You know how they say 'a lion takes two steps back to attack.'

'GROWL' was SIMPLY a breakthrough. Released in August 2013 with EXO's first repackaged studio album XOXO the catchy tune shattered both records and expectations.

Before we get to that, I just remembered that I missed the key point here. EXO members! I know the new ones here would be clueless as to what on earth is going on here. So let's get this straight:

EXO-K: Suho, Baekhyun, Chanyeol, D.O, Kai, Sehun.
EXO-M: Xiumin, Luhan, Kris, Lay, Chen, Tao.

Any more information on these legends, please wait for a while till I'm done with EXO's history.

[FUN FACT: The fan club of EXO did not have name at that time so fans went along and called themselves Exotic! Whereas the group itself was in the middle of choosing 'Exorcist' as their fandom name.
Exorcist: a person who expels or attempts to expel a supposed evil spirit from a person or place.
Makes no sense to me lmao.]

EXO: WOLF

CHOGIWA! Danbeone neukkyeo.

Oh I swear I've never heard a better intro. Mesmerizing, that's what it is!

Okay so after being thoroughly roasted by the public, EXO (after 432 days of effort to be exact :D) once again took the plunge and released their first studio album XOXO (Kiss&Hug). The album was a follow-up to the group's debut EP, MAMA (2012). Released on 3rd June, it was a commercial success. It had two versions: Korean version (Kiss version) and Chinese version (Hug version). Cheesy, right?

A younger version of Game of Thrones....or Teen Wolf perhaps? ;D

With a total of 10 songs, it had everything any teenager ever wanted : Music beat to dance to in your shower, Vocals to lip-synch and choreography to fail every time!

WOLF: Beginning with a perfect tree, it gives you the chills! And then those nails scratching on the floor... oh well you know that you're in for a hella freaky ride! Chanyeol bursts out with a CHOGIWA aka the most legendary moment for Exo-ls. This track has sky-reaching vocals, a courtesy of Baekhyun and Chen. The dance is totally ON-spot that when you end watching its MV, I bet you're trying to wriggle your body like that and screaming Awooh! for at least an hour. 

Let's not forget that Wolf is the song that won EXO their first Music win on 14 June, 2013 to be exact. The news brought the members to tears. How can we ever forget how terribly (and cutely) Suho broke down through his winning speech, Lay crying profusely backstage and Kai trying hard to hold back tears while Taemin (SHINee) shamelessly filmed him. . . . . The rest is history.

https://youtu.be/lqN_JNcvoLA

Oh look at those happy, young faces ^-^

The lyrics well....completely slayed it. This song means that a wolf is trying to get out of a cave to find it's crush basically it's like humans in real life. They don't have the courage to do it because they are afraid. No matter how a wolf looks, it is the inside that counts, if you want to see my bad side then fine but you must know I love you. I am the WOLF, I am coming for you. I will get you to be mine soon enough.

Pretty cool, huh? The stylists that year had been thinking way, way outside of the box when choosing outfits for EXO. Their hilarious clothing just topped it off (take Sehun/Luhan's pipe collar and Baekhyun's puppy hair for an instance)

A small clip of wolf had leaked online in Feb 2013, everyone started trolling SM for another in-coming disaster so you can imagine their surprise when Wolf actually made it to EXO's title track for XOXO. But "Wolf" sadly didn't sway anyone in a positive way.  It was called 'incredibly lame'. It's like SM purposely decided to avoid doing a killer song that would sweep the awards on music shows, just so EXO won't peak early in their career, what a bugger :(

[NOTE]: I do not mean to say that Wolf wasn't well received because it obviously ranked better than MAMA did. What I mean is that it didn't drop the bomb an SM comeback is expected to!

XOXO

Otherwise, quite personally I believe XOXO is one the most wholesome albums EXO ever produced. It has Baby Don't Cry, one of the best ballads. Don't Go and Lucky which are pretty famous songs in the fandom. 3.6.5 making you sway off your feet. Peter Pan is my personal favorite and Let Out The Beast literally leaves tingles on your skin, you can try if you don't believe me! The album contains some pretty infamous tracks too like Heart Attack or Black Pearl which definitely need recognition.

Fun fact: Here's the best part: This is the song that brought EXO together. As you might have noticed in MAMA, Exo-k and Exo-m released separate videos but in Wolf, all twelve members appear in the MV, just with two different language versions. No wonder WE ARE ONE!

EXO: GROWL

When SM dropped this beauty, well. . . the question wasn't "Do you like EXO?" but rather "Who do you like in EXO?" 

All that story I told you in the last chapter about how EXO was deemed as a disappointment after their debut or they were laughed at during Wolf was only to highlight this moment. To make you understand the significance of Growl. Few modern k-pop tracks are as universally loved as this( especially one which is in pure Korean) This track is not something that only boosted K-pop to next level, it is something that made EXO what it is today. It turned tables and nobody saw it coming. It is a comeback that changed many things, like EXO's fate for example.

The song that changed everyone's perspective, from elders to toddlers, something everyone still dances to, a track that earned EXO a couple million fans (hmm no big deal). When it comes to a song like Growl (으르렁), it's not a matter of debating whether it's successful or not. A song this good has to be successful. No excuses. End of story.

No wonder, Growl is titled as National Anthem of K-pop. And you're no Eri until you accept this fact from the core of your heart, admit it in the face of every anti, and know it as good as you know your name -_-

But what makes it such a classic, I'll tell you dear XD

EXO surprised the shit out of every viewer when Growl released. The group hadn't yet found the style that truly set them apart until Growl  happened, with its addictive hip-hop beat and rhythmic chorus stole hearts, ranking, awards and the top place of every Bias list.

 It's slick n' smooth as hell, and made even more so when paired with its nimble choreography (which I haven't quite got hold of yet even after much trying-_-)

First of all, In big groups such as EXO, having all of the members dance at once in a cluster for a 3-minute video is tiring to watch. Humans have low attention span and hello SM! you can't expect us to focus on 12 people at once but the famous dance-in-a-box concept SM groups usually hold was broken. (Dance in a box means a hundred people dancing in a small area). How the camera kept rotating, the way the attention was split evenly between the two groups, and the way the entire group came together in the end was visually very wicked! I honestly felt like EXO was performing around me ;)

The one-take concept of video was a clever move on SM's part as it allowed EXO to demonstrate effort and precision it required to film this video. Though I don't think I've ever seen a music video shot in one go. Have you?

You see, the biggest ambiguity of Non-kpop fans when you're introducing them to your music is: Why are there so many of them? Why are they wearing the same thing? Is it a sports team? Why are they all doing the same dance? I can't tell them apart but I like that one with ______-colored hair.
But in this video you have a small dose of 6 members vs 6 members all getting their own camera time and doing different dance moves. It allows non-kpop friends to sit straight through the whole video and not make fun of anything.

Funfact: Though there are a few errors even though they filmed the MV several times before reaching perfection, like Suho accidentally stepping on Sehun's feet at 2:50 in Chinese version of Growl.

The school uniform outfits EXO wore had minor tweaks tailored for each member and what was great about them was that they weren't the centerpiece of the MV but enhanced each member which is what they outfits should exactly do. The industrial warehouse set, with timed flickering lights help add a layer of thrill that somehow makes 12 synchronized dancing young Asian men seem dangerous (huh as if, they're cute af). Another plus point is that EXO members wore little to no makeup or jewelry, thus they radiated more manly vibes (like Kai in the gif down there hehe)

Normally, SM Mvs involve flamboyant colors with inanimate objects and strange things flying in and out. However, the colors of this MV were muted and dark, rightfully giving the spotlight to the boys and their badass choreography. My eyes were not distracted by flashy outfits but rather they were focusing on what really matters – the performers and their art.
They pulled off their 'we gangsters looking preppy cute as high schoolers in an abandoned warehouse'  quite effortlessly.

I definitely enjoyed the spunky facial expressions the guys held throughout the video and the confident aura that EXO gave off in general. Especially the way how it earned Chanyeol the nickname 3 minutes and a second as he blesses us with a close up exactly at 03:01.

Now we'll talk about it's music composition.

I find Growl IMPOSSIBLY catchy and that is why it rarely gets boring. It has a certain an alluring and distinctive sounds which holds a massive appeal. I believe that the reason why this song is still so strong is that it does things well in all the right places. The rappers of the group get to shine at the right times. Plus the vocalists hit their notes at perfect points making it all the more mellow and eye catching.
There is very little English used in this track, and the only English you'll hear is in beginning of  'sexy' and 'so dangerous', and the more one phrase somewhere in the middle. Growl has such an undeniable and refreshing rythm that I don't think it needs lines of English to allow it to appeal to English-speaking audiences.
In fact, I enjoy its Chinese version quite a lot these days. You gotta admit, the chorus is wonderfully done!

The beat. . . oh don't even get me started on that because I might be tempted to write another book on Growl's godly beat. The engaging beat leaves you hungry for more and that is exactly why SM was kind enough to release a 2nd version of Growl in both languages. Don't you just love SM at these times? this version gave a closer look of member's impossibly flawless visuals (I loved D.O's purple hair!)

SM knew they had won a lottery when Growl's sales broke through the 7 skies. EXO was named as SM's lucky charm for they brought never-ending fame and riches to the company. I've heard SM artists say that even after 6-7 years, Growl has made fortune unrivaled by any EXO comeback! They claim that Growl even built the SM office 'buildings!'

Funfact: Key from SHINee, the gossip bag of SM, believes that if SM were a small company, they would have added EXO in their board of directors long ago! (Happy Together: SM Artists special, 2018)

Oh and how can we miss Growl's lyrics?!!

A dark shadow has woken up inside of me
Sparks fly in my eyes as I look at you
Everyone step away from her 
It's going to get fierce from now on
I'm growling, growling, growling
I'm growling, growling, growling
If you don't back away then I don't care if you get hurt

I blush deep red every time I read it. they are the most captivating words ever composed. Best lyrics for the Best song of the Best boy group EVER!

In short, all I can say is that Growl is Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
 Lmao don't worry it only means 'extraordinarily good'!

After much encouragement, the group also released a winter album Miracles in December, with title track of the same name. The soothing voices of Chen, Baekhyun, D.O and Luhan touched every heart. Overall the album had amazing tracks: Simple, soothing and spectacular.

Just when we were thinking that their promotion ended here, SM released two Drama versions of EXO, where they are high school students. Kris is the bad guy and so is Luhan but he still has a heart. Luhan transfers to to the new school, falls for a girl who's is close to EXO, Kai especially. All in all, there is plenty of thrill, action, bromance among the members. You will be blessed with a jealous Kai, a puppy-like Barkhyun and Tao kicking in the air endlessly trying to look professional.God I give terrible description, don't I? Huh, well seems like you'll have to see for your self.

https://youtu.be/sFCvZUSnuus

AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS (My favorite part!)

Nominated for Song of the Year and Album of the Year, "XOXO" sold over a million copies, reviving South Korea's music industry. Aside from being the first artist to sell a million copies in twelve years,

EXO won Best Korean Act at MTV European Music Awards 2013. (1st International award)
At the prestigious MAMA 2013, they received the Daesang (Grand prize) Album of the Year.
This iconic moment is ever living in the minds of EXO-Ls.

And this sweeeetest hug Suho ever experienced.

At Melon Music Awards, another big ceremony in K-pop, EXO hit a home run by grabbing Netizen Popularity Award, TOP 10 Artists and Song of the Year all in one night. They also produced a drama version for these specific awards, played on the VCR. You can check it out on Youtube.

At other award ceremonies, EXO received Most Popular Asian Artist,  Newcomer award, Most Popular boy group (EXO-M), Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and New Artist Award. Thus that sums up to 23 Daesangs in total for GROWL!
(If you don't trust me, then please feel free to Wikipedia EXO and look in the list of awards for the year 2013 :)

There was no doubt of EXO's solid bonding when especially when they shared their group hugs whenever an award was added in their never ending list!

But the story doesn't end here. EXO also proved their might and power by claiming the most music wins of 2013, that is 26 music wins! Oh dear.

Wow, writing this makes me realize what a big thing EXO is. I believe every EXO-L right now should be celebrating for being the part of a fandom that supports a band that knows no failure, no end. That can go on and on for decades and never get stale. Whose victory is ever lasting. #NoEXONoLife

The skies had cleared, and things could go only up from here.