Brand New is the debut extended play by South Korean singer and actor Xiumin. It was released on September 26, 2022, by SM Entertainment and Dreamus. Through the release of this EP, Xiumin became the seventh Exo member to debut as a soloist.[2] The EP features five tracks including the lead single of the same name.
| Brand New | |
|---|---|
 Digital cover | |
| EP by | |
| Released | September 26, 2022 |
| Recorded | 2022 |
| Studio |
|
| Genre | |
| Length | 18:09 |
| Language | Korean |
| Label | |
| Producer | Lee Soo-man |
| Singles from Brand New | |
| |
| Music videos | |
| "Brand New" on YouTube | |
Background
editOn September 1, 2022, Exo's official Twitter account announced that Xiumin will release a new album called Brand New that will be released on September 26.[3]
Xiumin admitted that he felt more responsible and felt eight times more pressured as he is promoting the album alone, instead of with his Exo bandmates.[4]
The album also featured a guest appearance by Mark of NCT, with whom he collaborated before on SM Station Season 2 back in 2017.[5]
Composition
editBrand New album contains five tracks spanning across different genres, such as Hip hop, New jack swing, and Synth-pop.[1]
During an interview, Xiumin stated that the theme for this album was inspired by music of 1990s and early 2000s.[6]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Brand New" |
|
|
| 3:04 |
| 2. | "Feedback" |
|
|
| 3:29 |
| 3. | "How We Do" (featuring Mark) |
|
| 3:43 | |
| 4. | "Love Letter" (민들레; mindeulle; lit. Dandelion) |
|
|
| 4:14 |
| 5. | "Serenity" |
|
|
| 3:39 |
| Total length: | 18:09 | ||||
Reception
editAccording to Circle Chart, the EP debuted in second place with over 145,000 sold albums in its first week of release.[7]
The Korea Herald gave the EP a positive review, citing "it brings nostalgic '90s sonic euphoria to listeners."[8]
Charts
edit| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| South Korean Albums (Circle)[9] | 2 |
| Japan (Oricon)[10] | 6 |
| Japan (Billboard)[11] | 7 |
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | September 26, 2022 | CD | |
| Various |
|
References
edit- ^ a b Chakraborty, Riddhi (September 26, 2022). "EXO's Xiumin Makes A Triumphant Debut With 'Brand New'". Rolling Stone India. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
- ^ S, Martyna (September 29, 2022). "Ini 7 Member EXO yang Punya Album Solo, Ada Xiumin!" [Here are 7 EXO members who have solo albums, including Xiumin!]. IDN Times (in Indonesian). Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ Angelina, Tarida (September 5, 2022). Lestari, Puput Puji (ed.). "EXO Xiumin Presents Brand New Album, Releases September 26". VOI.id. Jakarta. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ Angelina, Tarida (September 27, 2022). Lestari, Puput Puji (ed.). "Xiumin Expresss EXO Support For The Album Solo Brand New". VOI.id. Jakarta. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ Larasati, Delia Arnindita (September 21, 2022). "Xiumin EXO Gandeng Mark NCT di Album Debut Solo" [Xiumin EXO Teams Up with NCT's Mark on Solo Debut Album]. Detik.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ Shim, Sun-ah (September 26, 2022). "EXO's Xiumin makes solo debut with 'Brand New'". Yonhap News Agency. Seoul. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ "Album Chart 2022 Weeks 40" (in Korean). Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ Park, Jun-hee (September 27, 2022). "[Album Review] An ode to the '90s: Xiumin's 'Brand New' is a retro delight". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ "2022 년 40 주차 Album Chart" [2023 Week 40 Album Chart]. Circle Chart (in Korean). October 1, 2022. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
- ^ "週間 アルバムランキング" [Weekly Albums Ranking]. Oricon (in Japanese). October 17, 2022. Archived from the original on December 3, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
- ^ "Hot Albums Ranking". Billboard (in Japanese). October 12, 2022. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024.