EXO to return with 8th studio album 'REVERXE'

K-pop boy group EXO / Courtesy of SM Entertainment

K-pop boy band EXO will make a much-anticipated return Monday with its first studio album in more than two years.

The group's agency, SM Entertainment, said the eighth full-length album, titled "REVERXE," would be released at 6 p.m. It marks the group's first studio album since the release of "EXIST" in July 2023.

The upcoming album consists of nine tracks, fronted by the lead single "Crown." Other tracks include the winter song "I'm Home" and "Suffocate," which depicts the pain of a breakup.

The release features six members of the group — Suho, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, Sehun and Lay. Three other members — Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin — will not take part in the album due to an ongoing contract dispute with the company.

"Crown" is described as a hard dance track that blends Atlanta-style trap drums, heavy metal guitar riffs and EDM synthesizers. Its lyrics express a desperate vow to protect a precious person, using the metaphor of a crown.

EXO will also unveil a music video for the lead single on its official YouTube channel on the same day. The video features choreography in which the members symbolically depict seizing and placing a crown upon their heads, according to SM.

The nine-member group had been on hiatus since members began their military enlistments in 2019. Sehun was the last to complete his service in September. The group resumed activities with a meet-and-greet event for fans in December.