Okay, K-Pop stans, buckle up ’cause 2026 is about to be WILD! Three mega 3rd-gen IPs are making their comebacks from Jan to March, and we’re talking about none other than EXO, BLACKPINK, and BTS! It’s giving main event energy!
First up, our EXO kings are dropping their 8th full album, ‘REVERXE,’ on January 19th! It’s been like, 2.5 years since ‘EXIST,’ so we know they’re coming back stronger. The title track ‘Crown‘ is gonna be a genre-bending hard dance bop, mixing Atlanta trap drums, heavy metal guitar, and EDM synths – that’s just iconic! Lyrically, it’s giving ‘protecting what’s precious like a crown’ vibes, and we’re totally here for the devotion! But the real tea? The ‘Crown’ performance is straight-up ‘SMP (SM Music Performance) style‘ with EIGHT dancers! Get ready for EXO universe symbols to come to life and that killer point move where they literally grab a crown and put it on their heads! Choreographers J-RICK and BADA LEE are behind this powerful group dance, promising to show off EXO’s team presence AND individual flair. They already teased ‘SMP style’ at a fan meeting and slayed with ‘Back It Up’ at ‘MMA 2025,’ so the hype for ‘Crown’ is beyond real!
Then, our BLACKPINK queens are making their full-group comeback on February 27th! YG just dropped the promo signal for their 3rd Mini Album, ‘DEADLINE,’ which is the same name as their epic world tour. This album is gonna be the ultimate finale, celebrating all those moments they cried and laughed with Blinks worldwide! YG spilled that they finished the MV and album work super early to maximize perfection, so you know it’s gonna be a masterpiece. Seriously, Blinks, the wait is almost over, and they’re promising ‘high-quality music.’ Plus, they’re still out there on their ‘BLACKPINK WORLD TOUR DEADLINE‘ with 33 shows across 16 cities! They’re hitting Tokyo Dome for three days (Jan 16-18) and closing it out at Hong Kong Kai Tak Stadium (Jan 24-26). Absolute legends!
And finally, our BTS legends are returning as a full group on March 20th with their 5th full album – it’s been like 3 years and 9 months, y’all! This album is packed with 14 tracks, reflecting their honest feels and thoughts from their journey, basically ‘today’s BTS.’ Can’t wait to see what themes they’re serving! BUT WAIT, there’s more! A BTS WORLD TOUR kicks off in April! It’s been FOUR years since ‘BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE’ in Vegas, so this is HUGE. We’re talking 34 cities and 79 performances already confirmed – the most for any K-Pop artist’s single tour! And guess what? Japan and the Middle East are still being added, so it’s only gonna get bigger! They’re kicking things off at Goyang Sports Complex (April 9, 11-12) and Busan (June 12-13) in Korea. North America gets 28 shows across 12 cities starting April 25-26 in Tampa. Europe’s getting 10 shows in 5 cities like London and Paris in June-July. Plus, South America’s getting love in Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires across 5 cities, with the Middle East to follow! These kings are about to paint the world purple again!
2026 is shaping up to be a legendary year for K-Pop! Get your wallets and lightsticks ready, because the visuals, the music, and the tours are going to be absolutely everything. Period.
Reported by Seoul Wire | Seoul, South Korea 🇰🇷
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