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.[1]
| Universe | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Digital cover artwork | ||||
| EP by | ||||
| Released | December 26, 2017 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 30:45 | |||
| Language | ||||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Lee Soo-man (exec.) | |||
| Exo chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Universe | ||||
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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.[2] Following the death of South Korean singer and Exo's labelmate Jonghyun, a member of SHINee, the album's release was postponed.[3] Universe and the music video for its title track were instead released on December 26, 2017.[4]
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.[5]
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.[6]
Commercial performance
The album debuted atop the South Korean Gaon Album Chart and at number two on the Billboard World Albums Chart.[7]
Track listing
Credits adapted from Naver, iTunes[8] and ASCAP.[9]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Universe" |
|
|
| 4:24 |
| 2. | "Universe" (為心導航) |
|
| 4:24 | |
| 3. | "Been Through" (Korean: 지나갈 테니; RR: Jinagal Teni; lit. It Will Pass) |
|
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| 3:38 |
| 4. | "Stay" |
| 3:51 | ||
| 5. | "Fall" |
|
|
| 3:27 |
| 6. | "Good Night" |
|
|
| 3:31 |
| 7. | "Lights Out" (sung by Suho, Baekhyun, Chen and D.O.) |
|
| 3:06 | |
| 8. | "Universe" (CD version) |
|
|
| 4:24 |
| Total length: | 30:45 | ||||
Charts
Sales
| Region | Sales |
|---|---|
| China[18] | 212,511 |
| Japan[19] | 20,917 |
| South Korea[20] | 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 | [21] | ||
| Worldwide | Digital download, streaming | SM Entertainment | [8] |