An EXOtic performance
> The South Korean-Chinese boy band entertained fans in Stadium Merdeka during its recent Kuala Lumpur concert
HEAVY downpour earlier in the night didn’t dampen the spirits of some 15,000 devoted fans of the iconic nine-member South Korean-Chinese boy band EXO as they made their way to Stadium Merdeka recently for the EXO Planet #3 – The EXO’rdium in Kuala Lumpur concert.
This was the K-Pop group’s second visit to Malaysia as part of its world tour, and although Chinese member Lay sadly wasn’t present for the concert, the group’s overall popularity managed to draw an even stronger audience this time, one year since its last visit.
The concert began with a jaw-dropping visual showcase projected on the screen, featuring the incredibly photogenic boys going around “saving lives” with their implied superhero abilities.
As the screen split into two to reveal the eight members – Xiumin, Suho, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, and Sehun – heavy dubstep drops and aggressive techno beats filled the air as the boys danced to a remixed version of their debut single MAMA – undoubtedly leaving eager fans cheering their lungs out.
Without showing any signs of fatigue, the eight hunks sang several fast-paced songs from their latest Ex’Act studio album, such as Monster, White Noise and Artificial Love, as well as Thunder and Play Boy, paired with vivid strobe lights and impressive dance moves.
Fans were serenaded by the boys as they performed acoustic versions of My Lady, My Turn to Cry, Moonlight, Call Me Baby and Love Love Love – with Chanyeol on the guitar and the rest singing effortlessly.
Apart from further satisfying the crowd with famous hits like 365, Overdose, Transformer and Lightsaber, they also performed playful love songs with the quintessential K-Pop beat such as Unfair, Run, Tender Love, Heaven, Lucky and One and Only.
While there were slow R&B ballads like Stronger and Girlfriend, the talented band was also capable of pulling off various other genres such as rap with songs like Together, Full Moon, and Drop That.
According to the boys, the concert at Stadium Merdeka was their first outdoor show during this world tour, and that they had hoped that it would rain during the performance to make the temperature cooler, which did happen towards the end, when the group went backstage.
The fans waited patiently for the encore, while it drizzled. The instrumental version of the romantic ballad Sing For You began to play, and the crowd began crooning the lyrics in the dark. The boys subsequently returned to perform three popular songs for their encore – Growl, Lucky One and Angel – ending the three-hour-long concert on a high note in the midst of a confetti shower, fireworks and smoke, as they energetically bid goodbye to their fans.