During their album showcase in Seoul on July 22, the same date when their unit album was unveiled, the duo shared that they would not be able to reach such a feat had there been no genuine camaraderie between them.

"I especially thank Sehun for this album, as I've always wanted to try this hip-hop genre since my debut. All EXO members share amazing chemistry, but personally, I liked the chemistry between me and Sehun. I've always thought his voice was beautiful. I'm very glad that we finally made it," Chanyeol said.

Sehun, the maknae on top, reciprocated his hyung's message for him. He also hopes for fans to give lots of love to their tracks.

"It's a great honor to drop this album. I worked really hard with Chanyeol on this album, and I hope people could get healed by our music," he said. 

"The biggest difference between our work and group activities is that we got involved in making the album from one to 10 while we as a group used to receive songs from other composers. Most importantly, it holds our genuine sincerity, and it's the music we pursue," the EXO's main dancer went on.

Sehun and Chanyeol worked on refining their album for a total of six months before revealing it to the public. They penned the songs themselves, poured their heart, mind, and soul to each of the six tracks comprising What a Life. The album also takes pride in its three title tracks, which are What a Life, Just Us 2, and Closer to you. The latter's music video was published on July 25, whilst the other two were released on July 21 and July 19, respectively.

The titular title song screams the "work hard, play hard" mantra, to which the duo explained that the line reflects their personal approach to life.

"As many of you guys know, the song reflects our own stories. It's all about our own thoughts, daily lives and ideal lifestyle we pursue, like working hard and playing hard. We wanted to deliver our positive energy," Chanyeol said.

In another statement, the EXO's main rapper said he and Sehun both aspire to be of benign influence to their fans.

"Just like we did with 'We Young,' we hope to spread our positive influence to a wider audience and help them enjoy their lives, as we think we are in a position where we can wield some influence," Chanyeol said.