EXO successfully held their comeback showcase in Seoul on Tuesday, January 19. The iconic K-pop group celebrated the release of their highly anticipated eighth studio album, “REVERXE,” five years after their last full-length release.
The event took place at the Grand Peace Palace at Kyung Hee University and gave the group a special opportunity to connect with fans. At the showcase, EXO performed their title track, “Crown,” along with the B-side, “I’m Home.” They also shared stories behind the making of the album and discussed its unique title, “REVERXE.”
The album contains nine tracks, including the title track, Crown, a hard-hitting dance song blending Atlanta trap, heavy metal guitar, and EDM synths. I’m Home, a sentimental winter ballad, was pre-released in December last year. Back It Up is a bold, performance-oriented track first shown at the 2025 Melon Music Awards.
Other tracks include Back Pocket, Crazy, Suffocate, Moonlight Shadows, and more. These songs explore themes of love, heartbreak, romance, and life’s journey.
The members emphasized the importance of the fandom, saying, “‘Crown’ is a song we chose after careful consideration. It embodies EXO itself, and EXO-L is our crown. We are proud and happy to be EXO, and now we just want to make good memories with our fans.”
This comeback features a reduced six-member lineup, with Suho, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, Sehun, and Lay participating. While Lay has returned to EXO after years, he is not taking part in the promotions. The Chinese K-pop star did not join fellow members during the fanmeeting and will not likely participate in the upcoming tour.
Members Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin, known as EXO-CBX, are not part of the group promotions due to a longstanding legal dispute with SM Entertainment over contracts and revenue distribution.
Although the courts ruled in SM’s favor in October 2025, the conflict remains unresolved. Their absence has divided fans which is reflected in the album’s first-day sales. “REVERXE” recorded 265,934 copies on the first day, lower than the 1,074,914 copies sold by their 2023 album, “EXIST.”
Early reports on platforms like Ktown4u also suggested a sharp drop in pre-order numbers due to the absence of popular EXO members, especially Baekhyun.
The group is navigating a new chapter with six members while fans hope for a future reconciliation with all nine members.
Despite this, “REVERXE” topped iTunes’ Top Albums chart in 35 regions and ranked within the top 10 in 48 regions. It topped multiple Chinese music platforms and also earned a Double Platinum certification for sales exceeding two million yuan.
EXO will begin promoting “Crown” on music shows starting January 22, appearing on Mnet’s “M Countdown,” KBS2’s “Music Bank,” MBC’s “Show! Music Core,” and SBS’s “Inkigayo.”
Meanwhile, SM Entertainment has run an extensive promotional campaign, including a cinematic trailer and a pop-up store in Seoul from January 20 to 27. The agency also shared plans for fan meetings and a solo comeback for Chanyeol later in 2026.
