JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Did you know Chinese girl group ATF had to apologize for winning against EXO at award show? Controversy explained
Did you know about the time when the Chinese girl group ATF won against EXO, sparking fans to dig deeper and discover that EXO indeed emerged victorious? Know more.
In April 2023, Chinese music video platform YinYueTai issued a sudden apology to EXO fans for rigging EXO's award back in 2017. EXO had purposefully attended the event as part of their anniversary celebration, intending to spend quality time with their fans.
However, despite being scheduled to perform four songs, they were reportedly cut down to two. In a surprising turn of events, a relatively unknown group suddenly surpassed them in votes just minutes before the announcement, leading to EXO's loss. The girl group apologized while accepting the award, and the award show itself issued an apology years later for the mistake, acknowledging that EXO had indeed won the award.
EXO not receiving the award in 2017; what really happened
In 2023, YinYueTai, one of China's largest music video platforms, issued an apology to EXO fans via their Weibo account for the mistreatment EXO endured during the V Chart awards ceremony in 2017. During that event, organizers implemented rules requiring fans to pay to vote for their favorite artists. EXO-L (EXO's fandom) invested significant amounts, up to 200,000 yuan (approximately 37 million won), to vote for EXO as the Most Popular Singer. However, fans were left shocked when the award went to the girl group ATF, and EXO didn't even make it into the top 5.
Furthermore, the day EXO attended the V Chart awards marked their 5th debut anniversary, and the group was scheduled to perform four songs. However, the organizers abruptly cut EXO's performance down to two songs, citing time constraints. When leader Suho requested the staff to allow them to perform their full setlist, they rudely dismissed him, instructing him to return to his seat. Following this incident, YinYueTai faced significant backlash from EXO fans, prompting EXO's largest fanbase in China, EXO Bar, to announce a boycott of all activities associated with YinYueTai.
ATF's emotional acceptance speech, in which they tearfully expressed feeling undeserving of the award and apologized to EXO, added fuel to fans' suspicions of rigging. Some fans interpreted ATF's apology as evidence that the award may have been unfairly given.
However, upon further reflection, fans began to speculate that ATF apologized because they saw that EXO was leading in the votes and won unexpectedly, anticipating the disappointment of EXO's fans. The immature behavior of some fans, who shouted EXO's name throughout ATF's speech, further made the situation worse. Many fans sympathized with ATF, believing they didn't deserve to feel obligated to apologize for something they didn't do.
EXO receives apology from award show
Six years later, in 2023, YinYueTai finally released an explanation for the incident and issued an apology to EXO and their fans. In the letter, YinYueTai's representative, Zhang Dou, described the letter as a belated apology. He explained that YinYueTai had hosted the YinYue V Chart for five years, enduring significant financial losses each year.
By the time of the 5th V Chart Awards in 2017, their financial situation had become so dire that they could no longer sustain further losses. Consequently, they implemented a new voting system that permitted individuals to vote as many times as they wished, aiming to stimulate competition akin to a PK strategy.
They further explained that throughout the voting period, EXO consistently led in the Most Popular Singer category. However, in the final moments, several accounts allegedly representing a girl group made significant payments, totaling up to hundreds of thousands, and altered the chart's outcome. They clarified that due to YinYueTai's incompetent system, the situation spiraled beyond their control.
Adding to that, they stated that in adherence to their principle of maintaining the integrity of the chart data, YinYueTai opted to announce the real-time chart results at the awards ceremony, inadvertently sparking a massive controversy.
They expressed sincere regret for the disappointment and frustration experienced by EXO fans, acknowledging that their incomplete voting system rendered the fans' efforts futile. Lastly, YinYueTai expressed a genuine desire for an opportunity to rectify their mistake in the future.
Stay updated with the latest Hallyu news on: Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat
ALSO READ: EXO’s Sehun spotted with girlfriend at Japanese restaurant amid military service? Know more
Latest Articles
