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BOYNEXTDOOR members posing for 2026 comeback concept photo produced by Zico

BOYNEXTDOOR Comeback 2026: Everything You Need to Know Before They Drop

KwaveInsider 님이 작성, posted in K-Pop

From ZICO’s Studio to Seoul’s Streets — Everything You Need to Know While Waiting for Their Next Drop

K-Pop (Boy Group)

BOYNEXTDOOR is coming back in May 2026 with new music — their first release since The Action dropped last October. Walk through Seongsu-dong, browse a Hangangjin concept store, or step into an Olive Young — their songs are on the speakers. They’re on the Instagram Reels of Korean Gen Z who wouldn’t use a track as their backdrop unless it matched exactly how they want to be seen. For a group that debuted in 2023, that kind of cultural traction isn’t given. It’s earned.

[Official Music Video] BOYNEXTDOOR – ‘Earth, Wind & Fire’ via HYBE LABELS

The May Comeback — What We Know

On March 26, leader Jaehyun quietly updated his Weverse bio to read: “New song in May.” No press release. No official announcement. Just one line from the leader — and that was enough. This will be their first comeback in approximately seven months since their fifth EP The Action.

Album format and title track are still under wraps. But three years into their career, the direction this group has been moving is already clear enough to read.

Who Is BOYNEXTDOOR

Under KOZ Entertainment — HYBE-affiliated, but a completely different energy. Producer: ZICO. That name alone explains the group’s sound.

They debuted on May 30, 2023 with the single album Who!. The name BOYNEXTDOOR says exactly what it means — boys from next door, no elaborate lore, just honest stories from everyday life. That direction hasn’t shifted since debut. Their fandom is called ONEDOOR — the one door connecting BOYNEXTDOOR to the world.

BOYNEXTDOOR members posing for 2026 comeback concept photo produced by Zico
BOYNEXTDOOR is gearing up for their May 2026 comeback. / Image: KOZ Entertainment

ZICO’s Imprint, and the Members’ Own Voice

KOZ has a recognizable sound. Hip-hop foundation, raw energy, effortless cool. ZICO’s fingerprints are there.

But reducing BOYNEXTDOOR to “ZICO’s group” means missing something. Leader Jaehyun came in as a self-producing musician — ZICO personally auditioned him after hearing his original work. Jaehyun, Taesan, and Woonhak have had songwriting credits since debut, and their involvement has grown with every release. They’re building their own voice within ZICO’s framework. How far that’s developed is one of the most interesting things to watch in the May comeback.

Why the West Can’t Stop Listening

BOYNEXTDOOR’s lyrics aren’t particularly clever or philosophical. That’s the point.

The awkwardness of a one-sided crush. A quiet falling-out with a friend. A Sunday afternoon where nothing gets done and you don’t feel bad about it. These are universal emotions delivered in direct language. Western listeners in their teens and twenties connect not because it’s K-pop, but because the feeling is familiar. Earth, Wind & Fire and If I Say I Love You spread through TikTok’s algorithm to people who had never searched for K-pop in their lives. That’s not a coincidence.

BOYNEXTDOOR Live

This group is stronger on stage than on record — and that’s saying something.

The Knock On Vol.1 Tour ran across 13 cities in Asia through 2024 and 2025. The final Seoul show at KSPO Dome was captured on their live album Knock On Vol.1 Final – Live, released in February 2026. “BOYNEXTDOOR tears the stage apart” is not just fandom talk.

[Official Live Performance] BOYNEXTDOOR – ‘But Sometimes’ on it’s Live

The Members

[© KOZ Entertainment / BOYNEXTDOOR — Member Photo]

Jaehyun — Leader. Born 2003. Former YG trainee. ZICO personally auditioned him. The group’s primary songwriter.

Sungho — Eldest. Born 2003. KOZ’s first ever trainee. Main vocalist. Fans describe his voice as “latte-like” — smooth, warm, lingers.

Riwoo — Born 2003. Main dancer. From Busan. Quietly commanding on stage in a way that catches you off guard.

Taesan — Born 2004. Songwriter. Listens to Nirvana and Oasis. Got into music through his father’s record collection.

Leehan — Born 2004. Former taekwondo athlete. The visual. Also known for keeping a fish tank in the dorm — cardinal tetras, if you’re curious.

Woonhak — Youngest. Born 2006. Songwriter. Started training in 2020 because he always wanted to be a singer. Still the most enthusiastic person in any room.

Discography & Recommended Tracks

Who! (2023.05.30) — Debut single. But I Like You is where it all started.

[Official Music Video] BOYNEXTDOOR – ‘But I Like You’ via HYBE LABEL

Why.. (2023.09) — First EP. First appearance on the Billboard 200.

How? (2024.04) — Earth, Wind & Fire. First No. 1 on the Circle Album Chart.

19.99 (2024.09) — Dangerous, Nice Guy. Crossed 1 million cumulative copies.

No Genre (2025.05) — 1.16 million first-week copies. Their highest opening week to date.

The Action (2025.10) — Fifth EP. Hollywood Action as the title track.

[Official Music Video] BOYNEXTDOOR – ‘Hollywood Action’ via HYBE LABELS

Why May Matters

The tour is done. The live album is out. The members’ creative involvement has grown with every release. ZICO built the foundation — but the question now is what BOYNEXTDOOR sounds like when they’re fully speaking for themselves.

May answers that.

   * May also happens to be the best time to visit Korea. If you want to hear BOYNEXTDOOR on the streets of Seoul, there’s no better month to come.

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CORTIS and “What You Want” — BigHit’s New Crew, and Nothing Like You’d Expect (K-Pop Rookies #1)

KwaveInsider 님이 작성, posted in K-Pop

Second EP ‘GREENGREEN’ drops May 4 — pre-orders already at 1.22 million

K-Pop (Boy Group)

When BigHit Music announced a new boy group, reactions split in two. The label that gave the world BTS and TXT — so expectations ran high. Whether CORTIS could actually meet them was another question. Eight months into their debut, they answered it. First K-pop group to perform at an NBA All-Star halftime show.

“What You Want” — The Debut Track That Said Everything

CORTIS debuted on August 18, 2025 with “What You Want.” A blend of 60s psychedelic rock and boom bap hip-hop — an unusual choice for a K-pop debut. The members were involved in production, and planned and shot the MV themselves. It went viral on TikTok, and the English version featuring American singer-songwriter Teezo Touchdown made it to the Mnet M Countdown stage.

Their debut EP Color Outside the Lines entered the Billboard 200 at No. 15 — the second-highest chart debut for a K-pop rookie album ever. Around 250,000 copies sold on release day. By November, they hit 200 million Spotify streams — the fastest by any rookie group that year.

Who Is CORTIS

Under BigHit Music. The third boy group from the label after BTS and TXT, and their first new act in six years since TXT’s debut. Republic Records handles distribution in the US.

The name CORTIS comes from the initials of “COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES” — a declaration to move beyond the world’s expectations. All five members participate in songwriting, choreography, and video production from the start. A self-described “creator crew.” Their fandom is called COER.

The Members

CORTIS members Martin James Juhoon Seonghyeon Keonho BigHit Music boy group
© Big Hit Music / CORTIS

Martin — Leader. Korean-Canadian. Born 2008. 190.5cm. Spent his childhood between two countries — Canadian father, Korean mother. Carried the Icelandic flag at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics opening ceremony and performed with the Rainbow Choir. Before joining BigHit, he already had songwriting credits on tracks by ILLIT, TXT, and LE SSERAFIM. His role model is BTS’s RM — his older sister was an ARMY, which led him to audition for BigHit.

James — Taiwanese. The only non-Korean national in the group. Fluent in English, Korean, and Mandarin. Considered one of the strongest vocalists in the lineup.

Juhoon — Born 2008. Worked as a child model before debut, appearing in music videos for VIXX and Zion.T. Fluent in both Korean and English. Universally acknowledged by the members as the one who eats the most.

Seonghyeon — The group’s top-liner. Leads melody work, and despite being quiet, is said to have the most ideas. Trained at BigHit for around five years from age 13.

Keonho — Youngest member. Born February 14, 2008 — Valentine’s Day. Former competitive swimmer with multiple medals. Directly involved in MV production. Known among fans as the “generation 5 visual.”

Discography & Recommended Tracks

“What You Want” (2025.08.18) — Debut single. Where the TikTok viral started. An English version featuring Teezo Touchdown also exists.

“GO!” — EP track. The members planned and filmed the MV themselves. The most direct statement of what CORTIS is about.

“FaSHioN” — EP track. The group’s pop sensibility at its clearest.

“Mention Me” (2026.02.13) — On the soundtrack for the American animated film Goat.

Stories Worth Knowing

NBA All-Star Halftime — A K-Pop First

In February 2026, CORTIS performed at the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game halftime show — the first K-pop group to do so. The same day, they headlined the NBA Crossover concert at the LA Convention Center alongside Ludacris and Shaboozey. A group six months into their debut on the biggest stage in American professional sports. The context matters more than the numbers.

Lollapalooza Chicago 2026

They’re on the Lollapalooza Chicago lineup in August — a solo slot for a K-pop boy group at one of America’s biggest music festivals. Remarkable for a group that hasn’t yet hit their one-year mark.

Debut Album at 2 Million — Second Ever

Color Outside the Lines has crossed 2 million copies sold. Only Zerobaseone had done it before with a debut album.

Why “REDRED” on April 20

On April 20 at 6PM KST, CORTIS drops “REDRED” — the title track from their second EP GREENGREEN — with both an MV and a performance film. The full album follows on May 4. Pre-orders passed 1.22 million copies in a week. Nearly three times the first-week sales of their debut album.

Eight months in. No official comeback yet. Already here. Where “REDRED” takes them — April 20.

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