The closing ceremony of the Pyeongchang Olympics on Sunday was an epic spectacle featuring the world’s top winter athletes several mesmerizing performances, and even a drone light show.
But if one had relied on Twitter to determine what was happening at the ceremony, you would’ve been forgiven if you’d thought the whole event was just about one performance: That of K-pop boy band and global musical sensation, EXO.
Fans of the band, hailing from all over the world, were tweeting with fervent expectation in the hours leading up to and during the closing ceremony. The hashtag #Olympics_EXO, which was featured in more than 5 million tweets, was trending on the social media platform for several hours on Sunday.
Viewers had to wait till almost the end of the closing ceremony for EXO’s performance. And fans could barely contain their excitement:
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach announced the official closure of the games. And then, finally, as the anticipation reached a fever pitch, EXO took the stage.
Eight members of the band performed two of their biggest hits “Power” and “Growl.” The group’s performance did not disappoint fans.
K-pop singer CL, a former member of the popular bad 2NE1, also performed at the closing ceremony to great fanfare.
Both acts served as a reminder of the enormous popularity of K-pop ― a genre that has amassed a huge following across the globe, well beyond the boundaries of its native South Korea.