There are K-Pop fans across the globe who share the same passion. But on online platforms, it is hard to know about each other’ stories and K-Pop life. Even if we are in the same fandom, it is hard to get to know each other. So at Kpopmap, we started the Kpopmap Fan Interview Project to get to know more about K-Pop fans from different countries: more about their K-Pop life and tastes and to give them the opportunity to share with our readers about their favorite group(s) and bias. Admin Bea of the EXO fanbase called EXO-L YouTube Team, is the next fan to answer our questions. She is a fan of EXO. Check out how she entered the fandom, the songs and content she advises to new fans, and much more! Can you introduce yourself? Where are you from? I am Admin Bea, from Brazil. I have been an EXO-L since 2017. How and when did you enter the fandom? I was curious about K-Pop and started checking some songs, then I asked a couple of friends for recommendations and all of them suggested that I listen to EXO. I did, I loved it, and here I am until today. What are the reasons why you love your favorite artist? The reasons why I love them just grew the more I got to know them. They’re extremely talented and versatile, their vocals are beautiful and never fail to impress me. Other than that, they’re humble and down-to-earth, which made them stand out even more to me. Who caught your attention at first and why? I think it’s somewhat safe to say it was Kai, even though the others quickly got my attention too. Well, the first performance I watched was ‘The Eve’ comeback stage, it was impossible not to be immediately drawn to him and his moves. Who is your bias, and why? I do not have a bias or, more accurately, I have all 9 of them as my biases. After going through moments thinking “Ok, I guess he’s my bias” with all the members, I came to terms with the fact that I do not have only 1 bias at all. My attention shifts between them way too fast, so why would I have just 1 bias when I can have all 9 of them? Which song by them caught your attention at first and why? For me, there were 2 songs. I listened to ‘Monster’ and ‘The Eve’ in sequence and immediately got curious and interested in their voices. Can you recommend a title track and a B-side track for new fans? I recommend ‘Love Shot’ for the title track, and ‘Jekyll’ for the B-side track. Can you recommend a fancam, V Live, cover video, cover dance, or individual content video of your bias to our readers? Other than what I answered previously, I would recommend any ‘Monster’ live performance. It’s impossible not to love that song or not to be impressed by all the member’s performances. Can you also do the same type of recommendation for the group? There are too many, but I’ll recommend the short EXO concert at “KBS Song Festival 2018”. The video is available in KBS WORLD TV YouTube channel. Can you share with us one of your favorite lyrics? “We endured the pitch-black darkness with all of our might, yeah It takes courage to step on today and stand up again” - ‘Runaway’ Are there any quotes by your favourite artist that you would like to share? “We are one.” What kind of influence has your favourite artist had on your daily life? Because of EXO, I was able to make friends from all over the world who, despite the distance, became an important part of my daily life. As a fanbase admin, I had the chance to explore and improve skills, such as editing, which has also influenced my professional life. For you, what is your bias’ best stage outfits until now? Please share a picture or fan cam. In my opinion, ‘Obsession’ era had the best stage outfits. Their outfits complemented perfectly the concept of the title and the whole album: the conflict between good and bad, represented by EXO versus their anti versions of themselves, X-EXO. I’ll recommend a video that I think everyone should watch: ‘Obsession’ (EXO & X-EXO Ver.) @EXO THE STAGE What is your biggest dream for your favorite group/bias aside from being happy and healthy? My biggest dream for EXO is for them to finally go on a world tour, a proper world tour. They have many fans all over the world, but I feel like they have no idea how famous they are and how much support they have outside of Asia. It’s crazy that, considering how known they are and have been in the past 10 years, there are very few places they’ve gone on tour. It would be great to see them in Brazil, for example, and I know Brazilian fans would go crazy if they had the opportunity to see them live here. If you go to only one, would you go to a concert, fan meeting, or fan sign? Concert. No doubt about it. Describe them in 5 words. Talented, kind, unique, private and stunning. Would you like to see your bias group in variety shows? What type of variety show would you like them to do? I would definitely love to see them in variety shows. Any type of variety show, because I think they are perfect for it. They’re unintentionally funny and have a great chemistry together, so whatever they did would be enjoyable to watch. What is your favorite side of fangirling/fanboying? I had the chance to become part of a community that shares the same interest as me. We get to meet new people, make friends from all over the world, we get excited together, we worry together… Do you feel there are any misunderstandings, things that are not well known, or any prejudices about your favorite artist from other fans (non-fans)? There are a few. People assume that being from a big K-Pop company, things were easy for them. This is not true. The K-Pop industry doesn’t make it easy for anyone, and I’m sure K-Pop fans are aware of that. All artists have their own struggles to deal with. EXO has achieved everything they have because of their talent and hard work. Another common one is that members don’t like each other. It’s not true either. The members are often seen together for things unrelated to EXO, just hanging out with each other. Even in their public schedules you can see that their bond is evident. They’ve been together for 10 years, this wouldn’t be possible if they didn’t get along. Admin Bea’s message to EXO: All I ever wanted to say is how grateful I am for EXO. Your music has given me strength and comfort when I needed it; your moments on stage brought me happiness and your existence gave me the chance to be part of a great community and meet amazing people. Whatever happens in the future, this journey has been unforgettable and I hope we can continue it together for a long time. Take care of yourselves and be happy always. We are one. Thank you for answering our questions, Admin Bea. If you are interested in joining Kpopmap Fan Interview Project, please get in touch with us at [email protected] Everyone is welcome to participate.
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