By Dong Sun-hwa
July is going to be the biggest month of the year for ardent K-pop fans worldwide, with a legion of high-profile stars gearing up for their comebacks. Among the dazzling stars on the roster are NewJeans, EXO, and NCT DREAM.
NewJeans (July 7, July 21)
Super rookie girl group NewJeans will roll out its second mini-album, "Get Up," July 21, according to its management company, ADOR. The album will showcase three lead singles: "Super Shy," "ETA," and "Cool With You," accompanied by three additional tracks: "New Jeans," "Get Up," and "ASAP."
ADOR said the album will provide fans with a glimpse into NewJeans' diverse and distinctive musical accomplishments, further solidifying its unique identity in the industry.
This is not the first time the quintet has introduced three lead tracks, as their self-titled debut EP also boasted the dynamic trio of "Attention," "Hype Boy," and "Cookie," all of which garnered significant attention and chart success both in Korea and abroad.
NewJeans will unveil "Super Shy" and "New Jeans" on July 7, two weeks before the official release of the fresh EP. Details have been kept under wraps, but ADOR hinted at these releases providing "sensory experiences" to listeners.
"We will have music videos for all six tracks included in 'Get Up,'" ADOR added. "Each of them will have different gems. We had an unusual collaboration with global brands and invited an unexpected guest."
Among the collaborations, NewJeans partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery's Cartoon Network, renowned for producing the animated media franchise, "The Powerpuff Girls." The two joined forces to produce a music video for the song, "New Jeans," promising an exciting fusion of music and animation, according to ADOR.
EXO (July 10)
K-pop bigwig EXO will return with the seventh studio album, "Exist," on July 10, almost four years after the release of "Obsession."
To whet the appetites of fans, the group unveiled one of the songs ― "Let Me In" ― on June 12, nearly a month before the official release of "Exist." The dreamy ballad reigned atop iTunes' top songs chart in 33 regions, including Indonesia and Portugal upon its release.
Although three members ― Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin ― were recently involved in a legal dispute with the group's record label, SM Entertainment, over contract termination, they revealed Monday that they would maintain their contractual relationships with the company.
"We are glad to announce that SM and the three artists have resolved our differences and reached a mutually amicable settlement," SM and the three members said in a joint statement.
ZEROBASEONE (July 10)
ZEROBASEONE (ZB1), a project boy group formed through the Mnet audition program, "Boys Planet" (2023), is set to make an official debut in the K-pop industry with its album titled, "Youth in the Shade," on July 10.
ZB1 is made up of the nine winners from "Boys Planet" ― Kim Ji-woong, Zhang Hao, Sung Han-bin, Seok Matthew, Kim Tae-rae, Ricky, Kim Gyu-vin, Park Gun-wook and Han Yu-jin. The nonet will be active for two and a half years.
According to its management company, WAKEONE Entertainment, the upcoming album centers on the theme of youth. But it has not disclosed many details, such as the title of the lead single.
NCT DREAM (July 17)
"ISTJ," the third full-length album by K-pop boy group NCT DREAM, is set to arrive on July 17. It will be fronted by the lead track of the same name, its agency, SM Entertainment, said.
"Broken Melodies," a song to be included in the upcoming album, hit music streaming charts on June 19. The emotional track, which highlights the septet's refreshing vibe, ranked first on major steaming platforms here such as Bugs upon its release.
"It will offer 10 tracks of different vibes," SM said in a statement.
ITZY (July 31)
K-pop girl group ITZY is preparing to release their highly anticipated album titled, "Kill My Doubt," on July 31, according to its record label, JYP Entertainment.
Fronted by the lead single, "Cake," the album will carry five other tracks including "Bet on Me," "None of My Business," "Bratty," "Psychic Lover" and "Kill Shot."
"Black Eyed Pilseung, who is behind the success of numerous hits by girl group TWICE, and JYP's founder-producer Park Jin-young, among others, have participated in the album's creative process," JYP said in a statement.
Amid the releases in the K-pop industry, boy group Tomorrow X Together (TXT), is also expected to make its comeback next month, although the specific date remains undisclosed at this time.
Furthermore, it has been revealed that Jungkook, a member of the K-pop giant, BTS, is anticipated to make his official solo debut in July, but his agency Big Hit Music said the exact date will be announced in due course.
July is going to be the biggest month of the year for ardent K-pop fans worldwide, with a legion of high-profile stars gearing up for their comebacks. Among the dazzling stars on the roster are NewJeans, EXO, and NCT DREAM.
NewJeans (July 7, July 21)
 |
| K-pop girl group NewJeans / Courtesy of ADOR |
Super rookie girl group NewJeans will roll out its second mini-album, "Get Up," July 21, according to its management company, ADOR. The album will showcase three lead singles: "Super Shy," "ETA," and "Cool With You," accompanied by three additional tracks: "New Jeans," "Get Up," and "ASAP."
ADOR said the album will provide fans with a glimpse into NewJeans' diverse and distinctive musical accomplishments, further solidifying its unique identity in the industry.
This is not the first time the quintet has introduced three lead tracks, as their self-titled debut EP also boasted the dynamic trio of "Attention," "Hype Boy," and "Cookie," all of which garnered significant attention and chart success both in Korea and abroad.
NewJeans will unveil "Super Shy" and "New Jeans" on July 7, two weeks before the official release of the fresh EP. Details have been kept under wraps, but ADOR hinted at these releases providing "sensory experiences" to listeners.
"We will have music videos for all six tracks included in 'Get Up,'" ADOR added. "Each of them will have different gems. We had an unusual collaboration with global brands and invited an unexpected guest."
Among the collaborations, NewJeans partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery's Cartoon Network, renowned for producing the animated media franchise, "The Powerpuff Girls." The two joined forces to produce a music video for the song, "New Jeans," promising an exciting fusion of music and animation, according to ADOR.
EXO (July 10)
K-pop bigwig EXO will return with the seventh studio album, "Exist," on July 10, almost four years after the release of "Obsession."
To whet the appetites of fans, the group unveiled one of the songs ― "Let Me In" ― on June 12, nearly a month before the official release of "Exist." The dreamy ballad reigned atop iTunes' top songs chart in 33 regions, including Indonesia and Portugal upon its release.
Although three members ― Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin ― were recently involved in a legal dispute with the group's record label, SM Entertainment, over contract termination, they revealed Monday that they would maintain their contractual relationships with the company.
"We are glad to announce that SM and the three artists have resolved our differences and reached a mutually amicable settlement," SM and the three members said in a joint statement.
ZEROBASEONE (July 10)
 |
| K-pop boy group ZB1 / Courtesy of WAKEONE Entertainment |
ZEROBASEONE (ZB1), a project boy group formed through the Mnet audition program, "Boys Planet" (2023), is set to make an official debut in the K-pop industry with its album titled, "Youth in the Shade," on July 10.
ZB1 is made up of the nine winners from "Boys Planet" ― Kim Ji-woong, Zhang Hao, Sung Han-bin, Seok Matthew, Kim Tae-rae, Ricky, Kim Gyu-vin, Park Gun-wook and Han Yu-jin. The nonet will be active for two and a half years.
According to its management company, WAKEONE Entertainment, the upcoming album centers on the theme of youth. But it has not disclosed many details, such as the title of the lead single.
NCT DREAM (July 17)
"ISTJ," the third full-length album by K-pop boy group NCT DREAM, is set to arrive on July 17. It will be fronted by the lead track of the same name, its agency, SM Entertainment, said.
"Broken Melodies," a song to be included in the upcoming album, hit music streaming charts on June 19. The emotional track, which highlights the septet's refreshing vibe, ranked first on major steaming platforms here such as Bugs upon its release.
"It will offer 10 tracks of different vibes," SM said in a statement.
ITZY (July 31)
 |
| A teaser for ITZY's new album, "Kill My Doubt" / Courtesy of JYP Entertainment |
K-pop girl group ITZY is preparing to release their highly anticipated album titled, "Kill My Doubt," on July 31, according to its record label, JYP Entertainment.
Fronted by the lead single, "Cake," the album will carry five other tracks including "Bet on Me," "None of My Business," "Bratty," "Psychic Lover" and "Kill Shot."
"Black Eyed Pilseung, who is behind the success of numerous hits by girl group TWICE, and JYP's founder-producer Park Jin-young, among others, have participated in the album's creative process," JYP said in a statement.
Amid the releases in the K-pop industry, boy group Tomorrow X Together (TXT), is also expected to make its comeback next month, although the specific date remains undisclosed at this time.
Furthermore, it has been revealed that Jungkook, a member of the K-pop giant, BTS, is anticipated to make his official solo debut in July, but his agency Big Hit Music said the exact date will be announced in due course.
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