The baton handoff from the group BTS, who took charge of the first half of 2026, is taken up by the flagship boy groups from the so-called “Big 4” music agencies such as HYBE, SM, YG, and JYP, notably BIGBANG, STRAY KIDS, NCT 127, and ENHYPEN.
While the global pop market closely monitors the steps of K-pop following the recent “Grammy boycott” declaration by BTS, the activities and results of these groups making their comeback side by side in August should serve as a benchmark to evaluate the future status of K-pop, which has issued a public challenge to the Grammys.
According to the recent first-half review report from Hanteo Chart, K-pop album sales in the first half of this year were recorded at a total of 49.53 million copies. This exceeds the first half of 2023 (46.17 million copies) and constitutes a historic record on a half-year basis. This is why, depending on the results of the four groups resuming their activities side by side in the second half, it could determine whether the all-time sales record (115 million copies in 2023) will be broken or not.
STRAY KIDS will kick off first on August 7 with its 10th mini-album “THIS & THAT”. At the end of last year, the group rose to the top for the 8th consecutive time with “SKZ IT TAPE ‘DO IT’” by occupying 1st place on the main US Billboard album chart, the Billboard 200. This is a first record for K-pop and the longest Billboard record among all artists who have released new songs since 2000. STRAY KIDS, having already surpassed the record of 6 consecutive 1st places by BTS, firmly intends to bring this record to “9” with this album. Having recorded cumulative sales of 35.74 million copies with albums released in Korea so far, STRAY KIDS is attempting to cross the 40 million copy mark with this new album.
BIGBANG, returning as a trio, gathers once again the original K-pop fandom in what is called the “return of the king”. G-DRAGON, TAEYANG, and DAESUNG, reunited to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut this year, will start their world tour “XX: COSMOS” from the upcoming 21st to 23rd at the Goyang Stadium. The world tour, resumed after 9 years, will take place across 33 dates in 19 cities until February of next year. It is also planned to unveil new songs before the concert.
Regarding the name of this concert, the YG Entertainment camp explained: “”XX” represents the time of BIGBANG celebrating the 20th anniversary of its debut, and “COSMOS” is not a space in the simply spatial sense but a cosmic concept encompassing connection, relationship, and continuity. It symbolizes the time created together by BIGBANG and the fans, under the notion of ‘everything that existed in the past, exists in the present, and will exist in the future’.”
BIGBANG is the group that established the concept of the “K-pop world tour”. With “ALIVE GALAXY” (2013), it mobilized the largest number of spectators for a single tour by a K-pop artist (1.5 million people) and was the first foreign artist to achieve a tour in Japan’s 6 major Domes as well as a Dome tour for 5 consecutive years. The fandom that followed BIGBANG at that time has now entered their late twenties to early or mid-forties. The return of BIGBANG is expected to have the effect of bringing long-time K-pop fans who have walked through the years with them back into concert halls.
The 7th studio album “BLINGY”, which the group NCT 127 will release on August 24 to mark the 10th anniversary of its debut, constitutes its turning point. It is indeed the first studio album presented since the departure of key member MARK, as well as the first result opening a new decade after all members renewed their contracts. However, with DOYOUNG and JUNGWOO performing their military service, the group will carry out its activities with 5 members: JOHNNY, TAEYONG, YUTA, JAEHYUN, and HAECHAN. After the release of the new opus, it will embark in September on a tour passing through Seoul, Jakarta, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, etc. The SM Entertainment camp displayed its determination by declaring: “We will present a storytelling where the members and fans form a perfect “single team””, in order to confirm its unwavering position even after MARK‘s departure.
ENHYPEN, which will release its 8th mini-album “THE SIN : BLISS” on August 21, also makes its comeback with a sense of shared sympathy toward NCT 127. It is the first album officializing the 6-member system since member HEESEUNG decided to leave the group last March. HEESEUNG occupied the main vocalist role within the group, making a major change in vocal parts inevitable. Sales of ENHYPEN‘s new album, which has consistently sold over 2 million copies since its 5th mini-album released in 2023, should serve as a barometer to demonstrate its good health even after the departure of a member.
Kim Jeong Seop, professor at the Department of Cultural Industry Art at Sungshin Women’s University (president of the Global K-Culture Economic Forum), emphasized through a recently published study:
“The success of BTS was not limited to an isolated exception, but a “post-BTS era” has formed where following groups of global popularity are born, although few in number. In order to cross a full milestone toward the dominant global cultural industry beyond a single success model centered on BTS, we must concentrate our capabilities on building a sustainable ecosystem.”
Journalist: Shawn
Transaltor: Shawn
Source: SNS BIG4
