[+ +] (read as "plus plus") is the debut extended play (EP) by South Korean girl group Loona. It was released on August 20, 2018, by Blockberry Creative and distributed by Danal Entertainment. The EP supported with the lead single, "Favorite" and the title track, "Hi High" the same day as the EP released.
| [+ +] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Digital and Version B cover | ||||
| EP by | ||||
| Released | August 20, 2018 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
| |||
| Language | Korean | |||
| Label | Blockberry Creative | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Loona chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from [+ +] | ||||
| Repackage album cover | ||||
.jpg) Digital and Limited A cover | ||||
| Singles from [X X] | ||||
| ||||
The EP was the second highest selling debut album by a girl group in 2018 with 52,823 physical copies sold. It has sold over 107,248 physical copies combined as of May 2020.
A repackaged version, [X X] (stylized as [× ×]; read as multiple multiple) was released on February 19, 2019, by Blockberry Creative and distributed by Kakao M.
Background
editOn October 2, 2016, Blockberry Creative announced that they would be debuting their first girl group through an 18-month long pre-debut project.[1] Between October 2016 and January 2017 members HeeJin, HyunJin, HaSeul and YeoJin were introduced.[2][3][4][5] Then, between April and July 2017, members ViVi, Kim Lip, JinSoul and Choerry were officially introduced.[6][7][8][9] Finally, between November 2017 and March 2018, members Yves, Chuu, Go Won and HyeJu (formerly Olivia Hye) were officially introduced.[10][11][12]
On August 15, Blockberry published the official tracklist for the album and set the release date to August 20, 2018, 6 P.M. KST.[13]
Repackaging release
editBlockberry Creative released a 26-second teaser titled "X X" on October 14, 2018, on Loona's official YouTube channel, which featured events from the "Hi High" music video in reverse.[14] Another teaser was released on January 1, 2019, following more teasers released once every week of January.
A repackaged version of the album named X X was released on February 19, 2019, with "Butterfly" as the lead promotional single along with five other tracks added to the original track list.[15] It was distributed by Kakao M in both digital and physical formats.[16]
Singles
edit"favOriTe" was released as a pre-debut single on August 7.[17] "Hi High" was released as the lead single in conjunction with the EP on August 20. On August 17, a music video teaser was released.[18]
"Butterfly" was released as the lead single for the repackaged version of the EP on February 19, 2019.[19]
Music and lyrics
editThe album opens with a dreamy instrumental intro titled "+ +" that features smooth synthesizers, artificial summery guitar licks, digital finger snappings, the continuous change of the melodies and the layering of whispered vocals and manipulated whistle samples. It is followed by the effervescent lead single "Hi High", which is a bright electropop, bubblegum pop and experimental pop song with bouncing beats, a vivacious tempo, explosive vocals, quirky beats and synths. "Favorite" (stylised as favOriTe) is a hip-hop inspired dance-pop and alternative R&B song incorporating a more charismatic and boisterous sound. Adding that with prominent trills and trumpeting synths propelling the melody to its dynamic chorus, plus a woozy bridge later in the song, the song condenses the group's innovative nature into a boisterous tune. The fourth track "Heat" (stylised as "열기 (9)") is a pop and R&B track with elements of moombahton and tropical house and features a more slower, mature and brassy sound with an EDM drop. "Perfect Love" is a synth-pop song that was described as the most "commercial sounding" song on the album by Blockberry Creative. The final track, "Stylish" is a pop song.[20][21]
Commercial performance
edit[+ +] debuted at number 2 on the Gaon Album Chart, at number 4 on the US World Albums and US Heatseekers Albums and at number 20 on the US Independent Albums.
The EP was the 6th best-selling album of August 2018, with 41,583 physical copies sold.[22] On September, the EP sold 5,903 additional copies for a total of 47,486 copies sold.[23] On October 15, it was reported that the album was the best-selling album by a girl group that debuted in 2018, after surpassing 50,000 copies sold.[24] The album sold 52,823 physical copies in 2018, being the second best-selling album by a girl group that debuted in 2018 after Iz*One's Color*Iz, 15th best-selling album by a girl group and 80th best-selling album overall in 2018.[25]
Repackage performance
edit[X X] debuted at number 4 on the US World Albums Chart with 2,000 downloads sold and 721,000 on-demand audio streams for its songs.[26][27] It also debuted at number 8 on US Heatseekers Albums and at number 22 on the US Independent Albums.[28][29] The EP also debuted at number 10 on the Gaon Album Chart and peaked at number 3 in its second week.[30][31]
The EP was the 9th best-selling album of February 2019, with 26,563 physical copies sold.[32] It was also the 17th best-selling album of March 2019, with 15,874 additional copies sold.[33] It also charted at number 61 for the month of April 2019 with 2,837 additional copies sold, for a total of 45,274 copies sold.[34]
Accolades
editYear-end lists
edit| Albums | Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
[+ +]
|
Billboard | 20 Best K-pop Albums of 2018 | 17
|
|
[X X]
|
The 25 Best K-pop Albums of 2019 | 5
|
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "+ +" |
| Hwang Hyun (MonoTree) | 0:58 | |
| 2. | "Hi High" |
|
|
| 3:16 |
| 3. | "Favorite" |
|
|
| 3:14 |
| 4. | "열기 (9)" |
|
|
| 3:30 |
| 5. | "Perfect Love" | Le'mon |
| Yun Jong Sung (MonoTree) | 3:42 |
| 6. | "Stylish" |
|
| 3:29 | |
| Total length: | 18:09 | ||||
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "X X" |
|
| 0:48 | |
| 2. | "Butterfly" |
| G-high (MonoTree) | G-high (MonoTree) | 3:57 |
| 3. | "Satellite (위성)" |
|
| David Amber | 3:09 |
| 4. | "Curiosity" | Park Jiyeon (MonoTree) |
| G-high (MonoTree) | 3:09 |
| 5. | "Colors (색깔)" |
|
| Billie Jean | 3:15 |
| 6. | "Where You At" | Park Jiyeon (MonoTree) |
| Daniel Kim | 3:27 |
| 7. | "Stylish" |
|
| 3:29 | |
| 8. | "Perfect Love" | Le'mon |
| Yun Jong Sung (MonoTree) | 3:42 |
| 9. | "열기 (Heat)" |
|
|
| 3:30 |
| 10. | "favOriTe" |
|
|
| 3:14 |
| 11. | "Hi High" |
|
|
| 3:16 |
| 12. | "+ +" |
| Hwang Hyun (MonoTree) | 0:58 | |
| Total length: | 35:59 | ||||
Charts
edit
[+ +]edit
|
[X X]edit
|
Certifications and sales
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| South Korea | — | 68,316[47] |
| United States | — | 1,000[48] |
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Version | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | August 20, 2018 | [+ +] (Original) | Blockberry Creative | |
| Various | ||||
| South Korea | February 19, 2019 | [X X] (Repackage) | ||
| Various | Blockberry Creative |
References
edit- ^ "'이달의 소녀' 앞으로 기대되는 이유". OhmyStar. November 13, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- ^ "| '이달의 소녀' 희진, 서울 이어 파리 티저 공개 '역대급 스케일'텐아시아". 텐아시아 (in Korean). October 3, 2016. Archived from the original on September 4, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- ^ "| 이달의 소녀, 하슬 공개.. 톰보이 매력텐아시아". 텐아시아 (in Korean). December 8, 2016. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- ^ "| 이달의 소녀, 4번째 주인공 여진.. 15세 발랄 상큼소녀텐아시아". 텐아시아 (in Korean). January 4, 2017. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- ^ "| 이달의 소녀, 5번째 멤버 '비비'+첫 유닛 티저 공개 '기대감UP'텐아시아". 텐아시아 (in Korean). February 13, 2017. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- ^ "| 이달의 소녀 비비, 5번째 솔로 앨범 주인공 낙점...MV 촬영지 '궁금증 UP'텐아시아". 텐아시아 (in Korean). April 5, 2017. Archived from the original on September 4, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- ^ "| 이달의 소녀, 여섯 번째 멤버 김립 공개 "NEW 빌드업 소녀"텐아시아". 텐아시아 (in Korean). May 15, 2017. Archived from the original on September 4, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- ^ "| 이달의 소녀, 7번째 멤버 진솔 공개...'男心홀릭' 여신 비주얼텐아시아". 텐아시아 (in Korean). June 13, 2017. Archived from the original on June 13, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- ^ "| 이달의 소녀, 8번째 멤버 최리 공개...우아한 걸크러시텐아시아". 텐아시아 (in Korean). July 12, 2017. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- ^ "| 이달의 소녀 이브, 방탄소년단 이어 美아이튠즈 TOP4 '기염'텐아시아". 텐아시아 (in Korean). November 30, 2017. Archived from the original on February 20, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- ^ "| 이달의 소녀 열 번째 멤버 '츄', '하트 어택' 음원+뮤비 공개텐아시아". 텐아시아 (in Korean). December 28, 2017. Archived from the original on December 29, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- ^ "| 이달의 소녀 11번째 멤버 고원, 솔로 싱글 오늘(30일) 정오 공개텐아시아". 텐아시아 (in Korean). January 30, 2018. Archived from the original on September 4, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- ^ "이달의 소녀(LOOΠΔ) on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- ^ "[Teaser] 이달의 소녀 (LOONA) "X X"". YouTube. October 14, 2018.
- ^ "[MV] 이달의 소녀 (LOONA) "Butterfly"". YouTube. February 19, 2019.
- ^ "[EP] [X X] 이달의 소녀" [[EP] [X X] LOOΠΔ]. Melon (in Korean). Kakao Corporation. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
- ^ "K-Pop Girl Group Loona Releases First Single as Full Act: Watch 'favOriTe' Music Video". Billboard. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- ^ "Loona Announces First Formal Single 'Hi High': Watch a Teaser". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
- ^ Herman, Tamar (February 19, 2019). "LOONA Share Inspiring 'Butterfly' Music Video: Watch". Billboard.
- ^ Yannik, Gölz (August 18, 2018). "Eine Peak für K-Pop: So kommerziell, dass es schon wieder Gegenkultur ist". Laut.de. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ Daly, Rhian (July 7, 2022). "Every LOONA song ranked in order of greatness". NME. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ "August 2018 - Album Chart". Gaon Chart. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
- ^ "September 2018 - Album Chart". Gaon Chart. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
- ^ "'Global Rookie' Loona's debut album sells 50K copies ... additional production will proceed" (in Korean). Retrieved October 16, 2018.
- ^ "2018 - Gaon Album Chart". Gaon Chart. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ "World Music: Top World Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^ "LOONA Doubles Their Best U.S. Sales Week With Second Album Release". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
- ^ "Heatseekers Albums: Up and Coming Musicians Chart". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^ "Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^ "The 8th Week of 2019 - Gaon Album Chart". Gaon Chart. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ "The 9th Week of 2019 - Gaon Album Chart". Gaon Chart. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ "February 2019 - Gaon Album Chart". Gaon Chart. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ "March 2019 - Gaon Album Chart". Gaon Chart. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
- ^ "Gaon Album Chart - April 2019". Gaon Chart. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
- ^ "20 Best K-pop Albums of 2018: Billboard Staff Picks | Billboard". www.billboard.com. December 17, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ "Billboard's The 25 Best K-pop Albums of 2019: Critics' Picks". Billboard. December 31, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ^ "LOONA (KR) [+ +] - EP: French Album Charts - Week 34, 2018". Snep Musique. August 24, 2018. Retrieved November 4, 2019.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Gaon Album Chart – Week 34, 2018". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ "Loona Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
- ^ "Loona Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ^ "Loona Chart History (World Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ^ "LOONA (KR) [x x] - EP: French Album Charts - Week 8, 2019". Snep Musique. February 22, 2019. Retrieved November 4, 2019.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Gaon Album Chart Week 9". Gaon Chart. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
- ^ "Heatseekers Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ "Independent Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^ "World Digital Song Sales Chart". Billboard. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ "2018년 Album Chart" [2018 Album Chart]. Gaon Music Chart.
- ^ "LOONA's Long-Awaited Debut Scores Top 5 Entries on World Albums & Song Sales Charts". Billboard. Retrieved August 30, 2018.