Is ‘polite pandemonium’ possible? Because that’s what happened when K-pop group Exo landed in Dubai for their first ever visit on Tuesday. The boys were in town to launch their song Power at the Dubai Fountain — the inaugural K-pop song on the playlist.
The young men also sat for a press conference at the Armani Hotel, clad in matching black suits. They greeted media with a ‘marhaba’ (hello in Arabic) and announced an upcoming gig in the UAE.
“We’ll have an SM Town concert in Dubai this year, and we’re not sure about an Exo concert,” said Suho, who is known professionally by his single-name moniker. “We want to come back here to perform an Exo concert. Wait for us.”
SM Town is an umbrella term that encompasses the recording artists who, like Exo, perform under the South Korean record label S.M. Entertainment. SM Town concerts include several acts, as opposed to being centred around a single headliner.
During their brief press meet, Exo were as polite and welcoming as the fans who met them at the Dubai International Airport. The group said they were unaware of the magnitude of their Middle East following until now.
“This is new news but we’re hoping for more love and support from this area,” admitted Baekhyun.
“Seeing the group of fans at the airport was the most memorable thing so far. Despite it being our first time in Dubai, seeing the amount of fans who came to greet us makes us want to come here again,” said Chen.
(Missing in action during this visit were members Lay and D. O.)
DUBAI FOUNTAIN
Fans of all ages, known as Exo-Ls (short for Exo-LOVE), surrounded the Dubai Fountain on Tuesday evening to hear the group’s song Power, which had been added to the water show as the first K-pop song. Those who stood near the railing were drenched by the time the song was through. Many chanted along as they held up signs and placards to declare their adoration. The band also watched from a private vantage point.
“Power has the meaning of becoming stronger through music and unity, even through hard times. So we think that pairing that song with the Dubai Fountain is a great choice,” said Baekhyun. The elaborate music video for the track dropped in September, racking up nearly 40 million views.
Exo, who formed in 2011, released their latest album The War: The Power of Music last year. They are tentatively set to release their first full-length Japanese album, Countdown, later this month.
“In 2018, we look forward to greeting our fans with our unique Exo style performances, and we’d like to say to the fans that we are aware of all the loyalty and enthusiasm they put into supporting us, so we will work even harder to meet your expectations,” said Kai.
The band added that it would be “quite probable” for them to write a song about Dubai, as they are typically inspired by the places they go and the fans that they meet.
They were also asked the most important question of all: whether they had the chance to have shawarma, a popular pita wrap stuffed with street meat, during their visit.
“Not yet,” said Baekhyun. “Does it taste nice? I’ll try it tonight. Hungry.”
