Are you ready for a monumental year of music, K-pop fans? 2026 is shaping up to be a season of long-awaited returns, to say the least. Take, for instance, the return of EXO, who has finally returned to the scene with their album Reverxe—and finally met their fans with the kickoff of their tour in April.
Some of the mega groups like BTS and Blackpink had their respective group returns to the stage in the first quarter of 2026. Blackpink’s new music came hot off the heels of their Deadline world tour, which began last July and as for BTS, Arirang, was a nod towards a traditional Korean folk song, with the rest of the album closely following suit.
The middle of the year always brings about some of the most exciting musical returns in K-pop territory. There was already I.O.I’s highly-awaited return—their 10 year reunion album since they first debuted—as they claimed summer with their title track, ‘Suddenly’. There was also beloved quartet Mamamoo who made their return with ‘4 Flowers’, the group’s first song in nearly four years, and kicked off their world tour along with it.
Meanwhile, there is of course one that lies in waiting, as K-pop legends BigBang gear up for a major comeback in line with their 20th anniversary—the first since ‘Still Life’. It’s one which anticipation has only been growing for, after the group’s iconic Coachella debut earlier this year.
Now, as we march steadily into the rest of the year, Vogue Singapore highlights the most exciting K-pop comebacks to keep on your radar.
1 / 7
V8 (Seventeen)
Seventeen’s been on a roll with the number of unit comebacks amidst the group’s military season—and the next duo is one that knows exactly how to party. Enter V8, consisting of members Vernon and The 8. On the cusp of releasing an eight-track album that shares the same name as their unit, this particular unit is swinging into a lesser-ventured genre for the K-pop scene: electronic music. Inflected with their colourful influences and distinct musical approaches, it’s a rave album waiting to unfurl, with a genre-defying soundscape that can already be felt from the teaser of their upcoming title track, ‘singasong’.
V8 is set to release V8 on 29 June.
2 / 7
Ateez
Nothing like a golden hour. We’re about to meet Ateez’s continued narrative to their Golden Hour universe, as Part 5 arrives with aplomb. As the eight members gear up for what will likely be yet another hard-hitting drop from the fierce octet, there’s already plenty to get lost in, including a highlight reel of the five-track-strong piece that ranges from Latin-inspired tunes like ‘Mamacita’ to the addictively playful pull of ‘Bad’.
Ateez’s upcoming EP Golden Hour: Part 5 is set to be released on 26 June.
3 / 7
BigBang
OG K-pop fans, your time is now. Marking 20 years since their debut, the original kings of K-pop are making a return to music in 2026, the first release from the ‘Bang Bang Bang’ singers in nearly four years following ‘Still Life’. Post a whopping two weekends out in the desert for the group’s Coachella debut, the trio announced the kickoff of their world tour in August—in line with the group’s 20th anniversary. The reunion concert also almost certainly guarantees some new music and knowing that G-Dragon, the group’s leader and main producer, has been tinkering around in the studio as of late, the album is more or less likely to happen around then too.
Bigbang will likely be making their comeback in August.
4 / 7
Stray Kids
There’s a fearsome stage waiting to happen and it’s from none other than well-known octet Stray Kids. These folks are gearing up for a performance-heavy affair with not just a world tour as well as an upcoming album happening come August, they’ve also got their eyes zoomed in on success, with a pre-release single ‘Run It’ already slated to drop this June.
Stray Kids will return on 7 August, with a pre-release slated on 24 June.
5 / 7
ZeroBaseOne
ZeroBaseOne has big plans for 2026, starting off with its special limited album, Re-Flow. The nine-member-strong group may have just debuted in 2023, but their upcoming title track ‘Lovepocalypse’ promises to showcase a varied, more mature side to the group.
Re-Flow by ZeroBaseOne is set for release on 2 February.
6 / 7
Blackpink
Blackpink is so back. Following the end of their global world tour, the girls are set to release their third mini album Deadline, which will include their high-octane dance track ‘Jump’, released in November last year.
Blackpink is set to release Deadline on 27 February.
7 / 7
BTS
It’s been a long wait for ARMYs, who have been eagerly anticipating BTS’s return to the music scene since Jin first enlisted for mandatory military service in December 2022 (and the remaining members followed suit). Now, the wait is finally over—the group is set to drop its 14-track album Arirang in less than two months. And given that the boys have spent months in the US working on the new album, fans are just ready and waiting to uncover what BTS has lined up for their first group comeback in more than three years.
BTS’s fifth album Arirang is set to be released on 20 March.
