On January 17, Starship Entertainment confirmed that IVE (An Yujin, Gaeul, Rei, Jang Wonyoung, Liz and Leeseo) will return with a new album in late February, marking their first comeback in six months since their mini-album. I HAVE A SECRET last August. IVE has consistently broken records, becoming a “7 times million sellers” with hits like LOVE DIVING AND REBEL HEARTand racking up 20 music show wins in 2025 alone. They also secured 28 awards at year-end ceremonies, demonstrating continuity “IVE Syndrome”.
However, their return will directly overlap with that of BLACKPINK, who announced a comeback on February 27 with their third mini-album EXPIRATION. This marks BLACKPINK’s first group release since then Born Pink in September 2022, an album that reached the top of the Billboard 200, thus becoming the first K-pop girl group to do so. In 2025, their single JUMP it also topped the Billboard Global 200, continuing their record-breaking legacy.
While BLACKPINK has a powerful international presence, IVE has also made huge strides globally. They topped Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart, appeared on the Artist 100, and performed at major festivals like Lollapalooza in Berlin and Paris for two consecutive years. They were also invited to the Rock in Japan Festival 2025, highlighting their growing global appeal.
Both groups are also launching major world tours. IVE will follow their comeback with their second world tour SHOW WHAT I AM at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka in April and will expand to Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania. Meanwhile, BLACKPINK is already halfway through their massive journey BLACKPINK WORLD TOUR covering 16 cities and 33 shows. They will perform three nights at the Tokyo Dome (16-18 January), with a finale scheduled at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong (24-26 January).
