EXO Confirms 8th Full Album ‘REVERXE’ for Jan 19, 2026 After Fan Meeting; Lay Explains Absence and Apologizes

EXO has confirmed its 8th full-length album ‘REVERXE’ for January 19, 2026, with pre-orders opening as official content begins rolling out. The group built momentum through the ‘EXO’verse’ fan meeting, while member Lay publicly explained his absence and issued an apology, keeping attention on verifiable timelines and release details.

Confirmed release information states that EXO’s 8th full album ‘REVERXE’ will arrive on January 19, 2026, across physical and digital formats, featuring nine tracks. The rollout began with a newly revealed logo image posted via EXO’s official social channels at midnight on December 15, followed by pre-orders opening at noon through major online and offline retailers. The project also signals a full-scale album cycle rather than a limited promotional drop. EXO’s previous full-length release, ‘EXIST,’ arrived in July 2023 and marked a major commercial moment for the group. With roughly two and a half years between full albums, ‘REVERXE’ enters the market with clear search intent—group name, full album number, and an exact release date—while giving fans a longer runway of scheduled content such as concept images, tracklists, highlight previews, and performance stages.

Ahead of the formal album schedule, EXO hosted the ‘EXO’verse’ fan meeting at Inspire Arena on December 14, using live interaction and performances to warm up the comeback narrative. Alongside fan-facing segments such as random challenges and games, the setlist connected signature tracks with a newly unveiled stage for ‘I’m Home,’ reinforcing that the next era is already in motion. Fans also leaned into a holiday-inspired red-and-green dress code, creating a strong visual identity for the event. Lay’s absence from the fan meeting became an additional point of attention. He later posted on Weibo that he had to return to Beijing urgently to attend an important engagement, and he apologized to fans, fellow members, the agency, and anyone affected by his absence, while assuring supporters that he arrived safely. With a full-album cycle underway, small schedule changes can quickly amplify online speculation; a direct explanation helps keep the conversation anchored to confirmed details and the upcoming release roadmap. With the logo reveal and pre-orders now underway, attention is expected to shift toward the album’s content—its concept direction, lead single strategy, and performance plans—along with how broadly EXO will expand group activities into 2026.

• Release: EXO’s 8th full album ‘REVERXE’ is set for Jan 19, 2026 with nine tracks (physical + digital).
• Rollout: New logo posted at 12:00 a.m. on Dec 15; pre-orders opened at noon the same day.
• Momentum: ‘EXO’verse’ fan meeting on Dec 14 featured a first-stage reveal for ‘I’m Home’ plus signature hits.
• Update: Lay explained his absence due to an important engagement in Beijing and issued an apology.

## 【KStarLoud Insight】 ‘REVERXE’ matters less as a date announcement and more as a signal that EXO is committing to a full-album scale narrative for 2026. A nine-track package supports a longer content runway—logo reveals, concept drops, tracklist moments, preview clips, and staged performances—each of which can convert into searchable, shareable beats. From a media perspective, the comeback has clear intent keywords (group + album + date), plus modular angles that can be expanded into a network of follow-ups. The ‘EXO’verse’ fan meeting effectively turns anticipation into lived proof points—new stages, crowd visuals, and repeatable social moments—making the rollout easier to spread beyond core fans. Lay’s explanation also underscores that clarity and speed matter during comeback windows; once the timeline is anchored to verifiable statements, the conversation tends to return to the music and concept itself.