EXO really feels like the premium version of K-pop for me

  • I feel like the day I discovered EXO I completely went down the rabbit hole and it's one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

    There's something about their music and their voices that’s just so special


    I seriously get overwhelmed if I think too hard about how high the quality of their music is - they are my ultimate favorite group because their songs make me feel ways I never feel with other groups and singers.

    They were the first group I really fell hard for and they’ve stuck with me since I found them! They’re on another level and ,in my opinion, have one of the most varied and high quality discographys in kpop



    There’s something for everyone in exo’s discography, and i love the different genres they can all pull off. I love how it feels like all of their solos and subunits have their own distinction, you can’t mistake any of their music for each other.

    They have almost all genre’s covered combined with different vocal styles and techniques, and harmonies also not to mention their amazing transitions in their songs


    What sets EXO apart for me is definitely their group harmonies and B-sides. No one does group harmonies like them and they have a really diverse and extremely good vocal range.It's so easy to tell who is who

    EXO also has one of the most impressive vocal lines in kpop. You just can't go too wrong with voices like that.



    You can expect to like something from every single album of theirs, they don't put out bad songs at all. The quality is there, the vocals are there, there's lots of genres to pick from, each member has their own sounds that you can differentiate. I like that they come back with new sounds as well, you don't see a group releasing songs like Wolf, Ko Ko Bop, Obsession and then coming out with Winter Ballads like MID, Universe, Sing for you and For Life.



    I think they have a good balance of more experimental and more crowd-pleasing songs. How many groups would use Gregorian chants and Scream in a song? Or do a song like Wolf? Especially Jekyll is a really experimental song

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    and Tempo are also a very special and difficult song. Not many groups can and would dare to release a song with an accapella part.

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    and here is the same part live

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    When it comes to songs like Growl, Love Me Right, DFTF and Love Shot, they‘re more straight forward and therefore easier on the ears so to say. But they‘re still vastly different from one another,well produced and executed and I wouldn’t call them generic.

    EXO has proven how strong they are as individuals, I mean they are a vocal based group so i’m not suprised, that even their solo, and subunits are strong discography wise.


    Each one of them have their own unique voices that set them apart from each other and everyone else and all of their voices play a different role in bringing the sound together. It cannot be based on one person.

    There are some patterns like mood setting wise they tend to use Baekhyun the most and for heartfelt bridges they use Suho. Kai gets the chorus or pre chorus parts and he has been used to set the mood too in songs like Ya Ya Ya and Call Me Baby. I mean they know where to put which member's voice and tone.


    I feel like EXO is one of those groups that everyone fits together no matter what combination they’re in and What’s great though is that they will always sound like EXO no matter who’s missing.

    What I also admire is that no matter whether the members are vocal line or not, they all have powerful voices and the song arrangement and harmonising is one of the best in bgs.



    I just rewatched their Baby Don’t Cry live the other day, the one they did in 2013. The only thought was they’re monster rookies indeed.

    They really don’t produce rookies like this nowadays...

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    What I also love about EXO is how consistent they are with their music. like they've always had that certain style to their songs and they pull it off very well. I really appreciate them changing their style without losing their signature sound, actually their consistency over the years is really impressive.


    Their sound and style has been long established.

    They have pretty much mastered (and imo, have an unparalleled monopoly on in kpop) the heavily-R&B-influenced sound.

    They do a lot of concepts and it's not just one particular sound. Every comeback, especially the diversity in their tracks, has a new sound without going too far that their own fans don't recognize them at all music wise.


    They're a group that does classical rock with Mama, R&B with Growl, pop with Call Me Baby, EDM with Power and Ballad with their winter album.They don’t try to be trendy to stand out, or play it safe so the GP likes them. They’ve done their own thing since debut and were loved because of it


    one of many examples for their diversity would be 2015, they released Call me Baby, Love Me Right, Sing for You and Lightsaber in the same year

    They showcase a good amount of creative diversity within their work without deviating from their brand, rather than doing what appears to be trendy or safe to cater to the GP.


    But really! Im actually very impressed with how they keep the quality and "EXO sound" despite them doing a lot of genres. I remember thinking before 2017 that they couldn’t pull a reggae but they just KoKoBopped :pepe-hehe:

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    There is actually one thing that is bothering me and thats people who claim that their voices and singing style sounds the same and generic

    People often mistake harmonizing as sounding similar.

    that's kind of the point there. They want everybody's voice to blend there. Also, blending means you are not supposed to over shadow the person singing or clash with them but just add harmonies to make it sound good. So yeah, they all specifically sing that way in those lines


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    Like of course they should sound like one. I don't need to hear 9 different voices in my chorus.

    Good vocalists are supposed to be able to harmonize, so their voices don't stand out, so they can create a balanced, listenable result. When EXO sings together? Perfect harmony.

    Honestly there are tons of groups with truly amazing vocals who can't harmonize that well. You need a proper voice, technique and musical understanding to harmonize with any given person.

    Seems like people are mistaking harmonization for "generic" voices




    And oh, their live performances. Do I even need to go into detail here? They radiate such powerful aura when they're on stage


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    When it comes to EXO, their music is what always makes me come back to them, and I would suggest everyone to listen to their lives because trust me they are even better



    There won't be another EXO and we won't get EXOs music twice in our life. So be happy that we can listen to them for free.

    truly the best boys ever </3

  • EXO makes it hard for me to stan anyone else. Even when I'm not listening to an EXO song, its from their solos or from their subunits like they really giving me everything I could ask for :pepe-comfy:

    EXO set the bar too high.

    but I also don't want to and need to stan anyone other than them. They are already the perfect group

    I really love them so much2x

  • I've listen to so many kpop songs and none of them made an impact on me like Exo does. Exo's songs are a source of comfort and strength and home for me. I listen to when I'm down and will immediately feel better. There is no one like Exo for me. :pepelove1:

    I can relate, stanning them genuinely makes me so happy and they really feel like home for me :pepecute: :pepelove1:

  • I agree with everything you said.

    Becoming a fan of Exo was really unexpected for me. I've been a classic/Hard Rock fan since 10 years and I didnt like pop music and strongly disliked hip hop. I wasnt a big fan of r&b either. I was a picky listener and usually like a few songs from each band not the whole discography.


    I've never thought I would like a kpop group until I discovered Exo. Exo's discography was sth I didnt know I needed until I found it. Each album amazed me and their live performances left me speechless. It's crazy how their discography is versatile yet consistent and still sound like Exo. And how their live performans are even better. It's a miracle that all these talented men are in the same group. They all have distinctive voices yet they blend so well. Their harmonistaions sound the best. It's not just vocals discography and performance skills what sets Exo apart for me. Everyone says rap is not Exo's forte but I actually enjoy their rapping as well. I dislike rap and it mostly ruins it for me but not for exo. It doesnt sound pretentious, try hard, it sounds so natural, pleasing to the ears and it fits the song. I also love how versatile exo rappers can be I wouldnt change them to anyone.



    Exo just set the bars too high. There wont be another Exo. And another discography like Exo's.

  • I couldn't have said it better, they're not just a group. they're really one in a million artists :pepe-sad:

  • FrostyMaple:pepelove1: you've said all that I feel as an EXO fan. Maybe I could not have worded as well as I let my gut led me in my travel to stanning EXO and sometimes it is hard for me to put that into words. But, you have made so many points in your thread I agree with. EXO is everything and every day with them is something to be grateful for.


    novemberrain I was already over my fan days when I stumbled into kpop and Girls' Generation made me feel what was like to be a fan all over again. I was happy to love a group so much again...


    Until I let EXO into my life and they turned everything upside down. Not only I liked what I listened and saw but the more I dug the more I liked it. They ticked so many boxes in my list (some of which were never a thought in my head or a 'must' to follow a group) I was surprised because so far no boy group has caught my interest in so many ways.


    And I agree, their live albums are amazing! Their discography is gold and their live performances are breathtaking (in lack of a better word).


    Let's hope we can walk this road with EXO for a long time and see them grow as both artists and as people.

  • Indeed the more I dig the more I love them <3

    I hope we watch their growth for a long time <3 :pepelove1:

  • They are really such a special group and I'm always happy to see that others feel the same about them as I do :pepecute:

    Thank you so much taking your time and reading the thread :pepelove1:

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