Maps of Music
The War (2017)
Where the lyrics of The War take you, and where it was really made.
The War was Exo's first release without member Lay, who went on an indefinite hiatus shortly before the 'Ko Ko Bop' music video was filmed.
View on the mapKey places
Recording location: Doobdoob, Seoul (2017)
Recording site doobdoob Studio — The source lists Doobdoob in Seoul as the recording location for The War. No recording date is given, so the pin marks the studio only. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Album story
Overview
- The War is the fourth studio album by South Korean boy band Exo
- Released 18 July 2017 by SM Entertainment, distributed by Genie Music
- Nine tracks, including the lead single 'Ko Ko Bop'
- Re-released as The War: The Power of Music on 5 September 2017
- The repackage added three new songs: 'Power', 'Sweet Lies' and 'Boomerang'
- First Exo release without member Lay, who began an indefinite hiatus shortly before the 'Ko Ko Bop' music video was filmed
- Last album released separately in both Korean and Chinese language
Background
- 15 June 2017: SM Entertainment confirmed a new album would come out in mid-July
- 23 June 2017: SM announced Lay would be unable to take part in the production and promotion of the album
- 8 July 2017: first teaser video revealed through Exo's official Twitter account
- 8 July 2017: Exo's official Instagram opened with three versions of the new album logo
- 10 July 2017: album title announced as The War
- 9 to 16 July 2017: track list revealed one by one through teasers, each featuring one member
- 21 August 2017: first repackage teaser '#Total_Eclipse' released, the same day as a solar eclipse
Recording
- The source records Doobdoob in Seoul as the recording location
- No recording date is given in the source
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Tracklist
Disc 1
| 1 | 전야 (前夜) (The Eve) | 2:56 |
| 2 | Ko Ko Bop | 3:10 |
| 3 | What U Do? | 3:41 |
| 4 | Forever | 3:50 |
| 5 | 다이아몬드 (Diamond) | 3:31 |
| 6 | 너의 손짓 (Touch It) | 3:29 |
| 7 | 소름 (Chill) | 3:07 |
| 8 | 기억을 걷는 밤 (Walk on Memories) | 3:52 |
| 9 | 내가 미쳐 (Going Crazy) | 3:46 |
Disc 2
| 1 | 破風 (The Eve) | 2:56 |
| 2 | Ko Ko Bop (Chinese ver.) | 3:10 |
| 3 | 可愛·可惡 (What U Do?) | 3:41 |
| 4 | Forever (Chinese ver.) | 3:50 |
| 5 | C樂章 (Diamond) | 3:31 |
| 6 | 指語 (Touch It) | 3:29 |
| 7 | Chill (Chinese ver.) | 3:07 |
| 8 | 夢回暮夜 (Walk on Memories) | 3:52 |
| 9 | Going Crazy (Chinese ver.) | 3:46 |
Sources: musicbrainz.org
Artist
Formation
- Formed by SM Entertainment in 2011, debuted in 2012 as a South Korean-Chinese boy band based in Seoul.
- Debuted with twelve members split into Exo-K and Exo-M, performing in Korean and Mandarin respectively.
- Kris, Luhan, and Tao left the group individually amid legal disputes with SM Entertainment in 2014 and 2015.
- Exo has performed exclusively as one group since the 2014 EP Overdose, though its music continues to use multiple languages.
Members
- The group currently consists of nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, and Sehun.
- Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin formed the sub-unit Exo-CBX in 2016; Sehun and Chanyeol formed Exo-SC in 2019.
Career
- The first studio album XOXO (2013) sold over one million copies, making Exo the first Korean act to do so in twelve years.
- Exist (2023) is their best selling album in South Korea, with over 2 million copies sold.
- Exo won five consecutive Album of the Year awards at the MAMA Awards and two consecutive Artist of the Year awards at the Melon Music Awards.
- Don't Mess Up My Tempo (2018) became their highest-charting album on the US Billboard 200, debuting at number 23.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Reception
At release
- Record 807,235 physical copies pre-ordered before release, the highest for a K-pop album at that time
- Exo held a press conference on 18 July to thank fans for more than 800,000 pre-orders
- Chanyeol called making new records throughout life an honor
- Live broadcast 'Ko Ko Bop on One Night Summer' covered the album and the music video shoot
- Exo performed 'Ko Ko Bop' and 'The Eve' on South Korean music shows from 20 July to 13 August
- Apple Music selected The War as 'The Best of the Week'
Records
- Over 600,000 physical copies sold within one week of release
- Best-selling album in one week on the Hanteo album sales chart, surpassing the 522,300 copies of Exo's previous album Ex'Act
- Approximately 1,012,021 copies sold in 24 days, the second fastest in Gaon Chart history according to Osen
- First album by Exo to surpass 1,000,000 copies with a single album
- Topped the Billboard World Album Chart for two consecutive weeks
- Topped the Gaon Album Chart for three consecutive weeks
- Exo's fifth consecutive win of Album of the Year at the MAMA Awards
- The War: The Power of Music topped the Gaon Album Chart for two consecutive weeks
- 'Ko Ko Bop' topped the Gaon Digital Chart for four non-consecutive weeks
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Trivia
- The War set a pre-order record of 807,235 physical copies before its release, the most for a K-pop album at that time
- Exo became the first group to top the Gaon Digital Chart for four weeks with a male group, and 'Ko Ko Bop' was its lead single
- 'Power' recorded the highest score in M Countdown history with 11,000 points on 14 September 2017
- Exo's 100th win on music shows came with the 'Power' M Countdown win
- The first repackage teaser was released on 21 August 2017, the same day as a solar eclipse
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
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