YG Entertainment unveiled a clearer blueprint for its rookie groups, detailed a roadmap for expanding new global IP, and declared a full-scale sprint into the 2026 music scene.
YG Entertainment posted a video on its official blog on the 30th in which Yang Hyun-suk, the chief producer, personally introduces the second-half projects titled "BABYMONSTER, TREASURE, AND UPCOMING ROOKIES | YG ANNOUNCEMENT." Yang Hyun-suk first gave a detailed introduction to BABYMONSTER's mini third album [CHOOM] track, scheduled for release on May 4. The title track "CHOOM" expanded choreography orders to an unusually large scale of 10 teams to match the song's concept, and Yang personally participated in work on the chorus section to raise the song's completeness.
He said the album will include the dark hip-hop track "MOON," the fast-tempo, upbeat "I LIKE IT," and the slow song "LOCKED IN," which showcases vocal ability. Regarding the first track "MOON," Yang said, "YG has been actively running song camps recently," and explained, "This is the first collaboration with the overseas production team on this song; they are a team that makes sound design very sophisticated and unique," piquing curiosity. From this album point, BABYMONSTER will launch a full-scale global push with full support, sequentially releasing four music videos: the June digital single "SUGAR HONEY (working title)," "I LIKE IT" in July, and "MOON" in August.
TREASURE has confirmed the release of a mini album that will open a new chapter on June 1. About this new release, which contains four hip-hop–based tracks, Yang expressed strong confidence, saying, "TREASURE debuted during the pandemic and faced many difficulties in the global market," and "This album is personally the result I like the most." In addition, with the massive project of Big Bang's world tour marking their 20th anniversary being activated one after another, YG's powerful lineup this year is making music fans around the world excited.
Alongside the active activities of existing artists, the large-scale emergence of next-generation rookies who will carry YG's future is also an important turning point. Regarding the rookie boy group being presented for the first time in six years, Yang said, "In a previous interview I mentioned in subtitles that we plan to launch a new male group from YG this fall," and added, "As of now, we plan to introduce YG's new male group in September. The number of members, which many people will be curious about, is five." This suggests the birth of a "complete group" that maximizes individuality and ability through an elite member composition differentiated from the many-member system of TREASURE.
Also, as Yang previewed that "we will sequentially reveal new IP and rookies planned by YG," the third member of the next girl group "Next Monster (provisional name)" was also unveiled. YG posted a video on its official blog titled YG NEXT MONSTER | KAYCI - "When We Were Young," introducing KAYCI 10 months after Ively and Chanya.
Born in 2012 and 13 years old, KAYCI is a global talent born to a Korean father and a Chinese mother and is fluent in three languages. She is also an "all-rounder" member who mastered vocals, dance and rap in just one year and six months of trainee period. In the video, KAYCI showed an overwhelming presence as a prepared "monster rookie," perfectly executing even explosive highlight high notes with a husky, soulful singing voice. With only one member left to be revealed, attention is also focused on completing the final lineup of "Next Monster."
At the end of the video, chief producer Yang Hyun-suk said, "BABYMONSTER's album, which producers and I have done our best on for the past year, will be released soon, and TREASURE's album will be released about a month later," and he expressed a heartfelt wish, saying, "I hope joy, emotion and pleasure beyond what I expect will be delivered to fans like a gift." Finally, he added, "We will sequentially reveal the rookies YG is planning," emphasizing YG's flawless sprint that will heat up the 2026 music scene.
From the spectacular return of legendary groups that once dominated the K-pop scene to the comebacks of trending groups targeting the global market, and the successive launches of "complete" rookies who will lead the next generation of pop music: YG Entertainment has strengthened the solid position of existing IPs while securing new IPs as powerful future growth engines, raising expectations about what explosive synergy it will produce to shake up the global music market during 2026.
[Photo] OSEN DB
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