Two for Two

CHEN AND XIUMIN, TWO MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH KOREAN SUPERSTAR GROUP EXO, PERFORMED IN MUMBAI IN DECEMBER. OF COURSE, THEIR PERFORMANCES WERE TOP TIER, BUT AMBIKA MUTTOO, LUCKILY, ALSO GOT A FIRSTHAND LOOK AS TO WHY THEIR FANS LOVE THEM AS PEOPLE TOO

Towards the first half of December, Mumbai's International Airport bore witness to quite an extraordinary scene one night. Scores of people lined the exit, and as visitors from a particular flight from Seoul filed out, the crowd erupted into joyous mayhem, waving banners and chanting in unison. They were there to welcome Chen (Kim Jong-dae) and Xiumin (Kim Min-seok), two members of EXO, the South Korean band, who, ever since their debut in 2012, have amassed millions of fans worldwide. And clearly, a sizable portion of that fandom (called EXO-L's) are from India.

The two artists were in Mumbai - and in the country for the very first time - to perform solo sets at the second edition of K-Town, a festival that promotes Korean culture and music (Bam Bam of Got7 origins and B.I aka Kim Han-bin were also performing). We spoke to them at the show, before they went on stage. It's humbling to find that artists of their calibre still have a sense of discovery and excitement when they visit a new territory physically, especially when you account for how much of the globe they've already conquered through their music.

“It's always the fans' reactions - their expressions as they welcome us, their cheers, and the way they sing along to our songs,” said Chen. “It's still so moving to hear fans singing my songs, even in different languages, no matter where we go.” Xiumin agreed, adding, “As Chen said, the first performance in a new country always stays with you. There's a sense of excitement in wondering how the audience will react, whether we'll enjoy the show together, and if we can create a happy performance. I'm really looking forward to our time in India today.”

The audience didn't disappoint at all. How could they? Indian fans have been waiting for years for a concert. You only have to drop into social media, look on Youtube or check out music charts to understand that their music transcends geography, gender and language.