Lose Control (EP)

Background and release

On September 21, 2016 it was announced that Lay would release his first solo album in October. The single "what U need?" was released on October 7 as Lay's birthday gift for his fans. The song reached number one on the Alibaba real time music chart in China. The single and the music video appeared at the top of music charts in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, UK, Turkey, Canada and the United States. On October 21 it was revealed that Lay would release his first mini-album Lose Control on October 28 in South Korea and China and that the album consists of 6 Chinese tracks. The single "what U need?" was included in this mini-album. Lay was a producer, and personally in charge of the composition, arrangement and writing the lyrics of all the songs. On October 25, 2016 S.M. Entertainment released a teaser for the music video of "Lose Control". "Lose Control" has officially been released on October 28 through online and regular stores.

Singles

The song "Lose Control" stayed as #1 on Billboard's China V Chart for 6 weeks in a row. "what U need?" hit the #4 spot on the China V Chart as well as in Billboard's World Digital Songs. Lose Control Topped "Alibaba Top 100 Weekly Songs" for 14 weeks in a row, it also ranked #1 on YinYueTai’s TOP 100 Songs of 2016.

Press conference

Lay held a press conference for the mini-album at Shanghai Town & Country Community in China at 4PM on October 27.

Live performance

Lay performed "what U need?" for the first time on October 9 at the 2016 Asia Song Festival in Busan, South Korea.

Lay made his debut performance on the music program The Show on November 15.

Commercial performance

Lose Control broke the record in South Korea for the most sales by a solo artist, with pre-orders surpassing 200,000 copies before a physical album has even been released. This has caused a lack of supplies and the fact that not all preorders will be able to be fulfilled on the first day. The physical album sales exceeding 50,000 copies a day after its release which has broken records for solo artists in Korea . He also broke the record for highest number of physical album sales for a solo artist, on the first weekend have exceeded 97,000, and had sold more than 125,000 in 7 days, the highest first-week sales by a solo artist. Over 1,000,000 copies of the digital album has been sold on Xiami. The album broke seven out of eight Guinness World Records on the YinYueTai China Weekly Charts. Lose Control Music video was #1 on real-time (98.54) and weekly (100.00). The album sold 260,000 physical copies in 2016.Lose Control became the highest selling album by a solo artist in Gaon Chart's history, having sold 274,238 copies. The album is also the highest selling album by a solo artist in Hanteo charts with 247, 660 copies sold. on January 23, 2017, it was revealed that the album sold over 250,000 copies on Hanteo since its release.