BAEKHYUN 백현 2020 VOL. 1

BAEKHYUN 백현 Carnegie Mellon University Communication Design Fundamentals Project 5 | Digital Magazine Spread

COURTEST Y OF S.M. ENTERTAINMENT

BAEKHYUN 백현 Phoebe Soong | 2020

BAEKHYUN 백현 2020 VOL. 1

EXO

BOY GROUP, SINCE 2012

JOINING S.M.

Baekhyun was spotted by an agent of S.M. Entertainment as he was studying for his college musical entrance exams. He was proposed to join the label as a trainee, which he finally agreed to in 2011 through the S.M. Casting System. When asked about how it happened, Baekhyun answered, “ That day I had an exam, I wanted to do music, I was in front of the school holding my notes and relaxing my vocal cords when suddenly someone touched my back. I’m not sure if you can call it luck, but that’s how I fatefully entered SM.”

EXO-CBX

Also simply known as CBX, EXOCBX is the first sub-unit of the boy group EXO. They debuted on October 31, 2016 with their first mini-album Hey Mama! The three members are Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin. The subunit is currently on a hiatus because Xiumin and Chen enlisted in the army.

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EXO

The group originally consisted of twelve members; Xiumin, Luhan, Kris, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Tao, Kai and Sehun, who were divided into two subunits, EXO-K and EXO-M, one promoting in Korean and the other in Mandarin. Between 2014 and 2015, the group lost three of its members: Kris, Luhan and Tao, respectively, preferring to focus on their individual careers in China.

Despite hardships, the group continues to break world records in music for years afterwards.

EXO-K

With the K standing for Korean, EXO-K is the Korean subgroup of the Chinese-South Korean boy band EXO produced by S.M. Entertainment. EXO-K promoted their music in Korea and consist of six Korean members. The subgroup is currently inactive and now only promotes as a full group due to three members of EXO-M leaving.

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SOLO CAREER DEBUTED IN 2019

CITY LIGHTS: 1ST MINI ALBUM

The title track “UN Village” is an enticingly smooth alt-R&B number. The seductive track invites someone to spend some time with him romantically and lie under the moonlight at “Hannam-dong UN Village Hill.” UN Village Hill is known as an upscale neighborhood in Seoul. The music video takes on an old-school cinematic feel with certain scenes reflected in black and white.

We see the crooner taking a stroll around the titular neighborhood, as his expressive laid-back attitude complements the groovy tune extremely well.

The second track, “Stay Up,” continues the alluring R&B content and features rapper Beenzino. Complete with lyrics such as “tell me how you want it, tell me how you need it,” the sensual track is another impressive display of the K-pop singer’s vocal range.

“Betcha” is an upbeat, tropical number that’s already a fan favorite. Lyrically, 4 | BAEKHYUN 백현 2020 VOL.1

Baekhyun is as confident as ever as he tries to win over a potential lover. No doubt fans will be jamming to this song throughout the summer. “Ice Queen” once again dives into a laid-back, sultry R&B territory as he sings about melting your heart. In “Diamond” the versatility of his vocal range is on full display with his crooning falsetto. The melodies in this jazzy synth-pop song are also a standout.

The EP closes with the future bass dance track “Psycho.” The intense and dark production of the song suits the lyrical content as we definitely get the feeling that he’s a bit unhinged. “As you can see, I’m dangerous / Come close, I need you / My head feels like it might burst,” he sings in Korean.

It’s certainly worth keeping up with Baekhyun as a solo artist, as he continues to develop his artistic style and sound.

DELIGHT: 2ND MINI ALBUM

Baekhyun shared that the definition of the word “delight” is “joy” and said he wants to give joy to many people through this album. Laughing, he shared, “And as I have the supernatural power of ‘light’ in EXO, I wanted to include “light” in the album’s name. I chose ‘Delight’ to give the impression that it’s connected to my solo debut album ‘City Lights.’ ” He also talked about his title track “Candy,” explaining, “‘Candy’ is a trendy R&B song, and the lyrics compare my various charms and looks to various flavors of candy. If you listen closely, there are many witty expressions like ‘mature cinnamon’ and ‘funny mint,’ so I think this aspect will be a memorable key point to note.”

Baekhyun talked about the stage performance for “Candy,” saying, “I worked with Kasper, a choreographer and an old friend of mine. He would often teach us popular dances, and since ‘Candy’ is quite a trendy song, we incorporated trending moves that are globally popular to better fit the song’s style.” Even before its release, Baekhyun’s comeback album “Delight” broke the solo artist record for the most units sold in the first week. He has also set a new personal record for stock pre-orders with the album. “ Through this album, I want to strengthen my position as a solo artist and leave a memorable impression on many people.”

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“ To have our first debut album hit number one on the chart was an incredible honor and the happiest, unexpected surprise,” Baekhyun says. “ This is all because of our fans and I am so grateful for all the love and support they have and continue to give us.”

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SUPERM SUPER-BOY GROUP SINCE 2019

SUPER ONE: 1ST FULL ALBUM

“It’d be a dream come true to perform during the Super Bowl Halftime Show!”

With their first, self-titled EP, SuperM became the first debut K-pop act to reach #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Nearly a year later, their first full-length album Super One is newly released—and very much influenced by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has stalled most musicians’ plans for touring and performing for fans. Songs like “ Together at Home” poignantly touch on it, with lyrics that focused on finding the silver lining and embracing little pleasures. “Fans have already seen our powerful, energetic side through our performances,” Baekhyun says. “Now, we want to get closer to the fans and show them more of our “human” side—who we are off-stage. I want fans to find comfort and positive energy in our music.”

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BIBLIOGRAPHY CONTENT SOURCES https://exo.fandom.com/wiki/EXO-K https://kpop.fandom.com/wiki/EXO-CBX https://exo.fandom.com/wiki/Baekhyun https://soundigest.com/2019/07/18/baekhyuncity-lights-ep-review/ https://www.soompi.com/article/1402497wpp/ exos-baekhyun-talks-about-solo-comebackmembers-reactions-to-candy-and-more https://www.elle.com/culture/music/a34209606/ superm-super-one-interview/ IMAGE SOURCES PAGE 1 - https://www.pinterest.com/ pin/743164375994685879/ PAGE 3 - https://www.itl.cat/wallview/ wRJmhmRexo-the-5th-repackage-album-love-shotexo/ PAGE 4 - https://waofam.blogspot.com/2019/07/ Baekhyun-exo-city-lights-photo-collection.html PAGE 4 - https://twitter.com/mykpopaesthetic/ status/1141596275802087424/photo/2 PAGE 5 - https://regardnews.com/exos-baekhyunreleases-colorful-teaser-for-delight-solo-minialbum/ PAGE 6 - https://www.soompi.com/ article/1348699wpp/sms-new-boy-group-supermreveals-debut-date-teaser-schedule PAGE 7 - https://thestandom.com/article/supermteasers/ PAGE 8 - https://www.facebook . com/286698135125756/posts/scan-baekhyuncity-lights-night-ver-glitterbaek0506morokotkeoun-/692865981175634/ COURTEST Y OF S.M. ENTERTAINMENT