Who is EXO?
Since debuting in 2012, EXO has dominated Korean music charts, broken sales records and become one of K-pop's biggest acts.
Boy band EXO
SM ENTERTAINMENT
EXO debuted under SM Entertainment in 2012 as a 12-member boy group consisting of Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, Sehun, Kris, Luhan and Tao.
EXO made its debut with the EP "Mama" (2012), introducing a fictional universe in which the members originated from the "EXO Planet" and each possessed a unique supernatural power. It also had two subunits: EXO-K, which promoted primarily in Korea, and EXO-M, which promoted in China.
EXO quickly emerged as one of the leading groups of K-pop's third generation. The group's first full-length album "XOXO" (2013) became the first Korean album in 12 years to sell more than one million copies.
The group continued its success with hits including "Overdose" (2014), "Call Me Baby" (2015), "Love Me Right" (2015) and "Monster" (2016), dominating domestic music charts and expanding its global fan base.
Chinese members Kris, Luhan and Tao departed the group between 2014 and 2015 following legal disputes with SM Entertainment.
In October 2016, EXO's subunit EXO-CBX debuted with the first EP "Hey Mama!" The unit comprises Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin, with its name derived from the initials of the three members.
Another subunit, EXO-SC, consisting of Sehun and Chanyeol, debuted in 2019 with the first EP "What a Life." It released its first full-length album, "1 Billion Views," in 2020.
EXO took a nearly four-year hiatus from group album activities as its members fulfilled their mandatory military service after releasing its sixth full-length album, "Obsession," in 2019. The group returned in 2023 with its seventh full-length album, "Exist."
In January 2026, EXO released its eighth full-length album, "REVERXE," featuring six members: Suho, Lay, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai and Sehun. Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin did not participate in the album.
The group kicked off its sixth world tour, "EXO Planet #6 – EXhOrizon," in Seoul in April 2026, marking its first solo concert in six years and four months since its fifth world tour. Suho, Kai, D.O., Chanyeol and Sehun are participating in the tour, and the members will perform at 13 cities worldwide.
BY WOO JI-WON [[email protected]]
