The “summer=girl group” formula will be written again in 2020.
This spring, Apink and Oh My Girl proved their fame and popularity as long-lived girl groups or announced their leap forward as new mainstream girl groups. From now to June, many girl groups representing K-pop as well as Korea will make a comeback. Representative girl groups from two major agencies – JYP Entertainment, including Twice and Blackpink – and IZ*ONE, which was created through Mnet’s “Produce 48,” will make a comeback in June.
First of all, TWICE opens the door. TWICE will release its ninth mini album “MORE & MORE” on June 1. The album, which started pre-order sales on the 11th, has already achieved halfmillion salad, with more than 500,000 pre-orders as of the 27th. Park Jin-young, who made TWICE’s representative song, arranged and wrote the lyrics, heralding “13 consecutive hits.” Twice is also the first K-pop girl group to appear on the original YouTube series alone.
IZ*ONE will also release its third mini-album on June 15. In February, IZ*ONE finished the “Flower Series” leading to “La Vie en Rose,” “Violeta,” and “Fiesta” through its first full-length album “BLOOM*IZ,” and fans are anticipating the new story after the controversy over the manipulation of “Produce 48” last year. Prior to this, Mnet’s exclusive reality show “IZ*ONE CHU” will be released every week starting from July 2.
BLACKPINK also announced its comeback in mid-June, although YG Entertainment has yet to disclose the exact date. Above all, BLACKPINK is releasing an album and making a comeback after a year and two months since its activities in April last year. Starting with the pre-released title track in June, BLACKPINK plans to release its first full-length album in September after releasing a special type of new song in July and August. BLACKPINK recently made headlines by participating in “Sour Candy,” a song from Lady Gaga’s new album “Chromatica.”
In addition, WJSN, DIA, and Weki Meki are ready to meet their fans, heralding their comeback. An official from the music industry said, “In the aftermath of COVID 19, overseas activities have become difficult or various variables, making it inevitable to adjust the schedule for 2020.” It is not intentional, but a large girl group will make a comeback in June, and it will likely be a seasonal comeback in the music industry. Rather than competing, I hope that this comeback itself will serve as an opportunity to attract more attention or revitalize the somewhat depressed music industry.
However, Red Velvet was scheduled to make a comeback on June 15 as its first unit since its debut, but unfortunately it was postponed to July. Red Velvet – IRENE & SEULGI will showcase its first mini-album, “Monster.”
