EXO officially reminded everyone why their name still carries serious weight. On December 20, 2025, the boy group took over the Melon Music Awards with a performance that instantly went viral across social media. Fans were already hyped just seeing EXO back on an awards stage, but the group went further by debuting their brand new song “Back It Up” live for the very first time.
During their performance, EXO delivered a powerful run through some of their most iconic tracks, including “Monster,” “Growl,” “The Eve,” and “Love Shot,” before surprising the audience with “Back It Up.” The song’s first live performance quickly became the highlight of the night, sparking clips, reactions, and thousands of reposts online. Within hours, “Back It Up” shot up to number one on MelOn real-time search, proving that EXO’s impact is very much alive and loud.
Back It Up by EXO trends at #1 on MelOn real-time search. pic.twitter.com/9XiKEFdYww
— About Music (@AboutMusicYT) December 20, 2025
What makes this moment even bigger is the timeline: The 2025 Melon Music Awards marked EXO’s first awards show performance in eight years, turning the stage into a sour reunion moment for fans. This grand return is missing three members: Chen, Xiumin, and Baekhyun, who have expressed their desire to be a part of the reunion. However, the trio is currently going through a legal feud with their company (SM Entertainment) stemming from financial transparency and unfair contract issues. Despite their wish to join the rest of the EXO members, the company said that their ongoing lawsuits have made full-group promotions impossible.
SM officially states that CBX are no longer EXOhttps://t.co/d8s8E1xyHS pic.twitter.com/zuNmOuPsZx
— pannchoa (@pannchoa) October 29, 2025
