EXO's Kai and Sehun to Debut as EXO-KASE With 'Waking Up The City' on Dec. 1
EXO's Kai and Sehun will debut as the new unit EXO-KASE with their first mini album, "Waking Up The City," on Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. KST.
EXO's newest unit finally has a name. At midnight KST on Nov. 10, EXO's official social media revealed that Kai and Sehun will debut as EXO-KASE, with their first mini album "Waking Up The City" arriving on Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. KST.
The first teaser shows the pair against a neon-lit city skyline at night, with the album title and the EXO-KASE logo.
SM Entertainment had confirmed on Nov. 2 that the two 1994-born members, nicknamed the "94z" by fans, would release a mini album as a new EXO unit in December. The unit's name and the release date were kept under wraps until this week's announcement.
Confirmed
- EXO's official X account announced at midnight KST on Nov. 10, 2026 (9 a.m. CST on Nov. 9) "EXO-KASE The 1st Mini Album 【Waking Up The City】 ➫ 2026.12.01 6PM (KST)," along with a teaser image.
- The album will be released on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026, at 6 p.m. KST (3 a.m. CST).
- SM Entertainment first confirmed on Nov. 2 that Kai and Sehun would release a first mini album as a new EXO unit in December, as reported by Tenasia, Dispatch and SBS; the unit name and exact date had not been revealed at that time.
Reported by other outlets
- Soompi reports that EXO-KASE is made up of Kai and Sehun and that more teasers will follow.
- Tenasia and Dispatch note that the two members were both born in 1994, are known to fans as the "94z," and have worked together before, including Sehun's guest appearance at Kai's solo concert last year.
Unconfirmed
- The title track, tracklist and number of songs have not been announced.
Analysis
2FC NEWSROOM analysis: With D.O.'s single "Darling" due Nov. 11 and EXO-KASE set for Dec. 1, EXO members are filling the end of the year with releases right after the group's encore concerts.