Lay Zhang from Exo has quit SM Entertainment after a decade due to the expiration of his 10-year contract. Lay’s departure comes with Exo’s tenth anniversary, which features nine members: Lay, Chen, Chanyeol, Xiumin, Suho, D.O., Kai, Baekhyun, and Sehun. On Friday, the musician confirmed his decision in a handwritten statement posted to his Instagram account.
“This decade is one of the greatest gifts I could’ve ever received,” Zhang Yixing, often known as Lay Zhang or Lay, captioned photos of the letter, which was written in English and Korean. According to the note, “Ten years of growth. Thank you all. Thank you to my EXO brothers for your company and encouragement. Thanks to my colleagues at SM for witnessing every step of my growth and achievement. Thank you to all of my fans for your unconditional love and support.”
In the letter, he continued, “It’s time to say goodbye as an employee of SM. It’s also my new beginning as a 30-year old. But I will always be the Lay when my members need me. I’m your family member in China, Zhang Yixing. Love you forever.” In the comments section, fans showed their support for Lay, with commenting, “Thank you Lay. We will always and support you”. “You’ll always be the ZHANG YIXING we all know and love,” said another.
The K-pop band originally had debuted with twelve members, separated into Exo-K (Baekhyun, Suho, Chanyeol, Kai, Sehun, and D.O) and Exo-M (Xiumin, Chen, Lay, Luhan, Kris, and Tao). After Kris, Luhan, and Tao departed the group in 2014, it was reformed into a single group of nine members.
In 2016, Lay took a break from the band to focus on his acting career and solo music career in China, ‘I Need U,’ ‘Honey,’ and ‘Joker’ are among of his biggest successes. In June 2021, he made a comeback with Exo’s mini-album Don’t Fight The Feeling. This year, the band, which has released music in Korean, Mandarin, and Japanese, is set to release a full album. It’s uncertain if Lay will take part in it.
Along with his declaration, the singer released a new track named ‘(Jiu),’ which includes an intro that appears to be recorded discussions between himself and other members of EXO, including Kai, Xiumin, Baekhyun, and Chen. Kai wishes Lay a “Happy New Year,” Baekhyun inquires if he has heard his solo track “Bambi,” which was released in March of last year, and Chen advises him not to be upset.
Published By: Apoorva Wakodikar
Edited By: Subbuthai Padma
