Hyolyn Returns With First Physical Album in Four Years as Jennie and Young K Drive New K-pop Solo Releases

Hyolyn returns with first physical album in four years

Hyolyn, the 17-year veteran and former SISTAR member often called the "Summer Queen," released her fourth mini-album "OriginaLyn" alongside a title track titled "Check." The album title fuses "Original" with "Lyn," framing the project as a portrait of the artist's distinctive musical identity. A Star News roundtable interview held at a cafe in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, marked the rollout, with Hyolyn explaining that the four-year gap between physical releases stemmed from limited studio time while she operated her own one-person agency. The title track draws on 1980s and 1990s pop sensibilities, with Hyolyn noting she had been revisiting music from the period when she was most passionate and studious. The album itself spans multiple genres, vocal textures, and moods rather than staying in a retro mode throughout. Hyolyn also addressed the unconventional capitalization of the final letter in "ChecK," saying she wanted to preserve the original sound of the everyday word "check" rather than shortening it.

Jennie's 'Less than a Lover' sweeps global charts

BLACKPINK's Jennie, managed by OA Entertainment, released her new single "Less than a Lover" simultaneously across global music platforms and her official YouTube channel at 1 p.m. Korea time on July 24. The accompanying music video reached No. 1 on YouTube's Trending Worldwide music video chart as well as No. 1 on YouTube's Korean and U.S. video charts. In China, the track topped QQ Music, NetEase Cloud Music, and KuGou Music, with QQ Music awarding it a gold certification and making it the only K-pop female solo single released this year to reach that threshold. The song ranked No. 2 on Melon's Hot 100 domestically and led Apple Music's Top Songs chart in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. It also reached No. 1 on iTunes' Top Songs chart in 27 countries including the Philippines, Indonesia, and Brazil, setting the record for the largest territorial reach by a K-pop solo artist this year. Written and composed by Jennie, "Less than a Lover" is an alternative pop track built on a Lo-fi-textured guitar riff and vintage electric keyboard, depicting an ambiguous summer romance.

Young K prepares second solo album 'YOUNGEST'

DAY6 bassist and vocalist Young K is set to release his second full-length solo album, "YOUNGEST," on July 27 through JYP Entertainment, roughly two years and ten months after his 2023 debut solo LP "Letters with Notes." The title combines "Young" with the superlative suffix "-est" and is positioned as "music that is most quintessentially Young K." Young K wrote the lyrics and composed all 15 tracks, leaning on his established singer-songwriter identity. The lead single is "Shut The Door." To preview the project, Young K staged a busking performance at Seoul's Yeongdeungpo Times Square on July 23, debuting "F World," "Yonge St.," "Heading Home," and the title track live for fans. Young K is credited with composing several DAY6 signature songs, including "Congratulations," "You Were Beautiful," "So We Can Be a Page," and "Zombie."

Tours and festival dates on the horizon

Following the album's release, Young K will launch his solo "YOUNGEST" tour at Inspire Arena in Incheon on August 14 to 16, then visit Bangkok, Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila, and Kuala Lumpur. Jennie, meanwhile, is scheduled to appear at Lollapalooza Chicago and Summer Sonic 2026 in Japan as part of her ongoing global festival circuit. Hyolyn's interview also touched on the long-rumored SISTAR reunion, with fans awaiting further details from the artist and her former groupmates.