August is shaping up to be a hot month for K-pop releases, with artists ranging from veteran groups returning after lengthy breaks to globally prominent acts releasing new music.Red Velvet, Stray Kids, Katseye, Enhypen and NCT 127 have confirmed albums throughout the month, while Big Bang is reportedly also preparing to release its first new music in four years. Red Velvet (SM Entertainment) Kicking off the lineup, Red Velvet will return as a full group with the EP “Velvet Summer” on Aug. 3, marking its first release in two years.The album will be the group’s first summer-focused EP in eight years, following “The Red Summer” in 2017 and “Summer Magic” in 2018, which featured seasonal hits “Red Flavor” and “Power Up,” respectively.While the earlier highlighted the group’s bright and energetic musical identity, “Velvet Summer” is expected to foreground its smoother and more subdued side. The lead track, “Surfin’ Boy,” with lyrics written solely by member Joy, blends bossa nova guitar, reggae rhythms and a relaxed groove, according to SM Entertainment. Stray Kids (JYP Entertainment) Stray Kids comes next on Aug. 7 with their 10th EP, “This & That.”The eight-track album is led by its title track and includes the prerelease single “Run It,” which dropped June 24. The group’s in-house production unit 3Racha — consisting of Bang Chan, Changbin and Han — participated in all eight tracks, continuing Stray Kids’ self-produced approach.Interest in the release has continued to build, with its album trailer topping YouTube’s worldwide music video trending chart for several consecutive days. As of Tuesday, the album also ranked No. 3 on Spotify’s Global Countdowns chart, which tracks upcoming releases with the most presaves worldwide. Katseye (Hybe x Geffen Records) Hybe and Geffen Records’ global girl group Katseye will release its third EP “Wild” on Aug. 14, approximately one year and two months after its second EP, “Beautiful Chaos.”The album includes the digital single “Animal” — which was released as a prerelease single on Friday — with lyrics co-written by Ed Sheeran, Johnny McDaid, Blake Slatkin and Omer Fedi.Ahead of the EP, the group’s first theatrical documentary, “Katseye: Wild Hearts,” is scheduled to screen on Aug. 12. The group will also launch its “The Wildworld Tour,” spanning 31 concerts across North America and Europe in September. Enhypen (Belift Lab) Enhypen is also slated to return Aug. 21 with its eighth EP, “The Sin: Bliss.” The lead track, “Bloody Paradise,” is a Brazilian funk-based dance song that depicts two lovers clinging to one another while caught in a dangerous pursuit. Producer Julia Lewis, who participated in Bad Bunny’s “El Club,” worked on the song, while Dynamic Duo’s Gaeko contributed lyrics following his involvement in the group’s previous track “Knife.”The album also features country pop-rock track “Two Fools” and alternative hip-hop song “Stuck,” alongside narrated tracks performed by actor Park Jung-min and news anchor Kim Su-ji. The narration will be available in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese, allowing overseas listeners to follow the storyline of the album. Teaser image for NCT 127's 7th LP, "Blingy" (SM Entertainment) NCT 127 will also release its seventh LP “Blingy” on Aug. 24, marking its first major release since July 2024.The nine-track album arrives as the group celebrates the 10th anniversary of its debut. According to SM Entertainment, it reflects on NCT 127’s decadelong journey while expressing the members’ pride in the group and their commitment to moving forward together.The album will be followed by the launch of the group’s fifth world tour, “Neo City — The Redline,” at Seoul’s Kspo Dome from Sept. 18-20. The tour will continue in cities including Jakarta, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok and Taipei. Big Bang performs during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 19 in Indio, California. (Getty Images) Veteran group Big Bang is also reportedly preparing to return with new music in August, although a specific release date has yet to be announced.The group first revealed plans for the release during its Coachella performance in April, its first release since “Still Life” in April 2022. Following the music release, the trio is expected to embark on its world tour, “XX : Cosmos.” Starting with three shows in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province from Aug. 21 to 23,Big Bang is expected to continue its 32-show tour across 18 cities through February 2027.
Summer heat grows intense with big-name August releases
August is shaping up to be a hot month for K-pop releases, with artists ranging from veteran groups returning after lengthy breaks to globally prominent acts re









