EXO is now almost a decade, and still, they remain triumphant.
Today marks the 8th anniversary of EXO's debut. On April 8, 2012, they were publicly acknowledged as a new boy group from SM Entertainment with the release of their first track, "MAMA." Since then, these young men evolved into iconic individuals and are now admired globally.
In line with this, the boys took to their social media accounts to express their gratitude to the relentless love and support of their fandom, EXO-Ls. Kai and Chanyeol even shared their debut photos to commemorate the special day. EXO-Ls, as expected, flooded the comment section of their idols' posts and expressed their joy as they celebrate another milestone of their K-pop career.
The fandom also trended hashtags #To8finityAndBeyondWithEXO, #8ternityWithEXO, and #8finityWithEXO, which all reached the worldwide trends on Twitter for hours.
Here are some of their comments made on the EXO members' Instagram posts.
"Happy anniversary 8th uri EXO, we'll always love you, support you, and always with you forever you're my love and my life you're my everything."
"No i never knew you at that time! All i know is you are such a great entertainer.. keep singing! Happy 8 anniversary."
"One of my fav songs from @weareoneEXO Happy 8th years of being together! I miss OT9 sm."
"Happy anniversary, EXO! Keep goin for the people who love you!! We are always here Exo-l."
"Thumbs up to my boys! I will wait until all of them will finish military service."
Evidently, EXO has gone through a lot. Along their journey, they encountered stumbling blocks-from dating scandals to members leaving and to one member being inactive due to political tension between two countries-and yet they are still on top.
Despite these challenges, they have withstood the test of time and stayed true to their slogan, "We are one." Indeed, conquering eight years is something these men should definitely be proud of.
Aside from the congratulatory and heartwarming messages from EXO-Ls and the members themselves, others were astonished to see their hit tracks entering the K-charts all over again, including their debut song "MAMA." Suho's "Let's Love" even landed on the No. 1 spot on Melon before the chart froze, while his five "Self-Portrait" B-sides dominated the Top 10.
Meanwhile, a fanbase shared their unique way of honoring this momentum. EXO SUPPORT IR, EXO-Ls from Iran, initiated the planting of 129 oak seedlings under EXO's name.
"To celebrate EXO's 8th Anniversary, Iranian EXOLs planted 129 oak seedlings under the name of EXO. Let's keep walking on the flowery path together. We are one," the fanbase wrote on Twitter.
It was indeed a great journey. For eight years and beyond, EXO will continue to inspire people with their talents and humility despite their numerous glorious triumphs. Hence, the crown of K-pop is safe in their hands.
Congratulations on your 8th anniversary, EXO, and more power!
