October marks the golden era for K-pop listeners. Starting with Lee Hyori on October 12, this month will see a deluge of new tracks from prominent solo artists like Sunmi, BLACKPINK's Jennie, Lim Young Woong, and Sung Si Kyung. Amidst this, the rising artists leading the current K-pop scene are also announcing their comebacks, hinting at a "hit song party."
The comeback relay, starting from the 4th generation girl group frontrunners "NEWILE" (NewJeans, IVE, LE SSERAFIM) to the major boy groups that have dominated the U.S. Billboard charts and global music market, is being hailed as the "best comeback lineup since 2008" among K-pop fandoms.
Firstly, the simultaneous comebacks of NEWILE, who have consistently ranked in the Top 10 of major domestic music sites over the past few months, are noteworthy. NewJeans took the lead, with their "2023 League of Legends World Championship" theme song "GODS", released on October 4, making impressive entries into Spotify's "Daily Top Songs" in both the U.S. and globally.
NewJeans
Group IVE
IVE will take the baton on October 13. Ahead of their new album "I'VE MINE" release, they plan to showcase a variety of charms through triple title tracks, including the pre-released 'Either Way', 'Off The Record', and the dark-themed 'Baddie'. LE SSERAFIM also announced their October comeback, heightening the anticipation. They will release their first English digital single "Perfect Night" on October 27. This new track, which continues the message from their song "Fire in the belly" from their first full album, emphasizes the theme of "a perfect night with comrades", garnering significant attention.
The boy group lineup is equally competitive. While NCT127 released their 5th full album "Fact Check" on October 6 and is sweeping the music charts, TOMORROW X TOGETHER and SEVENTEEN are waiting in the wings. TOMORROW X TOGETHER will release their 3rd full album "Name of the Chapter: FREEFALL" on Otober 13. The title track 'Chasing That Feeling' signals a fresh start in reality, leaving behind a sweet yet stagnant past, and is expected to resonate with the youth of this era.
Their global achievements, including headlining the massive music festival "Lollapalooza" in Chicago and being invited as performers for the "2023 MTV Video Music Awards", suggest that they are set to captivate global listeners.
SEVENTEEN is also making a comeback on October 23 with their 11th mini-album "SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN", their first in about six months since their mini 3rd album 'FML' last April. Having sold over 10 million albums in just nine months this year (from January 1st to September 30th), they've showcased their dominance in K-pop. With this album, SEVENTEEN plans to celebrate their efforts and achievements with fans, painting a bright future and unfolding a grand festival.
