There never seems to be a day where EXO-L (EXO’s official fan club name) have it easy. Last week, Tao was rumoured to be leaving the group after Chinese news portal Sina reported the news.
Their label, S.M. Entertainment, followed up with a vague reply, saying that they were unsure of the situation and had to verify the authencity of the claims. They later put fans’ minds to rest when they assured that Tao was not leaving EXO. Sina subsequently retracted its statement on his departure.
EXO’s other remaining Chinese member, Lay, has also been the subject of much speculation after he was absent for most of EXO’s Korean comeback activities. S.M. announced earlier this month that they had set up an independent studio for him in China to aid in his Chinese advancement.
However, his absence for the group’s second studio album’s activities has hit a sore spot with some, who argue that he should be present for such important schedules instead of focusing on his acting career.
In addition, EXO has announced that they will be holding a concert in Tokyo Dome, an honour usually reserved for artistes who started with much smaller scale performances and slowly worked their way up to the top.
Their previous concerts in Japan, as part of their first concert tour, were held in the Marine Messe Fukuoka, Tokyo’s Yoyogi National Stadium and Osaka Castle Hall. The largest, Osaka Castle Hall, can accommodate 16,000 concert-goers; in comparison, the Tokyo Dome has a capacity of 55,000.
EXO has yet to make an official Japanese debut with a release in the language, fuelling even more ill feelings towards the group, with some claiming that they are gaining a free ride to the Tokyo Dome based on their seniors’ hard work.