''Empathy'' () is the debut

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

by South Korean singer

D.O. Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO or D.O., or in Australia DO USA) is a medical degree conferred by the 38 osteopathic medical schools in the United States. DO and Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees are equivalent: a DO graduate may become licens ...

It was released on July 26, 2021, by

SM Entertainment SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies where it was established in 1995 by record executive and record producer Lee Soo-man. The company ha ...

. The EP features eight tracks including the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

, "Rose". The physical album comes in three versions: one photobook version and two digipak versions (Blue and Grey).

Background

In late June 2021,

announced that

would release his debut solo album on July 26. Pre orders became available on July 1.

Composition

''Empathy'' features eight tracks and is based on

acoustic pop Acoustic music is music that solely or primarily uses instruments that produce sound through acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means. While all music was once acoustic, the retronym "acoustic music" appeared after the adven ...

and R&B. The album has two bonus tracks: an English version of the title track "Rose", and a Spanish version of "It's Love", called "Si Fueras Mía". D.O. wrote the lyrics for the title song "Rose", and "I'm Fine". ''Billboard'' described the lead single "Rose" as "breezy folk-pop", and praised the artist's storytelling ability throughout the album.

Promotion

A highlight medley was released on July 23, which previewed the tracks on the album. The music video for the lead single "Rose" was released on July 26, the same day as the album.

Background

Composition

Promotion

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Sales

Certifications

Accolades

Year-end lists

Music show awards

Release history

References