9 on Billboard's Hot 100 Artists, being the second Korean celebrity.

EXO received nine official commemorative medals honoring them for their contributions to the global spread of Korean Culture.

https://youtu.be/yWfsla_Uh80

These dorks never fail to brighten up my dampened days. Just a look at them leaves me falling head over the heels for them over and over again. EXO isn't only music to me. They are family. They are truly an amazing group and I love them. Give them a try and you'll adore them too!

Do you want to add any important tidbit that I missed? Please, let me know!