We got that power... power...
Turn the music up now!!!
If there's one superpower that can shift people's attention from the greatest show on earth which are currently heading to the final stage in Moscow (yeah, I was referring to the 2018 FIFA World Cup) it's definitely the magic of EXO.
As the invitation to attend The EXO Planet #4- The Elyxion in Kuala Lumpur 2018 was sent ala Harry Potter mail, those who successfully entered this 'paradise' definitely showed their love for EXO and to witness one of the largest concert production to ever come to the Arena after its renovation. With various concepts being performed in the enthralling stage, coupled with thunderous fanchants from the audience, EXO still managed to make their 3rd concert in Kuala Lumpur rather intimate.
Although I enjoyed their classic hits like M.A.M.A, Lucky and 3.6.5 but I'm ready for an evolution and a more mature performance by EXO as the tracks that they performed for The Elyxion mostly circle around their more recent albums, Ex'Act and The War.
Explosives Introduction
As an appetizer, EXO members, consisting of Xiumin, Suho, Baekhyun, Chanyeol, D.O, Kai and Sehun, handsomely clad in a white ala brass band jacket suit kicked off the stage with the dark and mysterious vibe but sexy track The Eve followed by Forever. Follow up from their majestic intro stage, the usage of pyrotechnics gave a more blazing impact which hyped up the adrenalines amongst the audience. Up next is the reggae-tinged tune that have slayed all the music charts, Ko Ko Bop. Just like what Kai have stated, Ko Ko Bop is definitely fan favourite anthem. The fan chants during this performance was magnificence. If this is a World Cup match, we can associate the storming fan chants to the Iceland team 'Viking Clap'. That's how loud the fans in the audience are! The hype did not just stop there. EXO continued to bewitch the audience with 'thet' track; yup...the beat that gave them The Kpop Royals status, Growl. They were growling and howling on stage with a remix rock version of the song which sent the audience into frenzy. A special dance battle stage between Baekhyun and Xiumin ensued before the group take a short breather behind the stage.
Solo Stage to Charm
Any EXO concert will not complete if there's no Kai solo dance stage. Every concert, he channelled his inner sexy and passion for dancing through his solo stage. There's no difference this year as he performed yet another sizzling and sensual passionate solo dance routines on stage. Another solo or should I say duet stage that really caught my attention was D.O and Chanyeol For Life (English version) performance. The melodious voice of D.O serenading the audience together with the piano chords accompanied in the background by Chanyeol gave a moving yet almost tear-jerking performance of the evening. Never gonna let you go, Giving you my heart and soul, I'll be by your side... for life! From the lyrics itself, it is clear that it's about love that strengthened through time and it's probably a symbol of EXO's love to their fans, EXO-L which will never faded but grows stronger over the time. Another impressive solo act was by Chanyeol. The deep and meaningful lyrics of Nine Hands captivated the audience with his rapping to the song. It brought the audience to sail into the sea of emotion and feel the struggles and pain to achieve his dream. With this solo stage, it gave the members the opportunities to showcase their individual characteristic. For example, Suho, stripped off his 'charismatic leader of EXO title' and turned into sexy playboy and seduced the audience with his Playboy track. It's refreshing to witness different individual quality posed by each member when they were not performing as 1 unit. The youngest member, Sehun, definitely almost bring down the house when he danced to GO. A powerful dance routines showcased by Sehun with the sleek and edgy style which resulted the audience roared and pull a non-stop chanting to his name. Another enchanting performance came from Chen. His 'voice of heaven' when singing Heaven gave goosebumps throughout the stadium. Belting his high notes and naturally high tenor voice when performing this track, Chen proven that he possesses the best vocal techniques in the group.
The Great 'EXO' Gatsby and Discotheque EXO
Different stage concepts and performance is what makes K-pop concert unique. So, in The Elyxion, the audience were brought back through time: the 1920's style bar ala The Great Gatsby where they performed few tracks such as Call Me Baby, Touch It and Chill. The selection of the tracks suits the mood as it definitely gave the swing and jazzy spin to the atmosphere. Next they performed Boomerang, which definitely gave eargasm as this track will make you bob to its funky beat. The audience started to get their groove on as Lotto and Ka-Ching by Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin (CBX) were being performed. The slick melody and the chorus that immediately gets stuck into your membrane definitely gave the extra power to your dancing shoes to sway to the songs.
Power of EXO
Since their debut, EXO has evolved musically producing different genres of songs and continuously musically challenged themselves in giving the best product to their fans. That's why when they sang few pop-sync and soothing ballad tracks, it gave the fans sense of nostalgic memories through the likes of Cloud 9, Walk on Memories and Sing for You. From mellow to burning passion, EXO is quick in changing the atmosphere of the stadium. Suited up with black and red theme, they blasted their fast and upbeat tracks for powerful summer jam; Diamond, Coming Over, Run This. The moment Power was performed, this solid and energy boosting track have already get the audience stand on their feet!
The EXO Planet #4- The Elyxion in Kuala Lumpur 2018 was certainly an evening to be remembered. As Baekhyun have mentioned, even though it was a pity that it's only a one day concert, they will certainly be back in the future with a more mature performance and he encouraged the fans to not feel sad about that but wait for an upcoming album from EXO. Of course, we have missed some of EXO's notable classics in the performance list, but EXO has proven that they are musically matured and evolved now. They certainly have delivered a perfect summer slam concert with beautiful and fantastic jams throughout the 3 hours' concert. They have truly shown their POWER through Elyxion! Till next time!
You can read our live updates & watch more videos throughout the concert at our twitter @KpopStarzLive!
Kpopstarz would like to thank Star Planet Production for the media coverage
of The Elyxion in Kuala Lumpur 2018.
Written by: Amalina A., Photos by: StarPlanet Production.
