5 reasons why EXO's Suho is one of the most respected idols in K-Pop
EXO is one of the biggest artists in music, and being the leader of the group for more than a decade is not an easy feat. Despite this, Kim Junmyeon, better known as Suho, has always been a very much admired and reputable name in the industry. He even flew to the United States recently to talk about K-Wave at Stanford University's Korean Studies conference.
Source: SMTOWNGLOBAL (Twitter)
With his exceptional achievements, flair, and character, this man is definitely his fans' and country's pride. Let's dive into the reasons why:
1. He is one of the most hardworking idols.
Source: weareoneEXO (Twitter)
There are a lot of things to admire about Junmyeon, but let's start with what brought him to where he is today - tons and tons of hard work. From training for seven years before debuting as an EXO member to all the efforts he has poured into his solo projects, he has always given the best he can. The whole K-Pop can attest to it!
Last April 4, he released his second mini-album Grey Suit, just less than two months after he completed his military enlistment. For this release, he thought of the concept, wrote six new songs, filmed two music videos, participated in lots of interviews, belt his vocals out in a couple of stellar live performances, and arranged multiple fanmeets, among other things.
He never does anything halfheartedly; instead, he works eagerly and is always hands-on with everything.
2. His many talents and dedication to his craft are remarkable.
When you say EXO, being one of the kings in the vocal department is already a given. No one can talk about the best vocals in K-Pop without mentioning the nine-member group. Junmyeon, of course, is no exception.
He is not just a lead vocalist of the group, but also an outstanding soloist who impresses with his techniques, hits high notes flawlessly, and embraces listeners with his divine voice. And aside from his top-tier singing abilities, Suho also excels in dancing, songwriting, and acting - may it be musicals, dramas, or films.
Source: Singles Magazine
All the tracks in Grey Suit are testaments of how much his voice became even more powerful and mature, and how his lyrical skills can do wonders. Pure talent at its finest, we say!
3. He is a resilient leader.
To be honest, it's hard to discuss this part without getting a bit emotional. EXO's career has not been all sunshine. For the past ten years, the boys have had to face a number of issues and challenges such as losing members, dealing with antis, harmless things blown out of proportion, and backlash from some toxic culture in Korea.
There, in the middle of all this chaos, is one strong leader trying to keep everyone together. Despite all the pressure around, Suho managed to power through and protect his members like an ideal leader always does - showing up even in the most difficult times.
Source: weareoneEXO (Twitter)
And of course, the good still outweighs the bad. As much as the EXO guardian has been there for the group during tough times, he also made it a point to be present in victorious moments, important life events, and just day-to-day things ordinary friends do. From supporting solo endeavors to casually hanging out to doing overseas calls, Junmyeon is someone his eight brothers can always rely on. Best leader indeed!
4. His humility always shines.
With everything that EXO has achieved, Suho has all the right to brag. But while he takes pride in their accomplishments as a group and as an individual, the singer has remained humble and kind. He never fails to give credit to the whole K-Pop community whenever they receive praise during interviews and events; detailing how it's not just EXO who has made an impact but every other group who works diligently to promote Korean music and culture to the world.
Source: weareoneEXO (Twitter)
Furthermore, this angel has consistently expressed his appreciation for his seonbaes and hoobaes. He never forgets to thank his seniors and cheer for his juniors in the industry. May it be when they receive awards or during simple live chats, he often mentions how his fellow idols helped and inspired him in one way or another.
5. He cares about his fans so much.
How do we even start this one? Just for the past few months, Junmyeonnie has done a lot for EXO-Ls and Bunnyzens. To name a few, he dedicated multiple songs to us, learned English to communicate better with global fans, updated us almost every day via Bubble and Instagram, talked fondly about us in interviews, filmed so much content for us to enjoy, and did both online and offline fan meetings. In one of them, he even paid for the fans' roundtrip flights and other expenses to spend a day with them in a cafe at Jeju Island. Talk about spoiling the people you love!
Also, did you know that he was the one who started and popularized video call fan sign events? He wanted to connect with his fans even during the height of COVID-19 in early 2020, and since then, this has been standard practice in K-Pop. Other than keeping everyone safe, it also provided international fans with more chances to interact with their faves. All this and we haven't even mentioned the things he has done for us pre-pandemic.
Source: weareoneEX00O (Twitter)
Sometimes, with all the hard work and kindness that Suho offers, we can't help but think that we don't deserve him. He always strives to be the best version of himself, and goes out of his way to treat everyone in his life with the utmost care. Fans may call him the “Bunny Prince,” but it seems like he's the one who's doing all the service just to make us happy.
We will forever be proud to stan and support a man of many talents and great character. Now, let's all stream “Grey Suit” to give back at least some of the love to our dearest Junmyeon!
Meanwhile, here are the K-Pop artists who released a solo album in 2021: