Kakao Entertainment (co-CEOs Kwon Ki-soo, Jang Yoon-joong) artists will accelerate the expansion of their global fandoms in 2026. They have announced various global activities including album releases and tours, and plan to further strengthen their worldwide influence as representative K-pop artists.
Last year, MONSTA X from Starship, which began activities as a complete group to mark its 10th anniversary, opened the gate to 2026 and embarked on global activities. Member Jooheon kicked off activities by releasing a solo mini album on Jan. 5, and MONSTA X will begin its world tour "THE X: NEXUS" starting with performances at Seoul KSPO Dome from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1. This world tour, the first in about four years since September 2022, will start in Seoul and has confirmed stops in major regions including Asia and Latin America, expanding points of contact with global fans.
MONSTA X set a career high in initial sales with last year's mini album "THE X" released to mark their 10th anniversary, and appeared on major global charts including Billboard. At the end of last year they participated in the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball tour in the United States, meeting fans in major cities and solidifying their competitiveness in the global pop market and their position as a performance-oriented artist. This year they plan to expand their influence through various activities including a large-scale world tour.
IVE from Starship will begin full-scale global activities starting with a new album release at the end of February. In particular, ahead of the album release they have announced a pre-release track for Feb. 9, and have been sequentially releasing coming-soon films that capture a cinematic worldview to build excitement for the comeback. After completing comeback activities, IVE will embark in earnest on their second world tour "Show What I Am."
IVE, which started its world tour at Seoul KSPO Dome last October, will meet global fans in major regions around the world including Osaka's Kyocera Dome in Japan in April, as well as North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania. IVE, which recorded seven consecutive million-sellers, won 20 music show trophies, and swept various music awards, is expected to reaffirm its presence as a top girl group through the new release and world tour. With upgraded musical abilities and performances, they plan to continue large-scale tours and further solidify their position as a global artist representing K-pop.
Starship's Gen Z美 group KiiiKiii, which successfully debuted last year, released their second mini album Delulu Pack on the 26th and began expanding their global fandom. This album contains six new songs across a wide range of genres, from dreamy moods to energetic sounds, including the title track "404 (New Era)," showcasing an expanded musical spectrum and maximizing the team's appeal. Especially based on KiiiKiii's confident and free energy, they present a more polished trendy sound and visual concept, proving their competitiveness as a next-generation K-pop girl group.
KiiiKiii captured domestic and international fans at debut with last year's debut song "I DO ME," and drew attention by winning seven rookie awards at various K-pop award ceremonies. In particular, they expanded their activities onto the global stage by participating as the only K-pop girl group in "Music Expo Live 2025" held at Tokyo Dome in September last year, increasing their presence.
Idam Entertainment's WOODZ (Cho Seung-yeon) has also raised expectations by announcing a full-length album release in 2026. WOODZ topped the annual Melon charts with the "Drowning" syndrome last year, and after military discharge released the single "I'll Never Love Again," solidifying his standing as an all-rounder artist with producing capabilities. Expectations are growing for his global activities, which will intensify centered on the full-length album release this year.
In particular, ahead of the full-length album, on Feb. 26 he will take on an acting challenge through the film "Slide Strum Mute," directed by Park Se-young and co-starring Justin Min, showcasing a new path that crosses the boundaries between music and film and drawing attention. "Slide Strum Mute" is a 59-minute short film in which WOODZ plays the lead role "WOOJIN," a character who races forward with deep inner desire when faced with an irresistible opportunity and choice, and he plans to meet audiences in theaters.
Antenna's roster of talented musicians also raises expectations. Solo artists such as Kyuhyun and Jung Seung-hwan, who are imprinting their distinctive musical identities on the public, continue their activities, while the band Dragon Pony is expanding contact with domestic and international fans through various stages such as festivals, raising expectations for its potential growth in the global music market as a leading K-band.
At the same time, Kakao Entertainment's global band hrtz.wave has confirmed a debut in the first half of the year and is heading to the global stage. Haatzwave was born through the global band-making project Mnet's "Still Heart Club" and is a five-member band. Having been recognized for musicality, performance capabilities and each member's individuality and charm through the survival process, interest is growing in the steps they will take after their official debut. Aiming to be "a new wave of band music that reflects youth," Haatzwave is intensifying debut preparations and, even before its official debut, is sequentially releasing various content such as challenge videos and behind-the-scenes videos while preparing an album to expand communication with fans and build presence. Kakao Entertainment plans multifaceted activities so that Haatzwave can grow into a rookie who will continue the K-band boom on the world stage, based on its accumulated music production, distribution and marketing capabilities.
[Photo] Kakao Entertainment
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