NOUERA Hits Career High With POP IT LIKE: 240K First-Week Sales and an EXO Collab That Delivered

NOUERA third mini album POP IT LIKE posted 240000 first-week Hanteo sales, a career high powered by EXO Lay executive production and a music video that broke 10 million views.

Pak

March 18, 2026

#K-Pop#K-Pop Rookie#NOUERA#Nouer Entertainment#Hanteo#EXO Lay#POP IT LIKE

NOUERA (누에라) just rewrote their own ceiling. One year into their career, the seven-member boy group has posted their biggest numbers yet with "POP IT LIKE," a third mini album that moved 240,000 copies in its first week according to Hanteo Chart data. That is not a modest uptick. That is a statement.

NOUERA members celebrating in the official POP IT LIKE music video with money raining down — NOUERA celebrates the POP IT LIKE comeback. Image: Nouer Entertainment / SL8IGHT Visual Lab

The Numbers That Matter

As confirmed by Nouer Entertainment on March 16 (via AllKPop), "POP IT LIKE" logged 240,000 copies in first-week Hanteo tallies, a career high that surpasses every prior release by a significant margin. First-day numbers alone hit 92,000-plus units per Hanteo tracker data, signaling that this comeback landed with real anticipation behind it.

The music video told a parallel story. The clip surpassed 10 million views on YouTube, marking the first time any NOUERA music video has crossed that threshold since the group's February 2025 debut. For context, the MV cleared 5.5 million views in its first 15 hours online according to YouTube real-time metrics. Organic momentum, not manufactured. The video has since become a fixture on China's Douyin, where "POP IT LIKE" topped the platform's Challenge Chart, landed second on the Entertainment Chart, and charted at number 26 on the Main Chart as reported by Douyin's official rankings.

The Lay Effect Is Real

The conversation around "POP IT LIKE" has been impossible to separate from one name: EXO's Lay (Zhang Yixing), who served as executive producer on the entire album as confirmed by Nouer Entertainment's production credits. This was not a cosmetic credit. Lay was in the studio with the group, with NOUERA sharing behind-the-scenes photos on March 10 KST showing all seven members alongside him in a recording space, the atmosphere relaxed and collaborative rather than transactional.

What the partnership produced is a noticeable shift in the group's sonic identity. "POP IT LIKE" leans into a light hip-hop framework, built on a bright, upbeat rhythm with lyrics that channel youthful energy directly and without irony. It is a clean pivot from the chic, polished concept NOUERA had previously occupied, and early fan reaction suggests it landed. Whether or not Lay's co-sign is driving sales or the music itself is doing the heavy lifting is a fair debate, but the two are hard to disentangle right now.

NOUERA members with EXO Lay in recording studio during POP IT LIKE production — NOUERA with executive producer Lay of EXO during the "POP IT LIKE" recording sessions. Photo: Nouer Entertainment via @nouera_official

What the Album Actually Is

At four tracks, "POP IT LIKE" is tight by design. The mini album expands NOUERA's ongoing storyline of agents executing missions, a concept the group has carried since their debut. Alongside the title track, the record includes "SILHOUETTE," "A LIST," and "WE ARE YOUNG," with the album's overall energy oriented toward free-spirited youth rather than the heavy-concept mode K-pop groups often lean on for a third release.

Choreography for the title track comes from We Dem Boyz, the dance crew behind major K-pop stages. The music video was produced by SL8, a production house with credits across some of the industry's bigger acts. The execution matches the production pedigree: clean, high-energy, built to clip.

NouerA (누에라) "POP IT LIKE" official MV. Video: NOUERA / Nouer Entertainment

Who Comes From MAKEMATE1

NOUERA's origin story matters here. The group emerged from Mnet's "MAKEMATE1" survival competition, with all seven members placing in the final rankings: Fan (Chen Bing Fan) at #1, Lin (Lin Han Zhong) at #2, Miraku (Hoshizawa Miraku) at #3, Hyunjun (Jang Hyun-jun) at #4, Gihyeon (Noh Gih-yeon) at #5, Junpyo (Jeon Jun-pyo) at #6, and Yuseop (Han Yu-seop) at #7. The group officially debuted February 26, 2025, with "POP IT LIKE" arriving just over thirteen months later as their third mini album.

The international composition of the group, three Korean members, two Chinese, one Chinese-Korean, and one Japanese, has been a direct driver of the Douyin traction and broader Asia-Pacific fanbase engagement. The challenge format on Douyin spread fast in part because Zhang Hao of ZEROBASEONE participated, pulling in fans from adjacent fandoms. That kind of cross-group momentum is earned, not bought.

Promotion in Full Swing

NOUERA has been working every platform. After kicking off comeback stages on Mnet's "M Countdown" on March 12, the group has performed on KBS2's "Music Bank," MBC's "Show! Music Core," and SBS's "Inkigayo." They also claimed the top spot in Mnet's "M Countdown PICK" weekly vote, determined by global fans during March 13-16.

Beyond music show appearances, the group appeared on web entertainment shows including "My Idol's Temperature Difference," "Trap Dance," and "Tingle Sseollong," as well as MBC Radio's "Idol Radio." A "Studio Choom" performance video crossed 1.28 million views independently, a metric that matters because it speaks to fans who come back to watch the choreography, not just the comeback spectacle.

We have been watching NOUERA since their "MAKEMATE1" days and this is the clearest sign yet that the machine is running. The Lay collaboration is a headline-grabber, but what justifies the 240K number is consistent fan investment across multiple touchpoints. That takes more than a single famous producer credit.

Fans Also Ask

How many copies did NOUERA's POP IT LIKE sell in the first week?

POP IT LIKE sold 240,000 copies in its first week according to Hanteo Chart data, making it a career high for NOUERA. First-day sales alone exceeded 92,000 units. The album was released on March 9, 2026, and the milestone was confirmed by Nouer Entertainment on March 16.

What role did EXO's Lay play in NOUERA's POP IT LIKE?

EXO's Lay served as executive producer on NOUERA's third mini album POP IT LIKE. He was directly involved in the production process, with the group sharing behind-the-scenes photos alongside Lay in a recording studio in March 2026. Lay is also an active solo artist and global producer based in China.

Who are the members of NOUERA?

NOUERA has seven members: Hyunjun (leader), Gihyeon, Junpyo, Yuseop, Lin, Fan, and Miraku. The group debuted on February 26, 2025 under Nouer Entertainment. All members were finalists on Mnet survival competition MAKEMATE1, with Fan placing first and Lin placing second in the final rankings.

What songs are on NOUERA's POP IT LIKE album?

NOUERA's third mini album POP IT LIKE contains four tracks: the title track POP IT LIKE, SILHOUETTE, A LIST, and WE ARE YOUNG. The title track was choreographed by We Dem Boyz and the music video was produced by SL8. The album was released on March 9, 2026.

What is NOUERA's official fandom name?

NOUERA's official fandom name is NovA, which stands for New Orbit Via Aurora. The group debuted February 26, 2025 under Nouer Entertainment after forming through Mnet's MAKEMATE1 survival competition. Their seven-member lineup includes Korean, Chinese, Chinese-Korean, and Japanese members, giving NovA an especially strong presence on China's Douyin platform.