Recently, the online community was abuzz when Roy Wang of TFBOYS covered EXO’s hit song First Snow. This mirrored a rare moment in the past when an EXO member performed a TFBOYS track, creating a unique “song swap” between two boy groups that once dominated the Asian music scene.
A decade ago, actor Xing Zhaolin, a former SM Entertainment trainee and self-proclaimed EXO fan, sparked a massive fanwar by saying, “I don’t know TFBOYS, what does ‘Four-leaf clover’ mean?” This ignited intense debates online, with EXO and TFBOYS fans clashing in unforgettable social media battles. Even after the disputes settled, unwritten “rules” persisted: TFBOYS fans emphasized that the “E” in EXO is silent, while EXO fans insisted TFBOYS must be written in uppercase a testament to the era’s fan culture.
Following Roy Wang’s recent cover, many fans view it as the symbolic closure of the long-standing “fan war,” dubbing it “the tears of an era.” For many, it evokes nostalgia for the intense debates and fan rivalries that once defined their youth.
EXO debuted in 2012 under SM Entertainment, quickly becoming a K-pop Gen 3 phenomenon with hits like Growl, Overdose, Call Me Baby, and Love Me Right. At their peak, they broke sales records and sold out concerts across Asia, boasting one of K-pop’s most powerful and affluent fandoms. However, over time, EXO faced challenges: Chinese members gradually left the group, management strategies shifted, and mandatory military service caused prolonged hiatuses. By the time they returned, new generations of idols had emerged, making it difficult to regain their previous dominance.
TFBOYS, on the other hand, debuted in 2013 in China with Karry Wang, Roy Wang, and Jackson Yee, quickly achieving nationwide fame with hits like Manual of Youth and Big Dreamer. Their presence spanned music, TV, and national events, becoming symbols of youth culture in China. Yet, similar to EXO, TFBOYS eventually saw members pursue solo careers, focusing on individual music, acting, and personal projects. The group’s joint activities nearly froze for several years, shifting the collective impact of the boy band into nostalgic memory.
The combined history of these two top-tier Asian boy bands created a ripple effect for fans, often sparking large-scale fanwars. Today, however, the glory days have faded. Members of both groups now mainly focus on solo endeavors, while prolonged gaps in group activities have weakened their collective influence amid a fiercely competitive music market filled with younger, trend-savvy idols.
Netizens have reflected: “*EXO became like BigBang, BigBang like TFBOYS, and TFBOYS each went their separate ways. The ‘war’ from ten years ago, in the end, had no true winner.”* This highlights how time and circumstances have reshaped the legacies of these legendary boy bands.
Recently, EXO returned after completing military service, rekindling excitement among fans. Meanwhile, TFBOYS enthusiasts hope for a reunion, not only to relive the group’s golden moments but also to honor the shared memories of an era now immortalized in the hearts of their fans.
Sources: Weibo,China Daily