[3] Member Lay is featured in the Chinese version of lead track, "Tempo", marking his first appearance with the group since Winter EP, For Life (2016).
[3] It was announced in October 2018 that the album is the band's first since Ex'Act in 2016 (and its repackage Lotto) to feature Lay, who has focused on his own singing and acting career in China.
[5] On October 21, a 30-second Tempo Concept short film teaser was released through their social media accounts,[6] depicting them as a biker gang, and playing a short audio snippet of the album's lead single "Tempo", which Billboard describes as "starting off with a dramatic synth melody, pulsating beat and the phrase 'I can't believe.
In order to stop the motorcycle, fans were asked to enter the jersey number of the EXO member whose teaser has been released that day.
[9] Upon entering the correct number, the motorcycle stopped and a red cube appeared to hover above it, and clicking on it revealed exclusive teaser images.
[11] On October 31, the "Tempo" music video teaser was released[12] alongside two posters: one featuring all nine members of the group, as well as one containing only the text "End = Beginning".
"Sign" is an electropop track with an intense bass and "bombastic" groove with lyrics expressing a man's growing doubt due to lies told by the woman he loves.
[20] "Gravity" is characterized as an electropop track with a retro sound and funky rhythm, which the British duo LDN Noise worked on.
[23] "Bad Dream" is characterized as an uptempo R&B song, where the "sophisticated" guitar riff and poppy synthesizer's dynamic melody line go well together with lyrics about one thinking about their past lover alone at night, with comparisons to a storm.
[24] "Damage" is a hip hop and dance song with a bass-heavy and reggae rhythm, with its lyrics expressing the "cold" reaction one has after getting hurt by their lover, and giving back the pain they experienced like a "sudden flash of lightning",[25] while "Smile On My Face" is described as an R&B ballad with soft melodies and simple yet "sophisticated" grooves, with lyrics about healing one's own pain after a breakup, smiling and "letting their love go".
Members Chen and Chanyeol participated in writing the lyrics that talk about hoping to be together and rediscover the meaning of true love, which seems to be disappearing more and more from a dreary world.
[28] "Trauma" is an upbeat pop dance song with lyrics expressing the intention to overcome the pain one feels, while "Wait" is described as an R&B ballad with an acoustic guitar melody and harmonizes with the members' vocals.
[29] On November 1, Exo held a press conference where they gave a pre-listening session for Don’t Mess Up My Tempo and talked about their comeback, the album making, and the pre-sales surpassing 1.1 million.