EXO delivers precision K-pop with 6th album ‘OBSESSION’

Dec 4, 2019 | Entertainment

PHOTO FROM THE OFFICIAL EXO TWITTER ACCOUNT, @WEAREONEEXO

Twitter went ablaze on Nov. 27 in anticipation and excitement over K-pop group EXO’s latest comeback with its sixth studio album “OBSESSION,” featuring the title track with the same name. Hashtags about EXO trended worldwide, and the OBSESSION music video got 2.5 million views in less than 24 hours.

 

In the Manila leg of the EXO Planet #5 EXplOration Tour in August, band leader Suho promised fans that EXO would return next year with new songs in a brand-new album.

Three months later, EXO proved that it remains a force to reckon with, even as the much-awaited comeback was done without three members. Vocalists D.O. and Xiumin are completing their mandatory enlistment in the South Korean military, while Lay is doing solo work in China.

The remaining six members pushed through with a full album of 10 tracks, the last one being the Chinese version of the title track.

Band leader Suho stepped up with smooth lines in instant favorites such as “Baby You Are” and “Non Stop,” as did Kai, the lead dancer of the group; while Baekhyun and Chen delivered their signature vocals.

The rap line, composed of Sehun and Chanyeol, likewise delivered impressive performances and harmonized well with the rest of the members.

The new album ranked #1 at the iTunes top album charts in over 60 countries by 10 AM KST on Nov 28, 2019. Billboard aptly described the title song Obsession, which featured a female voice in the opening, as “fierce.”

EXO-L, the official fanclub of EXO, flooded Twitter with adulation for their idols.

 

Fans also praised EXO for its unique concepts, and the album’s diverse sound tracklist also caught their attention, as it provided different sounds and showed the different sides of EXO members.  

EXO created even more social media buzz when the band attended Netflix’s 6Underground Green Carpet event and interacted with actor Ryan Reynolds. Chanyeol is a huge fan of the “Deadpool” actor, who tweeted a photo of himself as “EXO’s newest member”:

(Areeya Tatjana Ho)