Universe (Exo EP)
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Universe (Korean: Universe – 겨울 스페셜 앨범, 2017; RR: Universe – gyeoul seupesyeol aelbeom, 2017; lit. 'Universe - Winter Special Album, 2017') is the sixth extended play by South Korean–Chinese boy band Exo. It was released by SM Entertainment on December 26, 2017, and is the group's first album to be released without a Chinese edition.
Release
On December 14, 2017, Exo was announced to be releasing their sixth extended play and fourth "winter special" album titled Universe on December 21. Following the death of labelmate Jonghyun of Shinee, the album's release was postponed. Universe and the music video for its title track were eventually released on December 26, 2017.
Single
The lead single "Universe" debuted at number one on the Melon Realtime Chart. "Universe", produced by Shin Hyuk and MRey, is described as a rock ballad that talks about how a person will search the universe just to find their lover. The single debuted at number two on the South Korean Gaon Digital Chart. It also topped the Billboard Korea Kpop Hot 100 for the first week of 2018.
Promotion
Exo performed "Universe" for the first time on December 31 on MBC's year-end show, MBC Gayo Daejejeon.
Reception
Upon release, Universe was praised by fans for using gender-neutral pronouns such as "me" and "you" instead of "he" and "she" in the lyrics.
Commercial performance
The album debuted atop the South Korean Gaon Album Chart and at number two on the Billboard World Albums Chart.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Universe" | Sarah Yoon | Hyuk Shin (Joombas)Marco "MRey" Reyes (Joombas)JJ Evans (Joombas)Jeff Lewis | Joombas | 4:24 |
| 2. | "Universe" (為心導航) | Xiaohan | Hyuk Shin (Joombas)Marco "MRey" Reyes (Joombas)JJ Evans (Joombas)Jeff Lewis | Joombas | 4:24 |
| 3. | "Been Through" (Korean: 지나갈 테니; RR: Jinagal Teni; lit. 'It Will Pass') | Park Ji-hee (Makeumine Works)JQ (Makeumine Works) | Mike Woods (Rice N' Peas)Kevin White (Rice N' Peas)Brandyn "EMAN8" BurnetteMolly MooreMZMC | Rice N' Peas | 3:38 |
| 4. | "Stay" | JQ (Makeumine Works)Lee Ji-hye (Makeumine Works)Sik-K | Cathy DennisRobert GerongcoSamuel GerongcoTerence Lam | Kuya Productions | 3:51 |
| 5. | "Fall" | JQ (Makeumine Works)Mola (Makeumine Works)MQ (BeatBurger)[ko; id] | Mike Woods (Rice N' Peas)Kevin White (Rice N' Peas)Andrew Bazzi (Rice N' Peas)MZMC | Rice N' Peas | 3:27 |
| 6. | "Good Night" | Hyun Ji-won (Makeumine Works)JQ (Makeumine Works) | Mike Woods (Rice N' Peas)Kevin White (Rice N' Peas)MZMCMicah Powell | Rice N' Peas | 3:31 |
| 7. | "Lights Out" (sung by Suho, Baekhyun, Chen and D.O.) | Chen | Bane ScottRyuichi Flores (Kepler)Andrew "Fiction." Holyfield (Kepler)Jason "Arner" Housman (Kepler) | Kepler | 3:06 |
| 8. | "Universe" (CD version) | Sarah Yoon | Hyuk Shin (Joombas)Marco "MRey" Reyes (Joombas)JJ Evans (Joombas)Jeff Lewis | Joombas | 4:24 |
| Total length: | 30:45 |
Charts
| Chart (2017–18) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Weekly charts Chart (2017–18) Peak position French Download Albums (SNEP) 73 Japanese Albums (Oricon) 8 Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan) 20 New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ) 8 South Korean Albums (Gaon) 1 US Independent Albums (Billboard) 26 US World Albums (Billboard) 2 | Monthly charts Chart (2017) Peak position South Korean Albums (Gaon) 1 Year-end charts Chart (2017) Position South Korean Albums (Gaon) 6 |
| French Download Albums (SNEP) | 73 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) | 8 |
| Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan) | 20 |
| New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ) | 8 |
| South Korean Albums (Gaon) | 1 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) | 26 |
| US World Albums (Billboard) | 2 |
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
| South Korean Albums (Gaon) | 1 |
| Chart (2017) | Position |
| South Korean Albums (Gaon) | 6 |
Sales
| Region | Sales |
|---|---|
| China | 212,511 |
| Japan | 20,917 |
| South Korea | 556,435 |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Nominated work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Gaon Chart Music Awards | Universe | Album of the Year – 4th Quarter | Nominated |
| 2018 | Melon Music Awards | Album of the Year (Daesang) | Nominated |
Music program awards
| Song | Program | Date |
|---|---|---|
| "Universe" | M Countdown (Mnet) | January 4, 2018 |
| Music Bank (KBS) | January 5, 2018 | |
| January 12, 2018 | ||
| Show! Music Core (MBC) | January 6, 2018 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | December 26, 2017 | CD | SMGenie | |
| Various | Digital downloadstreaming | SM |