''Countdown'' is the first Japanese-language
studio album (fifth overall) by South Korean–Chinese boy band
Exo
Exo ( ko, 엑소; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean-Chinese boy band based in Seoul formed by SM Entertainment in 2011 and debuted in 2012. The group consists of nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai ...
. It was released by
Avex Trax and SM Entertainment Japan on January 31, 2018. The album contains previously released Japanese tracks along with four new songs, including the lead song "
Electric Kiss
"Electric Kiss" is a song by South Korean–Chinese boy band Exo, released on January 31, 2018, as the lead single of their first Japanese album ''Countdown''.
Release and composition
Tamar Hermann from ''Billboard'' described "Electric Kiss" ...
".
Release
On November 4, 2017, Exo was announced to be releasing their first Japanese studio album on January 24, 2018. Ahead of the release of the music video for "Electric Kiss", Exo shared individual member teaser clips from November 18 to November 25 for their upcoming Japanese album. The release was later postponed to January 31, 2018. Member
Lay
Lay may refer to:
Places
*Lay Range, a subrange of mountains in British Columbia, Canada
*Lay, Loire, a French commune
*Lay (river), France
*Lay, Iran, a village
*Lay, Kansas, United States, an unincorporated community
People
* Lay (surname)
* ...
is heard in the six previously released songs but did not participate in recording for the new songs due to conflicts with his promotional schedules in China.
Promotion
Exo performed "Electric Kiss" for the first time on January 26, 2018 on the Japanese morning TV show Sukkiri. On January 27 and 28, Exo added "Electric Kiss" and "Cosmic Railway" to the set list of their tour
Exo Planet #4 – The ElyXion in
Saitama and
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...
.
Commercial performance
The album debuted atop the
Oricon Weekly Album Chart, making Exo the first international group to have their first single and full album in Japan reach number one on Oricon's weekly chart. ''Countdown'' also continued in first place on Oricon's daily album chart for three consecutive days after its release, marking first place four times in total during the first week.
According to Oricon, Exo's album recorded an estimated 89,000 units in sales within the first week of release.
On February 9, 2018, the
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969.
The RIAJ's activities include pr ...
(RIAJ) announced that ''Countdown'' had sold over 100,000 copies and received a gold certification. The album reached the benchmark within only ten days of its release on January 31, 2018.
Track listing
Charts
Certifications
Release history
References
{{Authority control
2018 albums
Exo albums
Japanese-language albums
Avex Group albums