In the year-end period following Christmas, major television stations staged a series of song battles.
On December 27th, backstage at the KBS Song Festival studio, the corridor was crowded with idols in various glamorous stage outfits, hurried staff, mobile clothes racks piled high with costumes and accessories, and the air was filled with the mixed smells of hairspray, perfume, and sweat.
A cacophony of sounds leaked from the cracks in the doors of the various waiting rooms, weaving together to create a lively background noise.
EXO's waiting room isn't particularly large; it's packed with the thirteen members plus their stylists, managers, and assistants.
Ou Yangguang sat in front of the makeup mirror, his eyes closed, letting the makeup artist meticulously apply makeup around his eyes. Today, he wore a sophisticated black modified school uniform-style suit jacket, over which he wore a crisp white shirt and a blue and white striped tie. The most distinctive feature was the blue name tag pinned to his chest, with a thin silver chain hanging from it, swaying slightly with his movements, giving him both a fresh, academic look and a touch of unrestrained fashion sense.
The other members were also dressed in the same outfits. They adjusted each other's clothes, talked in hushed tones, and the air was filled with the unique atmosphere of tension and excitement that comes with going on stage.
"Kids, there are still fifteen minutes until the opening chorus. Are you all ready?" Team leader Kim Junmyeon clapped his hands.
"Yes!" the members responded in unison.
The show opened with a grand chorus by all the participating artists.
After the grand finale of the group sing-along, the host gave an opening introduction, and the stage went dark temporarily as a rapid transition took place. Soon, the first rookie girl group's performance was over, and EXO, as the second rookie boy group to perform, took the stage.
"EXO, get ready!" came the staff member's low, urgent announcement.
Backstage, the thirteen members quickly gathered, forming a circle with their hands clasped together. "EXO, let's love each other! Fighting!" A powerful and uplifting chant rang out as they encouraged each other.
As the music began, the backup dancers waved giant flags bearing the EXO logo in time with the drumbeats, creating a grand and mysterious opening atmosphere. The music was a powerful intro specially choreographed for the year-end stage.
As the stage curtain slowly rose, Ou Yangguang stood at the very front of the group, with the members forming a triangle. As the screen fully opened, the lights suddenly blazed on, and the drums struck heavily, all the members moved to stand behind Ou Yangguang, forming a single line.
Ou Yangguang led his members with full force, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, marching towards the center of the stage.
After a clean and crisp freeze-frame, the members behind him, like precision instruments being activated, followed his lead and ignited the scene with synchronized and powerful formation changes and dance moves.
The intro section is full of drama and power, showcasing EXO's stage presence and synchronized dance skills to the fullest.
The music then transitioned into a more intense and complex Dance Break section. The focus of the stage shifted between the three performers.
The first segment focuses on Ou Yangguang. He stands at the absolute center, every vibration of his joints and every extension of his arms is full of control and expressiveness. His movements combine flexibility and explosiveness, and his domineering gaze firmly commands the attention of the entire audience.
Then, the focus shifted to Kim Jong-in. Like a cheetah awakening in the night, his dance was full of primal wildness and fluid rhythm, bringing a completely different visual impact.
Then, Zhang Yixing took over the center position. His dance rhythm was precise and full of balance, with just the right amount of force.
Each of the three performers had their own unique strengths, yet they seamlessly connected, creating a spectacular dance break that brought the atmosphere to a mini-climax. The screams from the audience almost lifted the roof off the studio.
The moment the dance break ended, the music smoothly shifted, and the familiar melody of "Roar" began! The thirteen members quickly changed formation, and when the final ending pose was captured, the other members squatted on the ground while Ou Yangguang stood alone in the middle, his chest heaving from the intense exercise, and sweat glistening under the lights. At that moment, the entire audience erupted in thunderous applause and cheers.
After the performance, the members quickly bowed in thanks and left the stage in an orderly fashion amidst the still-boiling cheers.
Back in the backstage waiting room, everyone finally relaxed and let their assistants help them wipe away sweat and touch up their makeup.
Inside the studio, the exciting performances continued. Familiar groups and singers took turns on stage, bringing diverse styles to the performances.
Several tens of minutes later, the host began a surprise interview segment in the backstage waiting room. When the camera switched to EXO's waiting room, the thirteen members immediately got into character, enthusiastically greeting the camera. The host asked questions about their New Year's wishes, their feelings about tonight's stage performance, and so on. Each member gave a unique answer, creating a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.
After the interviews, we moved on to the special segment of tonight's Song Festival: the Super Competition! All participating artists and groups were divided into red and blue teams for a series of stage performance battles, with the audience voting in real time to determine the winner of each round.
In the first round of the competition, Team Blue sent out Yang Yoseob, the lead vocalist of the senior group BEAST, and Jung Eunji, the lead vocalist of A Pink. Both are idols with excellent singing skills and good variety show sense, and their performance was very exciting and beautiful, ultimately securing the first round victory for Team Blue.
In the waiting room, EXO members were seen applauding and cheering for their team's victory.
"Yoseob and Eunji are absolutely amazing!"
"Our blue team is on a good run!"
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