K-pop's 'Big 4' boy groups set to rewrite album sales records this summer

Stray Kids [Provided by JYP Entertainment]

After a first half dominated by K-pop heavyweights BTS and BLACKPINK alongside Generation Z newcomers and girl groups, the second half of the year belongs to the flagship boy groups of the industry's four major agencies. Led by BIGBANG — universally recognized as a K-pop legend and a classic act — alongside representatives of the third and fourth generations, the music scene is shaping up for a new battle for supremacy.

Starting with Stray Kids on Friday, NCT 127, Enhypen and BIGBANG — marking their 20th debut anniversary — are set to make back-to-back comebacks, according to industry sources Thursday. All four groups have driven global album sales and headlined stadium-level world tours.

The industry is energized by the return of these major acts. Their combined comebacks alone have raised the likelihood that this year's total album sales will surpass the all-time annual record. The upward trajectory of K-pop physical album sales in the global market has been unmatched.

According to first-half data from chart tracker Hanteo Chart, cumulative K-pop physical album sales reached 49.53 million copies in the first six months of the year — more than 7.3 percent above the 46.17 million copies sold in the same period of 2023, the year that set the all-time annual record of 115 million copies. Compared with the same period last year, sales surged 23.4 percent.

"The K-pop album market has traditionally followed a pattern of stronger sales in the second half than the first," an executive at a major agency said. "With a concentration of major boy group releases in August, we believe reclaiming annual sales of 100 million copies is well within reach."

From Billboard milestones to a 20th-anniversary homecoming

Stray Kids are first out of the gate, releasing their 10th mini-album "THIS & THAT" on Friday and signaling a charge up the global charts. The group has already built momentum: the pre-release digital single "RUN IT," dropped in June, topped the iTunes Top Songs chart in 41 countries and regions worldwide. Anchored by the in-house producing unit 3RACHA — comprising Bang Chan, Changbin and Han — the album is expected to showcase the group's wide musical range and hard-earned confidence through a sharp sonic palette.

Stray Kids hold some of the highest Billboard records in K-pop history, and this comeback extends that remarkable run. From the 2022 mini-album "ODDINARY" through last year's "DO IT," the group has claimed eight consecutive No. 1 debuts on the Billboard 200 — the longest such streak among all artists worldwide who have released new music since 2000.

Having sold a cumulative 35.74 million copies of domestically released albums, Stray Kids are now within striking distance of the 40 million mark with this new release. The group is also expected to extend its Billboard 200 streak to nine consecutive No. 1 debuts. With BTS having recently announced the withdrawal of its Grammy Awards submissions, Stray Kids are widely regarded as a leading candidate for the newly created Best Asian Pop Music Performance category at next year's Grammy Awards.

"This album is an important new chapter in Stray Kids' authentic musical journey — one defined by growth at every stage," a JYP Entertainment official said. "They completed it with sincerity, both as global top artists pushing relentlessly forward and as individuals living their everyday lives."

BIGBANG performing at Coachella. [Provided by each agency]

From YG Entertainment, which marks its own 30th anniversary this year, comes the return of BIGBANG — the enduring classic and legend of K-pop. The group's 20th debut anniversary sets the stage for a grand homecoming.

According to YG Entertainment, BIGBANG — now a trio of G-Dragon, Taeyang and Daesung — will open their world tour "XX: COSMOS" at the Goyang Sports Complex main stadium in Gyeonggi Province from Aug. 21 to Aug. 23. Tickets sold out across all showings within 22 minutes of going on sale. The tour will then span 33 shows across 19 cities worldwide — including stops in North America, Europe, Oceania and Asia — through the first quarter of 2027.

Anticipation is especially high for a large-scale free fan event at Yeouido Han River Park on Aug. 19, the group's debut anniversary, and for a new full-group single to be released that day. It will be BIGBANG's first new music since "Bom Yeoreum Gaeul Kyeoul," an April 2022 single that swept the upper reaches of Melon's annual chart — a gap of four years. Should the release take the form of a full album, it would mark the group's first such project in 10 years, since the 2016 studio album "MADE."

Since their debut, BIGBANG have been embraced across generations, not just by fans in their teens and twenties. Unlike the typical pattern in which hit songs become the exclusive domain of a single generation, BIGBANG built broad appeal that cut across age and gender. Their "MADE" world tour made them the first K-pop act to draw 1.5 million concertgoers on a single tour, and their fandom has only grown stronger since. Fans now in their late twenties to early-to-mid forties — who grew up listening to BIGBANG during their teenage years — form an active core pulling the group back to the center of popular culture. On top of that, Generation Z has rediscovered them as a "K-pop classic" through TikTok and YouTube Shorts, reaffirming BIGBANG's standing as a mega intellectual property.

Lineup overhauls and full contract renewals put NCT 127 and Enhypen to the test

NCT 127, a pillar of SM Entertainment, and Enhypen, a cornerstone of Hybe, are both returning with reconfigured lineups. Industry observers regard these comebacks as critical tests for both groups.

NCT 127, celebrating their 10th debut anniversary this year, will release their seventh studio album "BLINGY" on Aug. 24, declaring a turning point for the group. The departure of Mark — long the symbolic center of NCT — along with the military enlistments of Doyoung and Jungwoo, has left the group as a five-member unit comprising Johnny, Taeyong, Yuta, Jaehyun and Haechan.

The comeback carries additional weight as the first release following contract renewals by all remaining members. The album, their first in two years, sharpens the group's signature "NEO" musical identity.

"We looked back on the journey we have built together over the past 10 years, and poured into this album a deep pride in the team and a commitment to move forward as one," an SM Entertainment official said. Following the comeback, the group will launch a world tour in September, opening with three shows at KSPO Dome in Seoul — all of which have already sold out.

Enhypen will also release their first album since restructuring their lineup, dropping their eighth mini-album "THE SIN : BLISS" on Aug. 21.

Enhypen officially transitioned to a six-member group in March following the departure of Heeseung, the team's main vocalist. The group faces the challenge of a sweeping vocal restructuring, but remains one of K-pop's core acts — every album since their fifth mini-album in 2023 has sold more than 2 million copies. This comeback is expected to demonstrate the fandom's cohesion even amid the disruption of losing a key member.

The second-half return of four major boy groups marks a milestone in K-pop's shift away from BTS's dominance as a singular mega IP toward a multipolar landscape. "This boy group showdown will serve as an intense proving ground, showing that a diverse range of acts achieving results on the world stage can coexist within the K-pop ecosystem in the post-BTS era," an industry official said.

shee@heraldcorp.com