<img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20181224120743im_/http://b.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&amp;c2=7395269&amp;cv=2.0&amp;cj=1">
The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20181224120743/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8487635/exid-i-love-you-first-top-5-world-digital-song-sales

EXID Earn First Top 5 Entry on World Digital Song Sales Chart With 'I Love You'

11/30/2018 by Jeff Benjamin

must embed video
Courtesy Photo
EXID, "I Love You"

The punchy pop single marks the first time in nearly two years the group has promoted in their full, five-member lineup.

Five might just be a magic number for EXID as the K-pop girl group earns their first top 5 entry on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart after releasing their first single as a five-piece in nearly two years.

EXID's "I Love You" debuts at No. 5 on World Digital Song Sales this week with the punchy pop cut selling 1,000 downloads in the week ending Nov. 22, according to Nielsen Music. The song is the first single EXID is promoting a full, functioning five-member unit after leader Solji has been on hiatus from recordings and promotions due to a hyperthyroidism diagnosis in December of 2016. The 29-year-old was unable to participate in EXID’s last three music releases -- all of which made bows on the Billboard charts -- and was able only to make brief public appearances or one-off recordings.

"I Love You" also scores EXID their best first sales week, just beating out 2015 single "Hot Pink," which also sold about 1,000 copies in its debut week in 2015 and peaked at No. 9 on the tally.

"I Love You" marks EXID's highest position on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart since their first appearance in May 2015 via "Ah Yeah," which peaked at No. 6. To date, EXID has sent six entries to World Song Sales with 2015's "Ah Yeah" and "Hot Pink," 2016 single "L.I.E" (which peaked at No. 16), 2017's "DDD" (No. 6) and "Lady" (No. 9) and, now, "I Love You" from this year.

Interestingly enough, EXID's best selling-song in America never entered any U.S.-based Billboard charts. The quintet's 2014 viral breakout "Up & Down" is their top-seller with 24,000 downloads to date. The track didn't have immediate impact upon its summer release, but gradually took off in South Korea due to a popular fan recording of a performance. The song gradually went to No. 1 in Korea and has become a major-selling single. The interest seems to have trickled over to America with only time to tell if a song like "I Love You" can surpass a signature EXID hit like "Up & Down."

Check out EXID back in full, five-member form bringing "I Love You" to the live stage on Korean music program Inkigayo below: