FIRST TIME REACTION TO LAY (Honey, Lit, and Veil)

today I was reminded that he is in exo and no one ever disappoints #exo
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[@brin5812]

He has so much swag?? You have no idea. He is a multi-media mogul and movie actor. He almost never sleeps, doesn’t have an actual house because he’s absolutely everywhere, doing everything. EXOL pride and joy. The KING OF CHINA.

[@sammythesamurai_9309]

You don’t know real swag until you meet me

[@maraina5]

Lay can speak his native Chinese language, Korean and English. He went all out for the Lit MV and financed everthing. Costing around 1.5 million USD. Lay is multi talented. He is a triple threat: singer, dancer and actor. The pink outfit in Veil MV if I am not mistaken is by fashion brand Valentino. Lay is their brand ambassdor.

[@ahwakwani9179]

There is a reason why EXO are called EMPEROR'S OF KPOP, the legends... Each member is a soloist & has such a different colour. They literally hv the holy trinity of vocals The best k-pop dancer & the best Chinese dancer a.k.a the king of china, the musical leader, the ace, & the rapper duo. They are in one group is insane.

[@milindawilson9175]

The story in Lay's "Lit" MV, he said, is based on his favorite Chinese historical figure. In the MV he is portraying a Chinese general who has been trapped by the Han soldiers while trying to rescue his wife. The general -- who is portrayed as the character with the mask -- is a real historical figure named Xiang Yu, who fought in the battle of Gaixia. In the beginning of the MV you hear a Peking opera singer performing “The Song of Gaixia” (A traditional Chinese Opera song), which is a song that Xiang Yu composed for his wife, Lady Yu, who eventually took her own life. (Fun fact: In Lay's song "Jade," which is a song also on this album, the story is supposed to be about Lady Yu and Xiang Yu's love story.) The dancer with the long nails is a traditional Chinese dance style, and, along with the drummers, I believe it's also part of the Chinese opera performance. Lay is an ambassador for China, so one of his goals is to share Chinese culture with the world. One way he is doing this is by creating his own style of music, which he has labeled M-pop. M-Pop stands for Mixed-pop, which means he mixes traditional Chinese elements and sounds with mainstream pop and hip-hop beats and styles -- combining old school Chinese culture with new modern hip-hop and contemporary beats and styles. As he says in "Lit," "I am the King ... bringing China to the world." And that's pretty much a fact: He has king-maker status in the music and entertainment industry and he has a lot of international influence, which allows him to bring Chinese culture to the world. Everything about this song and MV is a poetic, cinematic masterpiece. For example, the word Lotus in Chinese sounds a little like Lit in English -- as it says in the captions "Lit (Lotus)". (Another play on words, just like the Chinese pronunciation of Jade sounds like Yu, or you in English, which Lay cleverly used in his song "Jade." Get it? Jade = Yu and Jade = you.) Lay used lotus (Lit) as a metaphor for no matter how hard people try to bring him down, he will stand strong and survive through anything the world throws at him, like a lotus flower. The Lotus often represents purity. The Lotus is special because it grows in the mud, but out of the most dirty and unforgiving conditions, blooms one of the most beautiful flowers. The Lotus is a famous symbol in Chinese culture and it often represents how something good and pure can grow and triumph despite what you would think are harsh conditions. Lay has said that the idea for "Lit" comes from the fact that his haters have been calling him "White Lotus," which refers to someone who acts innocent, and uses it for his gain and plays the victim all the time. So when he wrote the song he took that negativity and embraced it and turned it into something positive. So, in other words, he is saying: "You thought you could bring me down, but you are wrong. I am not a fake white lotus, but I am a true lotus who is LIT. I am more powerful than you know and I will rise above all your negativity and show you how I grow even stronger and more beautiful no matter how much mud and dirt I have to go through," etc. The dragon is a very powerful symbol in Chinese culture, and it is even said that if you are Chinese you are a descendant of the dragon. Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize vitality, strength and good luck. In one interview I read, Lay also talked about how he has two dragons inside him -- a good dragon and a bad dragon. He said he always chooses to listen to the good dragon. The good dragon is the one who is protecting him and helping him through all his hardships and difficult times. So the main theme of "Lit" is about fighting his inner self and learning to ignore and overcome the people who are trying to knock him down. Lay is is a singer, rapper, songwriter, composer, producer actor, director, editor, dancer, designer, etc. -- genius -- and with every new release of his, he just one ups himself. And "Lit" is a prime example of that. If you take the time to read the credits at the end of this video, you will see this MV was produced by Zhangyixing Studios, which is named after Lay (Zhang Yixing is Lay's real name, Lay is a stage name given to him by SM Entertainment) -- he owns the studio. So, the credits show, Lay has his hand in almost every aspect of this production. It's his name you will see dozens of times in the credits. He is the one that wrote and composed the song, as well as the beat. He is also executive producer (So, this production was all financed by him), he came up with the storyline, he helped choreograph and he helped direct the MV, etc. This MV took more than 6 months to make and more than $1.4 million to produce. And it was all done by Lay. They actually filmed at one of the largest and most well known film studios in China and had more than 50 extras. What you saw was the real temple. The dragon was CGI, but the rest of the set is all real. You should check out the making of film, kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpCuZGykqah4jtk, and Lay's "dance practice"/choreography video for "Lit," kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4rIl6xsntxjd9U, to really see how things were made. Within the Chinese music industry and dance community, Lay is regarded as an industry expert that pretty much all other dancers and musicians look up to -- he is one of EXO's main dancers. He has even been credited with making Krump a mainstream dance style in China, and he is one of China's leading experts when it comes to Krump. (Lay's first Krump teacher is Trix who is from Korea and is considered one of the best Krumpers in the industry.) Lay's dancers are always very international, they are usually from all over the world, all races and genders and they speak all different languages. Lay's goal is always to seek out the best of the best and to surround himself with experts in everything he does. He wants to learn as much as possible and to be as diverse as possible about all styles of dance and cultures. And he doesn't just casually learn a new style of dance, when Lay puts his mind to something he goes all in and immerses himself in it with a goal of becoming the best at it. That is why he is regarded as an expert at so many different things, because he becomes so involved and studies and practices so much that he eventually surpasses his teachers.

[@milindawilson9175]

In Lay's "Veil" MV, the silver tiles we see are silver Mahjong tiles, which is a game that is made up of tiles a little like dominos. Lay's just happen to be extra fancy silver to show his status, etc. On one tile you see the Chinese character for East, which is his previous album that "Flying Apsaras" is on, and another was the Chinese character for West, which is his current album title. The instrument you hear -- which you also see being played at the beginning of the MV -- is an Erhu, which is a traditional Chinese instrument that is a little like a cross between a violin and a cello. On one of Lay's first solo albums Sheep, he has a song called "Mask" and it's all about striving to keep on the right path and to accomplish his goals even in the face of adversity, as he struggles to be accepted and understood. It's about not letting others influence your choices when you know the direction you are headed is right and to believe in yourself, etc. So, an alternate message in "Veil" could be that he is now taking the mask off and he no longer has to hide who he really is because he has accomplished some of his goals and he is learning what path he needs to take in order to find the success that he is looking for, etc. Or, he is telling others that they should be brave enough to take the mask off, etc. Check out this clip of Lay on the survival reality competition show Idol Producer, where he explains to a group of trainees the meaning behind "Mask," kzbin.info/www/bejne/bICymqawgtKlhJI. Lay has also posted two dance practice videos for "Veil". You are in for a treat when you check them out. The MV was the English version of the song, however, in his first "dance practice"/performance video you can hear the Chinese version of the song. As previously mentioned, with Lay's M-Pop style, he is combining traditional Chinese sounds and instruments, like you hear in this song, with modern hip-hop and pop beats and styles to create an amalgamation of both Western and Eastern culture in order to reach a wider audience. And he showcases traditional forms of dance by combining them with modern dances in order to bring Chinese/Asian/Eastern culture to the world in a new way. As with everything Lay does, this whole song, MV and choreography was created by him. Once again, he wrote and composed and produced this song and the whole album himself, including the English lyrics. He even created the beats himself. And he also helped choreograph and direct the MV, etc. As you have discovered, when it comes to Lay's solo work, he pretty much does it all himself. He has a hand in all aspects of his solo projects.

[@tan-me8vw]

Everything about this song and MV is a poetic, cinematic masterpiece. For example, as you discovered, the word Lotus in Chinese sounds a little like Lit in English. Lay used lotus (Lit) as a metaphor for no matter how hard people try to bring him down, he will stand strong and survive through anything the world throws at him, like a lotus flower. The Lotus often represents purity. The Lotus is special because it grows in the mud, but out of the most dirty and unforgiving conditions, blooms one of the most beautiful flowers. The Lotus is a famous symbol in Chinese culture and it often represents how something good and pure can grow and triumph despite what you would think are harsh conditions. Lay has said that the idea for "Lit" comes from the fact that his haters have been calling him "White Lotus," which refers to someone who acts innocent, and uses it for his gain and plays the victim all the time. So when he wrote the song he took that negativity and embraced it and turned it into something positive. So, in other words, he is saying: "You thought you could bring me down, but you are wrong. I am not a fake white lotus, but I am a true lotus who is LIT. I am more powerful than you know and I will rise above all your negativity and show you how I grow even stronger and more beautiful no matter how much mud and dirt I have to go through," etc

[@user-pc7qd4fd1j]

Hay, see you again with EXO member reaction. Thank you for your time, i hope you like it. Btw, Lay Zhang or his real name Zhang Yixing, he is very talented person and hard work. he abilities to dance, making music, playing instrumen, music producer, he has a lot.

[@milindawilson9175]

"Honey" is another one of Lay's solo English songs and it's in English because it was a follow up to his previous album Namanana. (Namanana was Lay's 2018 U.S. debut album, so all the songs on that album have a Mandarin and an all-English version.) You heard Lay listening to his song "Give Me a Chance" on his earbuds at the beginning of the "Honey" MV and that is one of his songs and MVs from his Namanana album. Because Lay was not allowed to promote in Korea at this time due to the issues between the Chinese and Korean government, SM found a way to promote him as part of EXO's storyline by partnering with him to release English songs and to tie his MVs in with EXO's story. Everything EXO does, including several of Lay's solo releases -- such as "Sheep," "Namanana" and "Honey" -- all tie into the fact that he is a member of EXO. It's SM's way of making sure that even though he might not be able to work with the members, that they show fans that his storyline and presence as part of EXO is still really important to Lay and SM. When it comes to EXO, one thing you have to keep in mind is that absolutely everything they are involved in is connected to their concept and storyline, including a majority of the members' solo work. So, the story in Lay's "Honey" MV is just another piece of EXO's story. To explain the story in "Honey," some fan theories say that the fact that the weather lady on the TV is talking about the changing weather and the pressure system, could be a nod to the unsettled conditions within EXO's current storyline and how currently the members are struggling to distance themselves from the Red Force, etc. And because you hear her speaking with a British accent, this might be a clue to tell us where Lay is right now within EXO's storyline, and it might explain why the other EXO members seem to be sending him messages -- as we see with the bee and the blackout, etc. Some theories say, the mechanical bee has been sent by either one or more of the EXO members or it could be sent by the Red Force. The bee is either a message or a warning sent to Lay (although I am not sure what that exact message is.) And I think, the fact that the bee passes through the glass, might be Kai using his power of teleportation to allow it to pass through it -- or more like, transported to the other side of the glass. And then the lights in the entire city go out as if in a blackout, which I think might be Baekhyun using his power, which is the ability to control light, or Chen, who has the ability to control electricity. Plus, as Lay's power counterpart, it makes sense that Baekhyun would feel the pull to want to find Lay. Chen is a member of EXO-M along with Lay, so he would also have a heightened reason to want to find Lay. EXO needs Lay to help protect them and to heal all the things that are going on around them. And Kai's whole mission is to find the other EXO members and bring them back together to stop the Red Force. Also, I think it's interesting that Lay, as a member of EXO, has the power of healing, and honey is known for its natural homeopathic healing and medicinal properties. And in parts of the MV, we see Lay submerged in a pool of honey, almost as if he might be using it to recharge and gain strength. I have no idea what this all means, but I just thought it was an interesting parallel. If you notice, the part of the choreography where Lay is standing in the middle and the dancers are all round him as he spins around, I am pretty sure that is supposed to be depicting a flower as it blooms, which is what is attracting the "bee" to him. :D On the flip side, the story in the song also is saying that Lay is a bee and he is looking for his "honey," that's why he is in a honeycomb/beehive or in a pool of honey the whole time. I think what he is saying in the lyrics is that, "Be my honey and be available to me when I want you, but 'please don't catch no feelings' because you have to know that we can have fun together, but I can't invest all my time and energy into you the way I should if we were in a relationship." In other words, he is too busy and too popular to be exclusive right now. He needs to keep the girl at a safe distance for both of their emotional safety, etc. This also plays into the theory within EXO's storyline that the "girl" is a manifestation of the heart of the Tree of Life and that is why the members of EXO are always rescuing or protecting the girl, etc. And why all of EXO's songs are about being in love with a girl or being controlled by the power of the girl. Which could possibly explain the lyrics in "Honey." If you think of the girl as the heart, it might explain why Lay "wants her," but needs to keep her at a distance to protect her, etc. When you think of her as the heart of the Tree of Life, you begin to see even more parallels to EXO's story and even more ways to connect it all together. Did you notice the spinning honeycomb in the middle of the MV? That spinning honeycomb is a nod to the fact that even as a solo artist, he is still part of EXO. The hexagon is EXO's symbol, and if you pay close attention to that spinning honeycomb, you will see that it says EXO in the middle as it spins. So this is Lay's and SM's way of making sure that we never forget that he is part of EXO and that even if he isn't able to work with the group, he still makes sure to show just how important they are to him. As you can see, EXO's MVs are more complex than what you see on the surface. However, often -- although the stories in the MVs are loosely based on the lyrics -- many times the story in the MV and the lyrics in the song are two separate things. The lyrics don't necessarily always go with the story in the MV. Often EXO's songs are about being in love with a girl and wanting to be with her, but the story in the MV is about them working to complete their mission and to fight against the Red Force, etc. Everything EXO does has many layers and it has multiple means and messages, including any of the member's solo work. There are always two levels to every EXO song, one designed to grab the casual listener that has no idea about EXO's storyline, and one that, if you look deeper, you discover has hidden meanings and messages that all connects to EXO's mission here on Earth. Lay is a trendsetter in China. The things he does with his music and career is not like what most Chinese artists are doing. Among many things, he is breaking ground by being one of the very first Chinese artists to ever chart in the U.S. For the sheer fact that he is Asian and making a name for himself outside of the Asian music market, is trendsetting. He is breaking new ground in the music industry with every new release he has. For any of us that know EXO, and especially Lay, "Honey" is kind of exactly what we would expect from him. This is just the sexy, cool kind of song and amazing choreography that Lay is known for. All the guys want to be him and all the girls want to be with him. If you look at the credits for this album, Lay, once again wrote and composed and produced this song and the whole album himself, including the English lyrics. He even created the beats himself. And he also helped choreograph and direct the MV, etc. When it comes to Lay's solo work he pretty much does it all himself. He has a hand in all aspects of his solo projects. And that is why he is known as China's national producer. Lay is one of the top dancers in the industry and it's his solo work where he really gets to showcase what an amazing dancer he really is. He literally spends at least 6 hours in the dance studio every day and that's usually after he has completed a full slate of activities as an idol and company CEO, such as filming variety shows, acting, filming commercials, promoting products, running his companies, etc. You should check out the documentary he did as he was preparing for one of his solo concerts, for the TV show Only 3 Days, kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGHNm3WOhrCboZY, to really see how hard he works. Lay has been a main producer/coach and trainer on numerous Idol trainee survival reality TV shows in China where he helps to prepare trainees as they complete for a sport in a new C-pop group. And he has even started his own Idol trainee company in China called Chromosome where he is passing on his talents to the next generation. (And he's not just the face of his companies, he is hands-on with everything he does.) He was even a team captain on the dance competition show Street Dance of China season 3 in 2020 and season 4 in 2021, where he competed with and against some the top street dancers from around the world. He is one of the most well respected singers, dancers and music producers in China. If you like his dancing, you have to check out Lay's dance practice video for "Honey."

[@zh0511]

In Honey, he said Shanghai to LA, I’m a trendsetter. Lay is such a multi talented and hardworking artist. He was underrated in the group and shines when he is solo. He is a singer, dancer, rapper, producer, actor and CEO. His music is M pop . Lay tries very hard to incorporate Chinese instruments and culture elements to his music to let more people know about Chinese music . He is the No.1 idol and the Krump King in China. He has his own entertainment company and trainees, and his own music label D.N.A. Love Lay so much!

[@nymmechannel3446]

Of course he can dance! He's 1 of exo's main dancer.😊 Yay, you're reacting to my 3 favorite Lay song.🙏🥰😍

[@PutriiKyungsoo12-xd1qb]

Lay is a CEO of the agency he founded himself ChromosomeEntertainmentGroup, singer, rapper, dancer, producer, actor in his latest film No more best, artist, BA model, composer, wrote songs, he has also collaborated with Jason Derulo, Steve Aoki, Will i am, 24k goldn, Alan Walker and many more

[@k.p.684]

If you want to listen to Lay in a different genre that shows the heavenly vocals that all EXO have, react to his English version of ‘Goodbye Christmas”. You’ll be left speechless after having listen to him do a totally different genre.

[@yaneluizchelsea]

good to see my EXO Lay EXOis9

[@Txtxikersateeezstraykids]

LAY Zhang he can speak English and Chinese and Korean . He is chinese. He sings and rappers the music is mixed English and Chinese .

[@Txtxikersateeezstraykids]

LAY ZHANG He is an actor . He is multi-talented . He is truly exceptional and extraordinary. He knows how to do everything

[@Txtxikersateeezstraykids]

YES LAY ZHANG 🔥🔥🔥💯💯🔥🙏🙏

[@Enferis-wm6vm]

"This guy can dance!" uhmm yep! And he's also one of EXO's main dancers, along with Kai. Sehun later joined the Main Dancer line as Lay couldn't promote with EXO because of you know what.

[@shathaalghamdi1302]

Yessss lay reaction

[@PutriiKyungsoo12-xd1qb]

you have to listen to all the solo albums of each member, each member's music genre suits their character and it's very cool

[@user-qn6gc4wy4n]

lay slay!!!

[@kialeemoon8107]

he said "shanghai to la im a trendsetter"

[@anakhasajith5080]

LAY ❤

[@sirdromos2769]

That's the best dancer in exo That's lay the best artist in china

[@emillyroberts1908]

I always like your reaction, esepcially for this Lay MV's you need to check his dance practice don't fprget to check out Flying Apsaras dance practice.

[@ren.the.rascal]

We miss you man!! Hope everything's doing great, and thanks again for another EXO reaction!!

[@czarmmy]

Lay is the best…. Dance practices please! Hehe

[@fernandacordoba4580]

El es el rey de China, y si los solo de cada miembro de Exo son diferentes, hay una presentación en vivo de la canción mamá donde cantan en koreano y luego en chino realmente es increíble como lo hace y si efectivamente Lay habla inglés, y me encantan tus reacciones son muy honestas

[@thefence_3809]

Thank you for reacting to Lay. Please react to EXO live stages.

[@edi3058]

💜🔥

[@Txtxikersateeezstraykids]

I recommend you Lay sheep mv+ lose control mv+ give a me chance mv please 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@mae_ri]

You need to watch kay dance performance/practices to these songs ❤

[@priyadarshaniabeyrathne5225]

SLAY ❤️‍🔥✌️

[@shin_xiii]

I think it's parallel to the Fenix, the lotus i mean. Like the Fenix reincarnate from ashes, a lotus regrow from its own decomposed roots and branches (?), i don't know what they're called in English but i hope the concept reached without confusion😂

[@Txtxikersateeezstraykids]

I recommend you LAY Zhang dance practice Honey lit veil please 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@Txtxikersateeezstraykids]

I recommend you LAY give me a chance mv Honey performance firework+; joker lyrics performance firework+ Boom lyrics performance firework please 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@PutriiKyungsoo12-xd1qb]

Lay is a CEO of the agency he founded himself ChromosomeEntertainmentGroup, singer, rapper, dancer, producer, actor in his latest film No more best, artist, BA model, composer, wrote songs, he has also collaborated with Jason Derulo, Steve Aoki, Will i am, 24k goldn, Alan Walker and many more