5 K-pop comebacks this week: Stray Kids, ARTMS, WHIB, Red Velvet, Picheorin
Stray Kids, ARTMS, WHIB, Red Velvet, and Seventeen's Dino (as Picheorin) all dropped new mini albums between August 3–7, 2026.
Five acts released mini albums in five days. The first week of August 2026 became one of the year's busier comeback stretches.
Stray Kids kicked off August 7 with THIS & THAT, an 8-track mini album. The title track shares the album's name.
ARTMS also landed on August 7 with Hyper-Ego (6 tracks). They ran a double title track setup: Born Stunner and Blue Blood both carry lead billing.
WHIB beat them to it, releasing their second mini album CHERRY PIE on August 5. The 5-track project is led by the self-titled Cherry Pie.
Red Velvet opened the week on August 3 with Velvet Summer, a 5-track mini album. Title track Surfin' Boy has a notable writing credit—member Joy handled the lyrics solo.
The week's most unusual entry is Picheorin, Seventeen member Dino's sub-character project and reportedly the first idol sub-character album in the industry. The mini 1st album 吉BOARD (7 tracks, released August 3) is led by Noraboose (prod. Hitchhiker). Critic Kim Ji-ha called it "an album that reinterprets Korean excitement with contemporary sound" and "a cheerful challenge that broadens his musical spectrum."
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