- Achieved double million-seller in album sales, A star with the fifth highest Instagram followers in Korea. Put down any kind of fancy rumor about EXO, Born in 1992, same age as ELLE Korea We see Baekhyun’s face clearly.
Last year when I saw a news article about EXO’s fandom exploding like an active volcano, I asked my younger female acquaintances, “Why does EXO have so much popularity?” A junior of mine who just got into EXO replied, “Sunbae (senior), just look at them. You just fall right into them!” And one day in 2015, while browsing through TV channels, I happened to see EXO’s performance. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the group of boys who somewhat resembled each other but were distinctly different, moving with agile gestures, coming together and apart while showing a powerful and sophisticated performance. This year the public had lots of opportunities to see EXO’s real abilities and merit. Each and every member’s presence became even more distinct. Baekhyun had promised a solo photoshoot for ELLE’s 23rd anniversary. We had prior knowledge of Baekhyun’s bright and cheerful image, but when we met him on set he was very polite with lots of sense and made a favorable impression as a young 24 year old man. Even though it was his first solo photoshoot, the shoot went smoothly with no awkwardness, and he sensed what the editor wanted before any direction was given. The most memorable thing was his positive energy that swayed even the cunning old editor! After finishing his interview, Baekhyun went on to practice for his upcoming dome concert this weekend. He said goodbye with a humble bow that almost broke his back in half.
Q: You’re born in 1992 right? Do you know this is a fateful meeting?
A: I heard that ELLE Korea was also born in 1992. I’m honored to have ELLE be my first solo photoshoot. There were lots of cuts (photos) but I felt like the shoot went by very quickly. Because when I have photoshoots with my members, it takes a very long time. If one person out of 8 close their eyes, we have to retake the picture.
Q: You’re 24 in Korean years. To be honest, I thought you were younger.
A: Many people say I look younger. My members are all mid-twenties. Nowadays there are many groups that debut from their teenage years, but we weren’t that young.
Q: EXO is already on their way to 4 years since debut.
A: I still can’t forget our first debut showcase. Honestly, I don’t get nervous for many things. I think, “I’ll just do it the way I practiced.” But when I heard the fans’ cheers during the intro video, I shivered from head to toe. Even if I feel tired, once I stand on stage, the tiredness goes right away. It must be my body constitution.
Q: From when did you want to be a singer?
A: I announced it to my parents when I was 11. I told them I don’t think I could sit at an office and work all day when I grow up. I can’t sit still in one place because my personality is so outgoing and lively. I’d hum the songs of singers who came out on TV, and my friends would me that I was good [at singing], and from then I really wanted to do it. Then in 6th grade, I saw Rain perform and officially grew my dream to be a singer. I thought it was really cool to see just one person fill a whole stage.
Q: I heard you had the shortest training period in your team.
A: I came to Seoul to take an entrance exam when I was street-casted in front of the school, and within one year from entering the company, I debuted. More than anything, I’m thankful towards my members. I just put the clothes on of an already made team, but they happily welcomed me. No one was mean to me.
Q: Don’t you think it’s because of your social skills?
A: It’s true that I don’t have a very shy personality. Even if it seems like they kind of don’t like me, I still go towards them. And if I just maintain basic manners, everyone seems to like me. Especially if I greet sunbaes (seniors), they seem to show lots of love.
Q: Where did you learn such social skills?
A: I learned naturally from school of course. There are many celebrities who couldn’t fully experience school life but luckily I became a trainee after completing middle and high school. As I work, I understand the saying that school is like a small society. When I’m with my members, I really feel like I’m at school.
Q: They call you the team’s mood-maker. Do you like making those around you happy?
A: I don’t like serious or heavy moods. If the mood seems to go down, I chatter loudly by myself. Honestly, when I was younger I didn’t know what being depressed or sad was. I thought, “Is it that uncomfortable feeling you get when it rains?” When others seem down, I would keep talking to them and make them laugh. If you don’t shake off sad thoughts and let them grow in your heart, it gets harder to win over them in the future.
Q: Then how about when you have concerns?
A: I tell my members everything. I don’t hold anything in. The thing with having a heavy heart, even if you don’t get any answers, just talking about it with someone lightens the load. And my members aren’t the type of friends who would go out and tell others about my problems. I’m so happy to have friends to share my thoughts with.
Q: You were the MC of a special broadcast last Chuseok. If you were to review/criticize yourself on being an MC?
A: Because I was with such veteran sunbaes, I looked like a guest (laughs). I learned a lot. I especially learned that to be a good guest, you have to know a lot. Both Kim Gura and Yoo Seyoon sunbaes would talk fluently, whatever the subject be. I need to read more books. It’s embarrassing but the only books I remember are the recommended ones I read in middle school. I’m not very good at sticky (t/n: time-consuming) things. Rather, I’m the type to jump from one thing to the next.
Q: What do you enjoy doing most lately?
A: I like playing games. Haha. Recently, I exercise a lot. Honestly, the first time I went to the gym it was so hard I almost gave up. But I held it in and did it a few more times, and when I went to shower it felt really good. I recommend it to people who are thinking of dieting (laughs).
Q: What’s something you want to learn or get better at?
A: Rather than other things, I want to get better at singing. Because I wanted to be a singer from the start. I want to sing so well that people say “Wow” in admiration. Not someone who sings while showing off their techniques but someone who lets go of everything and sings a song that anyone can relate to. I haven’t had many opportunities to sing by myself but in the future, I want to sing to a lot of people.
Q: Which EXO song do you personally like the most?
A: “Love Me Right.” It’s a song with a funky feel so it makes everyone excited. I think it reveals our real selves on stage. Because our members are all very playful in real life. After performing a powerful song like “Wolf,” our members are excited to perform a song more like our natural selves.
Q: EXO promoted a lot this year. You had a lot of opportunities to show the public your group’s charms and capabilities.
A: I don’t know how time passed so quickly. It feels like yesterday I filmed “Call Me Baby’s” teaser video and was waiting for the album to be released, but after the repackage album and our concerts, it’s already October. We didn’t get to promote on a lot of music shows but I feel like we promoted in various places. It was very fun. Whether EXO as a group or as an individual member, I’m very proud of ourselves.
Q: When do you really feel EXO’s “outstanding” popularity?
A: When I hear our fans’ cheers. Whether at a performance or at an awards ceremony, our fans always scream for us. We’re very thankful for all the love we receive, but maintaining our popularity isn’t our only goal. “What are you guys doing? We have to go higher.” Our members say this a lot.
Q: Do you have anywhere higher to go? You’re the group with the most album sales in Korea this year.
A: We have to be Korea’s number one. I never once thought that we were at the top. I still feel like we’re rookies. Wherever we go, we greet our sunbaes and staff to the fullest. When we come down from a stage, our members get together and say, “Why is our dancing like this? We have to practice more.” We have to continue working with a humble mind. I like our teamwork and mindset right now.
“When I have any worries, I tell my members everything. The thing with having a heavy heart, even if you don’t get any answers, just talking about it with someone lightens the load.”
Source: Elle Korea November 2015 Issue
Translation by: fy-exo
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