Return of K-POP Legend Groups and Rise of Rising Stars···reshaping the K-POP landscape in 2026

A unique phenomenon of generational transition coexisting with traditional strength is emerging within the K-POP market. The expansion of global powerhouse TWICE’s North American tours, the mass return of second- and third-generation idol groups, and the international surge of new groups are all contributing to K-POP’s dynamic evolution. To commemorate their ongoing world tour, TWICE will open pop-up stores in major North American cities. These stores, located in Los Angeles, Toronto, Dallas, New York, and other locations, will feature immersive photo zones, interactive fan experiences, and newly released limited merchandise. Each store will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on designated days, with the final day operating from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Due to limited quantities, fans are encouraged to visit early. Last year, TWICE released their fourth studio album, “THIS IS FOR,” which entered the Billboard 200 chart within the top 10 — marking the group’s seventh consecutive top-10 entry. They also contributed to the official soundtrack of “K-POP Demon Hunters,” Netflix’s most-watched film ever. The track “TAKEDOWN,” recorded by Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung, appeared in the film’s ending credits and reached position 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. TWICE’s “Strategy” also made it onto the same soundtrack, reaching position 51. The world tour that began in 2025 started with two shows in Seoul before progressing to Australia, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and other locations, becoming the best-selling K-POP tour in Oceania to date. That same year, TWICE became the first K-POP act to headline Lollapalooza Chicago, drawing the largest audience in the festival’s history, and they also made history as the first K-POP girl group to perform on the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show stage. The 2026 tour officially kicked off last month with sold-out performances at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada. So far, it has successfully concluded four days of shows at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles after passing through Seattle, Oakland, Phoenix, and Dallas, with further stops planned in Washington D.C. In the future, performances will continue in major North American cities such as Belmont Park (New York), Atlanta, Montreal, Boston, and Austin. Meanwhile, the full-group returns of second- and third-generation idol groups are also worth noting. 2PM will hold a solo concert titled “THE RETURN” at Tokyo Dome on May 9–10. This marks their first full-group performance in approximately 2 years and 7 months since their 2023 show at Tokyo Ariake Arena, and it holds significant symbolic value as their first return in 10 years since their last Tokyo Dome show before military service in 2016. EXO is also currently on a sixth solo concert tour, “EXO PLANET #6- EXhOrizon,” following their comeback last month with their eighth studio album, “REVERXE.” This tour begins on April 10–12 at the K-Spo Dome in Seoul Olympic Park and will then travel to 13 locations worldwide, including Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Osaka, Tokyo, Jakarta, and Singapore. The Seoul show represents their first performance in approximately 6 years and 4 months since December 2019. VIXX will hold a fan concert titled “Case No. VIXX” at the KBS Arena in Seoul on the 21st and 22nd. This is their first solo stage in about 7 years since 2019, and it is themed around the concept of “case records.” An industry insider commented, “This wave of full-group comebacks by groups like 2PM, EXO, and VIXX serves as evidence that even amid K-POP’s generational shift, the brand value of long-standing groups and the strength of their fanbases remain strong. As groups that defined an era return to the stage, competition among legendary idols is now in full swing.” The rise of new groups is also evident. The rookie idol group CORTIS is achieving notable success on the U.S. Billboard chart. According to the latest rankings, their debut album, “COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES,” reached position 4 on the “World Albums” chart and has stayed on the chart for 15 consecutive weeks. It also ranked 35th on the “Top Current Album Sales” chart, which tracks physical album sales. The intro track from CORTIS’s debut album, “GO!,” topped Billboard’s “25 Best K-POP Songs of 2025” list as the highest-ranking song by a male artist. Billboard praised the track, stating it “sticks in your mind after just one listen and brought fresh air to K-POP,” adding that it gained explosive popularity on social media and caused a ripple effect across Billboard charts. “GO!” is an extremely rare achievement for a rookie group, having ranked on the Billboard Global 200 chart for two consecutive weeks. International acclaim for “GO!” continued as well. The British fashion and culture magazine Dazed included it in its “30 Best K-POP Songs of 2025” list, while British music magazines NME, Apple Music, and Spotify also selected it as one of the best K-POP songs of the year. The American magazine Teen Vogue chose CORTIS’s debut album as one of “15 Best Non-English Albums of 2025,” praising it as a work that “shows the possibilities of the musical world they will showcase in the future.” Additionally, all five members were included in “Teen Vogue’s 50 Best Dressed of 2025” list. These developments illustrate that the K-POP market is developing a multi-layered structure of success, characterized by the ongoing rise of global superstars, the resurgence of legend groups, and the rapid growth of rising stars.