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On Saturday, October 11, EXO's Chen rolled out his first solo concert, Arcadia, following the release of his latest mini-album under the same name. This solo concert marks the idol's first on-stage performance after his departure from SM Entertainment and subsequent housing under INB100, alongside two other EXO members, Xiumin and Baekhyun.
While many fans were thrilled about Chen's new comeback, the recent pictures released from the idol's recent solo concert left many surprised. One of the official pictures posted through the idol's official social media accounts showcased a sparse crowd of audience seated in the venue. This picture led to controversies around the tanking fame and fandom of the K-pop boy group, EXO.
Though many agreed that EXO was one of the most popular K-pop groups in the industry at one point, they also stated that their popularity has considerably decreased in recent years. Some of the reasons behind this decline, fans speculate, could be due to the lack of comebacks and promotions, members' military enlistments, and the legal dispute between SM Entertainment and some members of EXO.
Here are a few reactions regarding the same:
"2K audience with empty seats?? This group is over and needs to retire" said a netizen2K audience with empty seats?? 😭 This group is over and needs to retire
More fans and netizens agreed with the alleged declining career of the EXO members in the K-pop industry.
this is when exo-ls say the music is selling. selling in a classroom
Being stubborn while trying to survive without EXO and SM, but in reality, flopping more every day. By pushing fans and the other members away from you, you've done a bad thing.
My god no one is on the second floor and the first floor is not even full... no surprises he couldn’t even reach 20K sales
What has time comes to? 2k hall that's empty. King of kpop sure feels real nice rn huh.
On the other hand, fans continued to support and cheer EXO's Chen. They further expressed that they were rather disappointed by the lack of attention towards one of the greatest vocalists in the industry.
Tbh i have no idea how ticketing looked like but seeing those empty seats on one of greatest vocals' concerts is really sad and disappointing. I would love to be on his concert, hear his voice live and people there chose to boycott him for what? Being a person?
He needs to tour and branch out more to other countries or even main media I fear SM and others around him didn’t encourage his talent to be seen by international fans as much
I really feel like something’s off!!! Jongdae, please go beyond Korea. Hold concerts, go on a world tour, and share your music everywhere, do whatever you want. There are so many people already waiting for you out there. You deserve so much more than this, Jongdae.
@CHEN_INB100 We are grateful to have you singing, and the long-awaited concert has always been a dream come true for you, first and last. Thank you for still singing. #ArcadiaInSeoulD1 #CHEN #첸
All you need to know about EXO's Chen and his solo activities
EXO's Chen, otherwise known as Kim Dong-jae, made his debut under SM Entertainment in 2012. Along with his activities as an EXO member, the idol also established his solo career on the sidelines. In 2014, he released his first solo song, which stands as the OST, The Best Luck, for the K-drama series, It's Okay, That's Love.
He continued his solo career by participating in more OSTs for K-dramas like Descendants of the Sun, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeon, Missing 9, and others. In 2016, he joined the first sub-unit of EXO called CBX, which also included the other vocalists of the K-pop boy group, Baekhyun and Xiumin. The sub-unit released their first EP in the same year, called Hey Mama!.
EXO's Chen (Image via Instagram/@inb100_official)He was also credited with the composition of several tracks, such as EXO's Promise, Touch It, Ko Ko Bop, Lights Out, and more. In 2018 and 2019, he continued to participate in more OSTs, such as Cherry Blossom Love Song for 100 Days My Prince and Make It Count for Touch Your Heart. In April 2019, he made his solo debut with the release of his first EP, April, and a Flower.
The album held the track, Beautiful Goodbye, as its lead single. He rolled out his second EP, Dear My Dear, in October of the same year, which held its title track as the song, Shall We?. Around October 2020, after the release of his digital single, Hello, he enlisted in the military for his mandatory service.
He was discharged in April 2022 and continued to pursue more OST participations in K-dramas like Doctor Lawyer, The First Responders, and more. In November, he released his third EP, Last Scene. In June 2023, Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin terminated their contracts with SM Entertainment due to strict contracts and a lack of transparency in payments.
He subsequently joined Baekhyun's label, INB100, for his solo activities, while he is still housed under SM Entertainment for EXO's activities. Under the new label, he rolled out his fourth EP, Door, in May 2024, with its lead single, Empty. He also released a few other digital singles, such as Beyond: and Broken Party in the years 2024 and 2025.
Most recently, on September 29, he released his fifth EP, Aracdia, and he also held his first solo concert under the same name as the album in Seoul on October 11 and 12. Therefore, fans and netizens are looking forward to more content and releases from Chen's career as a soloist.
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Edited by Aishwarya Sai
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