ORIGINALLY made up of 12 members, K-Pop boy group Exo saw the departure of three members about five years ago. Another member chose to pursue solo activities while remaining with the group.
Then earlier this year, another two had to leave to undergo mandatory two-year military service, leaving behind Suho, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, Kai and Sehun to continue their musical journey.
The boys recently performed at the Axiata Arena Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur as part of their EXO Planet #5 — EXplOration 2019 tour. Fans, who call themselves Exo-Ls, turned up in droves to cheer them on.
Having been a fan from Day One, I found the absence of so many members too obvious to ignore.
At the concert, I felt vibe was neither strong nor fun. Even the stage design was not as elaborate as previously. To add to all that, the group’s collective vocals were weak and did not impress.
Nevertheless, despite the shortcomings, the six members gave their best. Judging by the loud cheers, the 10,000-strong crowd was appeased.
HITS OF OLD AND NEW
The concert opened with Tempo, Transformer and Gravity, explosive numbers with upbeat rhythms that hyped up the crowd. The boys also showed off some sharp and sleek dancing.
Initially, it was disconcerting to see just six members on stage.
Thankfully, several back-up dancers came on stage mid-performance to fill in the gaps.
As for the vocals, the singers on stage took over the parts normally sung by the absent members. It wasn't ideal but I'm sure fans were still thankful that Exo chose to come to Malaysia.
The show continued with older hits such as Monster, Growl, Overdose, Power and Call Me Baby, as well as the more recent Love Shot, Ooh La La La and Oasis.
During their performance of Power, the audience was encouraged to stand and jump along to the catchy beat. They obliged and the atmosphere in the stadium turned a massive party!
The dance-pop track Love Shot, which came with sexy, hip-swaying choreography, drove fans wild.
As for the ballads, Baekhyun, Chen and Suho charmed the audience with their soft and sultry vocals.
Besides group performances, each member also had the stage all to himself at certain times to showcase their solo performances.
Baekhyun’s debut single UN Village was a crowd-pleaser, especially since the singer complemented the groovy R&B track with sexy dance moves.
I particularly enjoyed Chen’s Lights Out. The moving lightbulbs hung above him made the performance poignant.
Suho and Kai showcased sleek dance moves for their enigmatic songs Been Through and Confession, while Chanyeol and Sehun, who debuted as a duo earlier this year, performed What A Life and Closer To You.
Other songs performed by the group included Unfair, 24/7, Falling For You, Wait, Bad Dream, Damage, On The Snow and Smile On My Face.
Several key singles weren’t included in the setlist, such as Ko Ko Bop, Wolf and Love Me Right. I was also a little upset that the Exo members did not perform their well-known ballads such as Miracles In December, Sing For You and Universe.
WHOLESOME SHOW
Aside from the group’s stellar showmanship, Exo certainly knew how to charm the crowd.
“The atmosphere is better than I thought!” exclaimed group leader Suho in excellent English, continuing: “Thank you for cheering for us consistently, even when we were at the airport. We’re so touched.”
Sehun added (via a translator): “Malaysia fans are always loud so we enjoy performing here.”
Chanyeol then thrilled the crowd by saying: “Next time, we’ll return even if it’s not for a concert. If the whole team can’t make it, I’ll still come by myself. I’ll even perform Exo's songs by myself.”
When one of the members mentioned Christmas, Baekhyun promptly began singing We Wish You A Merry Christmas and got the others to join in.
As for the audience that night, a majority turned up in either beige or brown.
Apparently these are the theme colours of Exo's music video for the song Universe. Talk about dedication!
At Exo’s concerts, it's usual for fans to throw stuffed toys, masks and wigs on stage during the final segment. The boys would then goof around with the items for their diehard fans.
This time around, Baekhyun put on a long, rainbow-coloured wig while Chanyeol tried on a green apron that made him look like The Hulk. Fans cheered on appreciatively.
The highlight of the night was Exo’s impromptu a cappella performance of its latest single, Obsession.
It marked the first time Exo performed it live, albeit briefly and without music, making fans ecstatic.
Here’s hoping that at the next Exo concert in Kuala Lumpur, they will return as a complete group.
Exo Planet #5 – EXplOration 2019 In Kuala Lumpur was organised by Star Planet and presented by Getbats.