Stray Kids launches weeklong STAY anniversary celebration
K-pop boy band Stray Kids began a weeklong festivity on July 26 to celebrate the eighth anniversary of its official fan club STAY, the band's agency JYP Entertainment said. The "2026 STAYweeK" event opened with a birthday cafe in Seoul's Seongsu-dong, featuring memorabilia and exhibits chronicling the nine-year journey of the band and its fandom, and running through Aug. 2 for official fan club members. Additional programming includes the group's first short-form drama series, "This & That STAY Company's Secret," released in pairs across July 26, July 28 and Aug. 1, alongside behind-the-scenes footage from the band's March-April fan meeting events and the recording process of its March digital single "Stay."
Stray Kids readies new EP and 'Run It' world tour
Stray Kids is set to release a digital album titled "SKZ-REPLAY 2026 Pt.1" at midnight on Aug. 1, framed by JYP Entertainment as a gift expressing gratitude and sincerity toward fans, with tracklist and cover image scheduled to be unveiled July 27. The release leads into the group's 10th mini album "THIS & THAT," due Aug. 7 at 1 p.m., an eight-track project written and produced entirely by in-house production team 3RACHA, comprising members Bang Chan, Changbin and Han. The EP follows "SKZ IT TAPE 'DO IT,'" which extended the band's record to eight consecutive No. 1 debuts on the Billboard 200. Stray Kids kicked off its "Stray Kids World Tour 'RUN IT'" at KSPO Dome in Seoul's Songpa District on July 24, the first of five sold-out shows running through Aug. 2. The band is also slated to become the first foreign male act to headline Tokyo's Japan National Stadium on Aug. 29 and 30.
Jennie's 'Less than a Lover' sweeps global charts
Jennie's summer single "Less than a Lover," released July 24 across global music platforms and her official YouTube channel, has topped multiple international charts, according to her agency OA Entertainment. The music video reached No. 1 on YouTube's Music Video Trending Worldwide chart as well as the YouTube Video Trending charts in both South Korea and the United States. The track achieved an all-kill in China by topping QQ Music, NetEase Cloud Music and Kugou Music, and on QQ Music it is the only song by a female solo artist released this year to receive a gold certification. It debuted at No. 2 on Melon's Hot 100, reached No. 1 on the iTunes Top Songs chart in 27 countries and regions including the Philippines, Indonesia and Brazil, and ranked highly on Apple Music's Top Songs chart in countries including Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. Jennie's Tame Impala remix collaboration "Dracula (JENNIE Remix)" held its personal best of No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week, with 28 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart and 10 consecutive weeks atop the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.
Cortis to livestream LA concert across 29 countries
Rookie boy group Cortis will broadcast its Aug. 13 concert at YouTube Theater in Los Angeles to more than 870 cinemas across 29 countries and regions, including South Korea, via a live-viewing event announced by Big Hit Music on July 26. Some markets will offer delayed screenings to accommodate time-zone differences, and the event will include an exclusive 30-minute preshow produced for theater audiences; a separate standing-room live viewing party will be held at The Vermont Hollywood. Ticket sales for Korean screenings open at 10 a.m. on July 31, with international schedules to be announced via the event's official website. The LA show sits within the North American leg of Cortis' "Put Your Phone Down" world tour, which begins Aug. 4 in Toronto and continues through New York, Atlanta, Irving, Los Angeles and San Francisco, after Lollapalooza Chicago appearances on July 31 and Aug. 1 as the only K-pop boy group on this year's festival lineup. The North American dates are followed by two sold-out Seoul concerts and three shows in Kanagawa, Japan, from Sept. 4 to 6.
Kihyun releases English version of 'So Good'
MONSTA X's Kihyun released an English-language version of his latest title track "So Good" on global streaming platforms on July 24, according to Starship Entertainment. The rock-based track, driven by gradually building guitar instrumentals and Kihyun's expressive vocals, originally appeared as the lead single of his second mini album "BORDERLINE," released July 7. "BORDERLINE" reached No. 21 on the Worldwide iTunes Album Chart, topped the iTunes Top 100 K-pop Album Chart in five countries including Australia, Finland and the Netherlands, and entered the top five in 12 countries including the United States, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Japan and Mexico. The English version preserves the original melody while introducing entirely new lyrics, and arrives ahead of MONSTA X's North American leg of its "2026 MONSTA X WORLD TOUR [THE X : NEXUS]" in October.
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