A December Album for EXO's 94z
EXO members Kai and Sehun will release their first mini album together in December, SM Entertainment confirmed on November 2. The announcement gives the pair, both born in 1994 and known among fans as the "94z," a formal musical partnership after shared concert performances and appearances on entertainment shows.
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The release will be Kai's first subunit project and Sehun's second. Sehun previously teamed up with fellow EXO member Chanyeol, releasing albums in 2019 and 2020. A subunit is a smaller act formed by members of an existing group, allowing them to make music together while keeping their connection to the larger band.
SM Entertainment, the agency representing EXO, confirmed the format and release month in its announcement:
Kai and Sehun will release their first mini album this December as a new unit of EXO. We ask for your continued interest and anticipation.
The exact release date, album contents and musical direction have not yet been announced. For now, December is the confirmed release window, with the project arriving after EXO's scheduled November encore concerts in Seoul.
The announcement also places the duo's debut within a busy period for EXO. The group released its eighth studio album, "REVERXE," in January and staged 27 concerts across 14 regions during its sixth concert tour. Three Seoul encore performances are scheduled for November 6 to 8, giving fans another group event before the new unit's launch.
What Changes When Two Members Become a Unit?
Kai and Sehun have already performed together, but this release gives their partnership its own recorded project. Their earlier joint appearances took place within a solo concert, group content or an entertainment programme. December brings an album presented specifically as a new EXO unit.
A mini album, also commonly called an EP, generally contains fewer tracks than a full studio album. SM's announcement identifies that release format without specifying how many songs the pair will record.
Both members are known for their performance work within EXO. Their shared experience makes choreography and stage presentation a natural point of interest, although the agency has not described the sound or staging of the forthcoming release. The clearest change is in the format: two familiar members will now share responsibility for a distinct musical act.
A Concert Appearance Set the Stage
Sehun joined Kai as a surprise guest at Kai's first solo encore concert in September last year. The two performed together, giving fans an earlier opportunity to see their partnership outside a full EXO performance.
The appearance matters because the December project builds on an existing collaboration. Kai was presenting his own concert, while Sehun entered as a guest. For the unit, both will be the central performers from the outset.
The "94z" nickname also predates the album announcement. It comes from their shared birth year, 1994, and gives fans a familiar way to refer to the pair. SM has announced the collaboration as a new EXO unit without providing a separate official act name in its statement.
From Web Shows to Travel Partners
January brought another joint appearance when Sehun joined "Jeongwating," a winter break spin-off of the web variety programme "Jeongwaja (Changing Majors)." Kai hosted the spin-off, bringing the two together in a setting built around conversation and entertainment rather than a concert performance.
Kai and Sehun have also appeared together in EXO's YouTube content. Those appearances give their partnership a presence beyond music, with fans able to follow their exchanges in more informal settings.
The pair are also set to appear as travel partners on ENA's "World Dice Tour 4." Their television partnership adds another setting in which audiences can watch them together ahead of the album campaign.
Plans for the unit include communicating with fans through variety programmes and other content after its launch, alongside music and performances. The December debut therefore involves more than a recording: it is expected to bring a continuing series of appearances centred on the two members.
Different Routes to the Same Project
Kai enters the collaboration with four solo EPs behind him. That gives him experience releasing shorter albums under his own name, while the new project introduces the different demands of sharing a unit with another member.
Sehun brings previous experience in a duo. His partnership with Chanyeol produced albums in 2019 and 2020, making the December release his second EXO subunit venture. He also released his first Chinese-language single in July.
The two arrive with different combinations of experience: Kai has an established catalogue of solo EPs, while Sehun has already worked in a formal unit and has added a Chinese-language release to his individual work. Their new album brings those routes together within a single project.
For listeners, the distinction is straightforward. This is a new pairing with its own first album, while both performers bring years of group work and separate releases to it.
An Album and Tour Year for EXO
EXO began its 14th anniversary year with "REVERXE" in January. The eighth studio album sold more than a million copies, becoming the group's eighth release to reach that sales milestone.
The album also reached No. 1 on the iTunes Top Albums charts in 35 countries and regions. Its wider results included first place positions on domestic and international album and digital charts, along with five wins on television music programmes. Those programme wins are awards tied to individual shows' music rankings.
EXO then opened its sixth concert tour with three performances at KSPO Dome in Seoul's Olympic Park from April 10 to 12. The tour ran through July, with 27 performances across 14 regions in Asia.
That schedule amounted to almost two performances per region on average, using the announced totals of 27 shows and 14 regions. The figures describe a touring programme spread across multiple stops, rather than a small number of isolated concerts.
Three encore concerts, titled "EXO PLANET #6 - EXhOrizon [dot] -," are scheduled at KSPO Dome from November 6 to 8 to close the tour. The December unit release follows that planned return to Seoul, extending the group's release calendar beyond the concert finale.
The Dates Leading to December
The unit announcement connects several activities across the group's calendar, from a guest performance last year to an album launch still to come. The main dates are:
- September last year: Sehun appeared at Kai's first solo encore concert, and the two performed together.
- January: Sehun appeared on Kai's "Jeongwating" spin-off, while EXO released its eighth studio album, "REVERXE."
- April 10 to 12: EXO opened its sixth concert tour at KSPO Dome in Seoul.
- April to July: EXO performed 27 shows across 14 regions in Asia.
- July: Sehun released his first Chinese-language single.
- November 2: SM Entertainment confirmed Kai and Sehun's December unit debut.
- November 6 to 8: EXO's Seoul encore concerts are scheduled at KSPO Dome.
- December: Kai and Sehun are scheduled to release their first mini album together.
The next dated event is EXO's November concert run. After that, attention shifts to the duo's December release, which turns a familiar partnership from concerts and entertainment programmes into a formal recording act.
Key Points
- SM Entertainment confirmed on November 2 that Kai and Sehun will debut as an EXO unit in December.
- Their first release together will be a mini album.
- The project is Kai's first subunit and Sehun's second, following his work with Chanyeol.
- The pair previously performed together at Kai's solo encore concert and appeared together in entertainment content.
- EXO's January album, "REVERXE," sold more than a million copies and topped iTunes album charts in 35 countries and regions.
- EXO has three Seoul encore concerts scheduled for November 6 to 8 before the unit's launch.
