About EXO

EXO (엑소) is a new twelve member Korean-Chinese group produced by SM Entertainment. With two subgroups of six members each, EXO-K and EXO-M, they promote simultaneously in Korean and Chinese language, respectfully. Their activities are undertaken on a subgroup level, as well as together, especially when promoting overseas. 

The members were introduced through 23 separate teasers, released from December 2011 to February 2012.

The first to début publicly were Kai, Luhan, Chen and Tao, through a performance at SBS’s Gayo Daejun (111229). That was followed by the release of EXO’s first prologue single, ’What is Love’, on 30th January 2012, and then the release of their second prologue single, ‘History’ on 9th on March.

A Korean showcase was held in Seoul’s Olympic Stadium on 31st March, exactly 100 days after the release of their first teaser, and that was followed by a Chinese showcase in Beijing, on 1st April 2012.

EXO-K and EXO-M released their début singles ‘Mama’ on 8th April, followed by the ‘Mama’ EP on 9th. 

EXO-K and EXO-M made their official stage débuts on April 8th, at SBS Inkigayo (SBS 인기가요) and China’s 12th Yinyue Fengyun Bang Awards, respectively. 

A day after release, ‘Mama’ reached number one on various Chinese online music charts. EXO-K's album reached the number one spot on South Korea's Gaon Album Chart and number eight on the Billboard World Albums Chart. EXO-M's album peaked at number two on China's Sina Album Chart, number five on Gaon Album Chart and number twelve on the Billboard World Albums Chart.  In addition, EXO-M’s ‘Mama’ music video reached number one on various Chinese streaming sites.

On 15th May 2013, SM Entertainment confirmed the impending release of EXO's first full-length studio album, 'XOXO’. 

‘XOXO' was released on 3rd June 2013, in two editions. The Korean 'Kiss' version, and the Chinese 'Hug' version. 

The album attracted over 300,000 pre-orders. Immediately upon it’s release, the album met with great success. The Hanteo Chart recorded over 120,000 copies being sold in the first week alone, and 378,956 copies (‘Hug’, 206,812; ‘Kiss’, 172,144) in the month of June, making their album the highest selling for that week, month, and the year 2013. 

In July of 2013, SME announced plans of releasing a repackaged version of ‘XOXO’, which would contain three tracks not found on ‘XOXO’. The title tracks of the repackaged album, and accompanying promotions, ‘Growl’, was unveiled through a music video on YouTube, on 1st August 2013. This was accompanied by a comeback stage on Mnet M! Countdown (엠넷 엠! 카운트다운) on 1st August, and the release of the repackaged album on 5th August.

As of December 2013, EXO has sold 471,570 copies of their album ‘XOXO’ and a further 536,007 copies of their repackaged album, recording a total of 1,007,577 albums album sales, making EXO the first artist in the last 12 years to surpass the 700,000 copies sale mark.

'XOXO' was awarded the 'Album of the Year' at the 2013 Mnet Asian Music Awards, making EXO the youngest male group in history to receive this honour. In addition, ‘Growl’ received the ‘Song of the Year’ award.

EXO has recorded fourteen weekly music program wins with ‘Growl’, including triple crowns from SBS Inkigayo and MBC Show Champion.

The EP ‘Miracles in December' amassed over 400,000 pre-orders. One of the six tracks on the album, 'Miracles in December', was released on 5th December 2013, which was preceded by the release of the Korean and Chinese version of the music video, on the 4th.

Members D.O, Baekhyun and Chen took part in a comeback stage on Mnet M! Countdown (엠넷 엠! 카운트다운), on 5th December.The EP was released on 9th December. 

Immediately upon its release, all songs topped various real-time music charts.

EXO has recorded five weekly music program wins with ‘Miracles in December’.

Detailed Music Chart Information:

Pending.

Weekly Music Programs:

Mnet M! Countdown (엠넷 엠! 카운트다운)

130822 (Exo) - ‘Growl’

130829 (Exo) - ‘Growl’

130905 (Exo) - ‘Growl’

KBS Music Bank (KBS 뮤직뱅크)

130614 (Exo) - ‘Wolf’

130816 (Exo) - ‘Growl’

130823 (Exo) - ‘Growl’

MBC Show! Music Core (MBC 쇼! 음악중심)

130615 (Exo) - ‘Wolf’

130824 (Exo) - ‘Growl’

130831 (Exo) - ‘Growl’

130907 (Exo) - ‘Growl’

131214 (Exo) - ‘Miracles in December’

131221 (Exo) - ‘Miracles in December’

SBS Inkigayo (SBS 인기가요)

130616 (Exo) - ‘Wolf’

130818 (Exo) - ‘Growl’

130825 (Exo) - ‘Growl’

130901 (Exo) - ‘Growl’

131215 (Exo) - ‘Miracles in December’ 

131222 (Exo) - ‘Miracles in December’

MBC Show Champion (MBC 쇼 챔피언)

130619 (Exo) - ‘Wolf’

130821 (Exo) - ‘Growl’

130828 (Exo) - ‘Growl’

130904 (Exo) - ‘Growl’

131218 (Exo) - ‘Miracles in December’

Awards and Nominations:

Mnet Asian Music Awards 

Best New Male Artist (Exo-K) - for “MAMA” - Nominated (2012)

Artist of the Year (Exo-K) - for “MAMA” - Nominated (2012)

Best New Asian Artist, Group (Exo) - for “MAMA” - Won (2012)

Melon Music Awards

Best Global Artist (Exo-K) - for “MAMA” - Nominated (2012)

Seoul Music Awards

Best Rookie Award (Exo-K) - for “MAMA” - Won (2013)

Popularity Award (Exo-K) - for “MAMA” - Nominated (2013)

27th Golden Disk Awards

Popularity Award (Exo) - for “MAMA” - Nominate (2013)

New Rising Star Award in Disk Album category (Exo) - for “MAMA” - Won (2013)

Disk Album Award (Exo) - for “MAMA” - Nominate (2013)

13th Top Chinese Music Awards

Most Popular Group (Exo-M) - Won (2013)

Best Newcomer Award (Exo-M) - Nominated (2013)

Top Chinese Music Awards

Most Popular Group (Exo-M) - Won (2013)

5th Mengniu Music Billboard Awards

Best Dressed Award (Exo) - Won (2012)

Most Popular Group of the Year (Exo-M) - Won (2012)

Yinyuetai V-Chart Awards

Most Popular Artist (Exo-M) - Won (2013)

Rookie of the Year (Exo-M) - Won (2013)

13th Annual Billboard Music Festival

Popularity Award (Exo-M) - Won (2013)

Tower Record (K-Pop Lovers! Awards)

Best Rookie of the Year (First-Half) (Exo) - Won (2012)

2012 MTV Best of the Best Awards

Best New Artist (Exo-K)  - Nominated (2012)

Best Dance Video (Exo-K) - Nominated (2012)

2012 KU Awards

Best New Artist (Exo) - Nominated (2012)

19th Korean Entertainment Awards

Rookie Singer Award (Exo-K) - Won (2012)

2012 So-Loved Awards

Best Newcomer, Male (Exo-K) - Nominated (2012)

Music V Bang

3 Single Crown Award (Exo) - Won (2012)

Arirang Simply K-Pop Awards

Super Idol Rookie of the Year (Exo-K) - Won (2012)

SBS Pop Asia Awards

Best Rookie Group (Exo) - Won (2012)

MV of the Year (Exo-K, History) - Won (2012)

2012 JpopAsia Music Awards

Favourite Artist (band) (Exo) - Won

Best MV 2012 (Exo) - Won

Best Single 2012 (Exo) - Won

Best Album 2012 (Exo) - Won

Best Boyband (Exo) - Won

4th Annual Baidu Awards

Popularity Award (Exo) - Won

1st YinYue V-Chart Awards

Korea, Most Popular Artist (Exo-K) - Nominated

Best New Artist (Exo-M) - Won

Mainland China, Most Popular Artist (Exo-M) - Won

Endorsements:

A month after their début, EXO-K was featured on the cover of South Korea’s High Cut magazine, as well as a Calvin Klein Jeans spread in the same edition. They were chosen as the new ambassador for the 2013 Fall/Winter collection of South Korea’s school uniform and fashion brand, Ivy Club, as well as becoming ambassadors for Korean Red Cross Youth. They further endorsed the ‘Chia seed’ range of South Korea’s skincare brand, The Face Shop, as well as Coca Cola’s new South Korean soft/energy drink range, Sunny 10.

In November of 2012, EXO-K was featured in a Samsung Ativ PC TV commercial advertisement. Members Kai and Luhan, together with a number of their label-mates, took part in Hyundai Motor Company's PYL campaign, in the form of a promotional music video, ‘Maxstep’, released on 30th October 2012.