Who is EXO (the Christian band)? EXO is a French-speaking evangelical Christian worship band founded by Chris and Laura Christensen, based in Brussels since 1987, together with Swiss lyricist Thierry Ostrini. Since 1995, its "Éclats" album series has produced songs sung in many churches. This band has no connection to the K-pop boy band of the same name, formed in South Korea in 2012.
In 1987, Americans Chris and Laura Christensen, both graduates of the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music, left the United States for Europe and settled in Brussels. Eight years later, this move gave birth to a worship ministry that became a reference point in French-speaking churches: EXO, a Greek name meaning "out of," expressing a worship that overflows beyond the walls of the church.
The band owes its richness to the geography of its recordings: Brussels, Paris, Lausanne, the Caribbean, Ivory Coast. Each album in the "Éclats" series bears the mark of the place where it was born, right up to "The Way" in 2017, a record devoted to the Passion and Resurrection of Christ, illustrated with Laura Christensen's textile artwork.
- Origin
- Brussels, Belgium, born from a meeting between Americans and a Swiss
- Style
- Worship pop rock, French-language worship songs
- Active since
- 1987, with a first album in 1995
- Good to know
- not to be confused with the South Korean boy band of the same name, formed in 2012
How did EXO get started?
EXO's story begins in 1987, when Chris and Laura Christensen, young graduates of the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music in the United States, moved to Brussels to devote themselves to worship music. In 1989, they met Swiss lyricist Thierry Ostrini, with whom Chris began writing songs. This collaboration bore fruit in 1995 with the release of the first album in the "Éclats" series, recorded in Brussels, which laid the foundations of the band's repertoire.
The following albums followed the rhythm of the band's encounters and travels: "Éclats 2" in Paris in 1996, "Éclats 3" in Lausanne in 1998, "Éclats 4" in the Caribbean in 2000. Thierry Ostrini left the band after "Éclats 5," recorded in Brussels in 2004, to pursue other projects. Chris and Laura then carried the ministry forward on their own.
What makes EXO distinctive?
EXO's distinctiveness starts with its name: in Greek, exo means "out of," a way of saying that the band's worship goes beyond the four walls of the church, bringing together Catholics and Protestants, charismatic or not. This openness shows in "Éclats d'Afrique," recorded in 2006 in Ivory Coast in the middle of a period of war, where the songs written by Chris left a lasting mark on Ivorian believers.
In 2015, the Angels Music Awards gave EXO an honorary award for its whole career, at a concert at the Salle Wagram in Paris in front of 1,300 people. In 2017, the band released "The Way," a 15-track record devoted to the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus, accompanied by a book and illustrated with Laura Christensen's textile artwork.
Where should you start to discover EXO?
To discover EXO, start with "Éclats 1," the founding album released in 1995, with songs like "Règne en moi" and "Tu es le Maître" that are still sung in many French-speaking churches more than twenty-five years after their release. The "EXO Louange" YouTube channel gathers all these historic songs in full-length versions, a good entry point before exploring the following albums up to "The Way."
songs
Règne en moi (Libre de nos chaînes)
One of the most widely sung songs from Éclats 1, a prayer to let God take his rightful place.
Tu es le Maître
A simple, direct declaration of Christ's lordship, typical of the founding first album.
Je suis né pour te louer
A joyful song about the calling of every life: to give glory to God.
Discography
- 2017The Way
- 2006Éclats d'Afrique
- 2004Éclats 5
- 2000Éclats 4
- 1998Éclats 3
- 1996Éclats 2
- 1995Éclats 1
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Frequently asked questions
Is EXO the Christian band or the K-pop group?
Both exist, but they are two completely different bands. The EXO discussed here is a French-speaking evangelical Christian worship band founded in 1987 by Chris and Laura Christensen. The other EXO, better known to the general public, is a Korean boy band formed by the record label SM Entertainment in 2012. Only the name is the same.
Who founded the Christian band EXO?
EXO was founded by the American couple Chris and Laura Christensen, based in Brussels since 1987, together with Swiss lyricist Thierry Ostrini, whom they met in 1989. Together they wrote the first albums in the "Éclats" series, released starting in 1995.
What is EXO's best-known album?
"Éclats 1," released in 1995, remains the album most sung in French-speaking churches, with songs like "Règne en moi" and "Tu es le Maître." In 2017, EXO also released "The Way," a 15-track album about the Passion of Christ.
Where is EXO based?
EXO is based in Brussels, Belgium, where Chris and Laura Christensen settled in 1987. Their albums, however, have been recorded in several French-speaking cities, such as Paris and Lausanne, and as far as Ivory Coast for the album "Éclats d'Afrique."
Why is the band called EXO?
In ancient Greek, exo means "out of." Chris and Laura Christensen chose this name to express their conviction that worship should go beyond the walls of the church and bring believers together across denominations, both Catholic and Protestant.
Does the band EXO still exist today?
Chris and Laura Christensen continue their worship ministry, even though lyricist Thierry Ostrini left the band after "Éclats 5" in 2004. Their latest studio album, "The Way," dates from 2017, and their historic songs are still sung in French-speaking churches.