EXO’s Chanyeol and girl group IVE released much-awaited new albums on the same day. Chanyeol returned with his second solo mini-album Upside Down, embracing a rock-inspired sound. On the other hand, IVE unveiled their fourth Korean EP, IVE SECRET, with the title track XOXZ.
Chanyeol’s Second Mini-Album “Upside Down”
EXO’s Chanyeol has returned to the music scene with his new mini-album Upside Down, marking his first solo release in a year. The six-track album leans heavily into rock textures and grunge-inspired distortion.
At his countdown live event, Chanyeol revealed that his touring experiences deeply inspired the album, saying, “The emotions I felt on tour inspired me. It’s the style of music I wanted to do, and I thought fans would love it.”
He described the title track Upside Down as “a song that will blow away the summer heat with strong and refreshing energy.”
His sophomore mini-album climbed to the top of the iTunes Top Albums chart in 19 countries, including Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. It also charted impressively across Asia, reaching #2 on China’s QQ Music Digital Album Sales Chart, #3 on Kugou Music, and #3 on Japan’s AWA Real-Time Rising Chart.
The title track debuted at #19 on the Worldwide iTunes Song Chart, while the full album entered at #5 on the Worldwide iTunes Album Chart.
Even more impressive were his physical album sales. According to Hanteo, Upside Down recorded 197,647 first-day sales, the highest opening day figure of Chanyeol’s solo career. His previous release, Black Out (2024), had achieved 181,434 copies.
The mini-album includes the following tracks
- Upside Down (title track)
- Back & Forth
- Ocean Drive
- High & Dry
- Happy Accident (Feat. SOLE) (pre-release)
- 123 Dance
IVE’s 4th Mini-album “IVE SECRET”
Releasing their fourth Korean EP, IVE SECRET, on the same day, IVE rolled out the album in multiple collectible formats, including Up, Down, four individual Jewel versions, and two Kiwee editions.
The EP follows February’s IVE Empathy, which had topped the Circle Album Chart and surpassed one million in sales. On its first day, IVE SECRET sold 540,812 copies, according to Hanteo. While slightly lower than IVE SWITCH (746,118 copies on its first day). Their previous releases IVE EMPATHY and I’VE IVE secured notable sales, including 619,103 and 601689.
IVE SECRET debuted at #4 on the Worldwide iTunes Album Chart, one position above Chanyeol’s release. It became the Top New Entry on Worldwide, European, and US iTunes Album charts, landing at #4 worldwide, #11 in Europe, and #12 in the US.
It also performed strongly on Apple Music, securing #1 in multiple countries, debuting at #44 on the global album chart, and ranking #175 on the US chart. The title track XOXZ debuted at #146 on the Worldwide iTunes Song Chart, while the music video exploded on YouTube, trending at #1 worldwide, with 6 million views and over 238,000 likes in the first 24 hours.
IVE SECRET includes the following tracks
- XOXZ
- Wild Bird
- Dear, My Feelings
- Gotcha (Baddest Eros)
- ♡Beats
- Midnight Kiss
Meanwhile, IVE and Chanyeol have begun promotions for their latest comeback albums.
