Being out of the spotlight for over a year and following closely behind several successful releases from YG Entertainment label mates Big Bang and iKON likely put a lot of pressure on WINNER's 2016 comeback.
But, so far, it appears WINNER can do nothing but win.
As of Feb. 11, WINNER's "Exit:E" EP has risen to the second spot on Billboard's World Album Chart. For the Feb. 20 chart week, WINNER's first release in their "Exit Movement" series is the highest ranked K-pop album, topping 4Minute's recent release "Act. 7."
In addition to their recent Billboard success, WINNER's title track "Baby Baby" topped several charts in Korea including Naver, MelOn, and Bugs live music charts. "EXIT: E" also ranked number four on iTunes charts in 11 countries.
As far as the success of the title tracks are concerned, "Baby Baby" and "Sentimental" were both released with music videos, which both quickly achieved over 1 million views. "I'm Young," Nam Taehyun's solo single, also received a music video that achieved over 1 million views. All three music videos topped QQ Music's Singles Chart and MV K-Pop Chart, demonstrating WINNER's popularity in China.
"Exit: E" is the first of four releases that WINNER has planned for 2016. The release dates for "Exit: X," "Exit: I," and "Exit: T" have yet to be announced, but may follow a similar release schedule to Big Bang's "Made" single album series from last summer.
Earlier this month, WINNER explained what they experienced while on their year long hiatus. Kang Seungyoon told the press they ultimately felt grateful for the time they could put into their newest release.
"I'm really thrilled," said Kang. "I'm also thankful to our fans since they have waited for so long. Our break wasn't just about taking some time off. We wanted to put in enough time so that we can come up with music that can move people's hearts."
