When most of us think of royalty, we imagine tiaras, state functions and longstanding traditions. We don’t imagine a princess staying up to date with the latest K-pop trends. But that is precisely what makes HRH Tengku Zatashah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah so relatable.
Over the weekend, the Selangor Princess was seen geeking out over EXO (엑소). She was among the 15,000 fans who showed up to the “EXO PLANET #6 – EXhOrizon” concert in National Hockey Stadium, Bukit Jalil.
“EXhOrizon” – a combo of the group’s name EXO with “horizon” – symbolises a new world for the stars and EXO-Ls. During the show, fans were invited into a fantasy universe where Suho, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, and Sehun each possessed a unique power. Their mission? To protect the Tree of Life from the evil Red Force.
From the moment EXO kicked off the concert with “MAMA” and “Monster”, audiences were taken on a dynamic rollercoaster ride of explosive live performances. Suho and D.O. showed off their soulful vocal prowess. Kai was mesmerising during his solo routine for “Jekyll”. Chanyeol commanded attention with his energetic rap delivery. Sehun drew the loudest screams with his effortless charisma.
It’s been 7 years since EXO last performed in Malaysia. Fans noted the upscale in visual production and the seamless flow of their career-defining hits to songs from their newest release. But perhaps what stood out most was the members’ efforts in speaking Malay. “Rindu korang! Korang sihat-sihat?” and “Hari ini best gila la! Jumpa lagi!” were just some of the many endearing moments.
This sentiment was echoed by Tengku Zatashah, who got to meet all five members backstage. The Selangor Princess had just witnessed “EXO PLANET #6 – EXhOrizon” a week ago when the group performed in Hong Kong.
Many local EXO-Ls took to the comments section to express how Zatashah is the “luckiest EXO-L ever”. Even royalty isn’t immune to a good K-pop chorus. Like many K-pop fans, we live vicariously through her.
