Summer queen race heats up: (G)I-DLE, Red Velvet, Sunmi and more drop June–July releases

Summer 2026 is stacked. Within weeks, a wave of artists dropped or announced releases, turning June into one of the year's busiest comeback stretches.

(G)I-DLE kicked things off on June 6 with their ninth mini album, We Made (위 메이드). Title track "Gimme Dat Love" (김미 댓 러브) leads the project. The group explained their direction plainly: "We wanted to show various colors of summer, so this time we made music with a feeling of fighting fire with fire."

Sunmi surprise-dropped digital single "Forever July" (포에버 줄라이) on June 15. BbGirls (formerly Brave Girls — the team rebranded) followed on June 16 with "Body Wave" (보디 웨이브).

fromis_9 came back June 21 with their second full-length album, Glow Me (글로우 미). Their first regular album in three years. Winter release "Hayan Geurium" (하얀 그리움) had already climbed to No. 5 on the Melon Top 100.

HYOLYN returns June 22 with her fourth mini album, Originallyn (오리지널린), led by title track "Check" (체크).

Red Velvet's mini album Velvet Summer (벨벳 서머) carries five tracks, with breezy title track "Surfing Boy" (서핑 보이) out front. The group also has a fan concert lined up — 2026 Red Velvet Fan Con: A Day in Red & Velvet — running June 31 through July 2 at Korea University's Hwajung Gymnasium in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. It will be the first time all five members perform together in two years.

KISS OF LIFE, who scored a hit with "Sticky" (스티키), will release new single album Sweat (스웨트) next month. Licnos (리센느) also entered the mix with a remake single, "Pretty Girl" (프리티 걸), covering KARA's song of the same name.