onemediaaccess.global

“EXO-L, if there is forever, I hope that’s us” 

SEOUL, Korea – On May 25 and 26, the leader of the biggest kpop group – EXO; Suho officially kicked off his highly anticipated first ever solo concert after 12 years since debut, with the title Welcome to SU:HOME which was held at the Olympic Hall in Seoul, South Korea. The show was also broadcasted thru live streaming platform BeyondLIVE.

Welcome back home, Suho and EXO-L 

The Olympic Hall in Songpa District, Seoul, South Korea, has held a lot of local and international concerts over the years creating lots of memories both for the artist and the fans. As for Suho, this venue holds a special place in his heart – The Olympic Hall is where he first had his debut showcase back in March 31, 2012 as the leader of EXO. This is where it all started – this is EXO’s home and this is where he welcomes us back for this first ever solo concert. 

Su:Home was thoughtfully designed, with a stage layout that felt cozy and inviting, like being welcomed into a warm home. As soon as you walked in, it felt familiar – creating a sense of togetherness where everyone felt at home.

Music through the years

The personal choice of setlist was well-curated to show off Suho’s musical artistry throughout the years. Showcasing his versatile vocal range through songs that include his previous releases down to his soon- to-be released 3rd Mini Album – Suho kicks off his show with a brand-new track ‘Mayday’ which is a part of his 3rd Mini Album ‘점선면 (1 to 3)’, then followed by performances from his last album release–Grey Suit  ‘Morning Star’ and, ‘Grey Suit’. Lastly, one from his 1st Solo Album, ‘Self-Portrait’. Before he ended his first set, he introduced the last song by saying that he was so attached to this song since he made this while thinking of EXO and EXO-L – ‘Zero Gravity’, the song gives off the feeling like he’s flying. 

The next set was a much more upbeat and more “rock band” type of song beginning with ‘Cheese’ featuring Red Velvet’s Wendy, also a song  from his recently released album. This performance was followed by ‘1 to 3’ and ‘Hurdle’ – of course he also did his famous hurdle run and joking “ah am I doing this again” then proceeded to actually doing it.

He then introduced his next set of songs by saying, “the next set of songs will have a change of mood coming from the previous song” this set was much more on the mellow side – starting off with ‘Curtain’ followed by ‘Starry Night’, ‘Wishful Thinking’, ‘Moonlight’, ‘Decanting’, ‘Bear Hug’ and, ‘For You Now’ featuring Younha as his surprise guest for his first show date. 

As we get closer to the end of the show, Suho proves that he is the leader of an all-rounder group – EXO by performing the Band Version Medley of EXO songs such as ‘First Snow’. ‘Growl’, ‘Overdose’ and ‘Monster’. Suho also performed ‘Alright, Alright’ featuring Giriboy as his guest for the 2nd show.

Last set of songs were on the romantic end – beginning with ‘O2’, followed by ‘Let’s Love’, ‘Moment’ and the very special encore song which he dedicated to EXO-L ‘Made in you’. 

Moments of SU:HOME

In between performances, Suho took time to share personal notes and express his gratitude towards EXO-L. He expressed that he is really thankful to his fans for waiting and joining him on this very special day which marks his first solo concert as an artist who debuted 12 years ago. He then explained the songs ‘Bear Hug’ and ‘For You Now’ which made him emotional. He wrote ‘Bear Hug’ with a thought from his military service as an alternative civilian service at a children’s center. It’s a song that he wrote while watching the kids (relating to various experiences such as childhood days). As for ‘For You Now’, he wrote the song while having a thought of his one friend – “That friend was someone who always gives comfort to their fans, and other people, I’m actually also one of their fans, I also learned a lot from that friend, so I also want to become an artist and a musician who can keep giving comfort and love.”

He also made jokes like Su:Home is a smart home and is connected to a smart command by saying ‘Siri, jacket please’ then lo and behold, a jacket really pops off the stage, telling his fans to take out their phones for a while while he changes his jacket quickly. He also joked that it’s hard to be a rock star during his ‘Hurdle’ and ‘Moonlight’ performance as he keeps on running back and forth from the main stage and the extended stage. Also, after his performance with Giriboy, the birth of Tokkiboy happened – Suho’s rapper name. 

EXO members Xiumin and Chen also joined him on the first show while Baekhyun, Chanyeol, Kai and Sehun joined him on the 2nd show – it was also shown how his members are having fun during his concert. From Xiumin and Chen vibing to his songs during the first show to Baekhyun interacting with Suho and Chanyeol reacting to his aegyo, and also having his “fanboy” moment by standing up while Suho goes through the crowd during the 2nd show. 

Fans also did a fan project of paper planes for his 2nd show in which fans wrote letters to him as well. As he began reading through those letters, there was one who made a request by doing an acrostic poem with SUHO and he responds by saying “I asked for letters why are you giving me challenges” (HAHA) but still proceeds on doing one with EXO-L. Then a paper plane with a note “Kim Junmyeon, I love you, please marry me” followed by an immediate response of “Ah I can’t do this, there’s too many of you”

Ending all these beautiful moments by his final ment saying “EXO-L, if forever existed, I hope that’s us”

Remember this homecoming

SU:HOME to Suho and EXO-L was more than a concert; for him and his fans, this was a celebration of love, music, reconnection, and growth. From the homey ambiance of the stage, to his versatile set of performances, SU:HOME was a testament that music can bring people closer to each other and this solidified his place not just as a performer, but as an artist who understands the importance of home and the community that surrounds it.

This concert will undoubtedly be remembered as a milestone in his career, as this embarks the beginning of not just a solo concert in Seoul, but a tour on where he can bring this home to his fans wherever they are.

Suho will take SU:HOME to different locations in Asia and Europe and this is just the beginning. Let’s support Suho and EXO continuously!


———————————————————–

Written and Published by: Ja Escobar
Editor: Marian Gaston
Photos: SMTOWN @smtown @weareone.exo
Videos: One Media Access @onemediaaccess