Boy band EXO to extend Japan concert series

Popular K-pop boy group EXO has expanded its Japan concert series scheduled for April, SM Entertainment announced.

By adding one more concert to their original itinerary, the band is expected to reach out to about 100,000 fans in Japan.

EXO is slated to deliver five “EXO Greeting Party in Japan ‘Hello!’” concerts at the Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo over three days from April 11-13. Originally, the group had planned to only perform two shows each on April 12 and 13, but added one more performance on April 11, due to the high demand by local fans.

The upcoming concert series will mark EXO’s first appearance in Japan. Although EXO has yet to formally debut in the neighboring music scene, the group has been receiving heightened attention from both Japanese media and fans.

EXO exploded onto the K-pop scene in 2011 with its first single “Mama,” quickly garnering one of the largest fan bases among idol groups. The group recently took the top prize at six major music awards shows in South Korea and Asia, including the 2013 Melon Music Award and 2013 M-net Asian Music Awards (MAMA). Moreover, EXO was the only Asian act on the list of “14 Artists to Watch in 2014” compiled by U.S. music magazine Billboard last month.

By Sohn Ji-young (jiyoung.sohn@heraldcorp.com)