Literally what it means. The group “comes back” for a long schedule of promotions for their latest songs. Can be done via music shows, variety shows, fan meetings etc.

This is followed by a lull period where the group goes back again to prepare for their next album and disappears from activities for awhile.

Xbsbs omg it's so cool to see that Dreamcatcher brought you into kpop!!! You have a tasteful friend :P

Basically yes, kpop works differently in that comeback means new music, new era. Artists don't come out with a full album and promote it for two years like the U.S., the usual comeback cycle is every 3-5 months. For example, Blackpink is making a comeback in march, meaning they're releasing a mini album in March. Promotions for comebacks usually last a month!

Dreamcatcher made their debut with Chase Me and made their first comeback a few months later with Good Night :)

The confusion arises from the fact that in Western showbiz a “comeback” means a return to prominence after a long period of a relative lack of success/fame after their initial popularity, like with John Travolta with Pulp Fiction or Robert Downey Jr. with Iron Man. In K-Pop, a comeback basically just means a new release—a single, mini-album (EP) or album—though there’s more to it than that since in mainstream K-Pop it entails a promotional cycle, starting with early teaser material for the release (images of the members showing the song’s concept, a tracklist, a highlight video of the album, a teaser video for the main single, sometimes a pre-release song/video for a song on the album that’s not the main single), the release of the single/album alongside the MV, kicked off with a “showcase” (sort of a press conference for fans and media where the act performs their single and other songs from the album), then a number of weeks performing the song on the music chart shows before they wrap things up with “goodbye stages” (the last official performances of their single on the music shows as part of the promotional cycle). During the promotions we’ll see additional videos—dance practices, behind the scenes footage of shooting the music video, behind the scenes footage of shooting the photos for the album, etcetera—and the acts may also make appearances on other TV shows (talk shows, variety shows) to promote the release.

So the short answer is “a comeback is a new song (to promote as a single or part of an album),” but there’s a lot that goes into a comeback.

Agree with everyone that already answered, just wanted to leave an invitation to join us at the r/dreamcatcher subreddit. All fans old and new are welcome!

Even if their dynamic as group is different they will fake it and pretend they still are the same as they where when they filmed group content 24/7,also talking about that,will they still be ok with having to film group content 24/7 now that they also want their solo careers and individual names to shine? i think they will keep popping group music cus they are chart obsessed and members like RM and Suga and Jhope knows they as soloist will never gonna get that #1 in hot 100 so they will have to keep bragging about group sucess forever,i dont think any of them will leave hybe not even in the "i leave for solo stuff but i renew as a group" strategy,they dont have the guts to do that and create a label where they will not have the same budget,resources and connections and will have to truly do a lot of planning themselves with a small team,hybe marketing them as 7 forever stunnted a lot of their solo ambitions and a lot of their solo oportunities you saw in their soloist chapter was only thanks to hybe and not their personal industry connections,which make it different to #that gg that always where more marketed as individuals that make group stuff once in awhile so now that they are on their 30s nobody is shocked or surprised cus it has always been that way and their fandom got used to that strategy from early on So yeah i think they will keep making music or releasing music stuff as a group till they are like 60 lol nobody will leave the group no matter how much they are done with the idol lifestyle and want to be hollywood stars now,they dont have the guts to do that

The comeback will do numbers, however it will not be as big as some armies think it will be. The hybe isn't as big as it used to be and most armies that were there before the military actually seem to have a life now. BTS doesn't seem to be untouchable anymore.

I also think that their comeback song is going to be the same as the hit songs they made in the 2020s. A typical boring pop song with some tiktok vibes to it.

I can also tell you the line distribution, Jungkook will sing like 60% of the song, Jimin sadly will get alot of lines aswell, the rapline will get a combined 15 seconds with j hope and suga getting like one line while rm gets two lines, jin will be 3rd in the line distribution and armies will go crazy and say "jin finally has lines" even tho he has alot of lines since like 2017, and our zionist V will also get like 20 seconds in the song.

Agree with a lot your predictions. In 2026 I think they'll release a bad to awful album or EP with a few English tracks thrown in. Then a big world tour which will do very well, possibly biggest kpop tour ever. And then they'll go back to their solo careers, reuniting every so often as a cash grab. Their popularity has already peaked for sure and the next few years will see it decline. Hard core armys will stick around and annoy us forever but they won't be front and center forever. Kpop is obsessed with youth, that's just the way it is. What I'm most interested in is what their legacy will be.

if its some 2:30 minutes long tiktok type music, ITS OVER.
Sorry, but recently HYBE is only releasing these kind of "lofi"/half-baked music, barely any substance

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Honestly, I have a pretty bold opinion about this. I think the real surprise will be that the comeback might flop.

Like you said, 4 years is a long time — especially for people over 20. People change, their interests shift, and I’m starting to notice that even ARMYs themselves aren’t what they used to be. It’s way easier to “cancel” them now, and they don’t have the same power they once did.

On top of that, BTS’s music isn’t that interesting anymore. As a group, they just aren’t exciting — especially now that they’re all in their 30s. And the huge gap before this comeback completely kills the momentum, not to mention the solo releases they've dropped (and may continue dropping) in between.

Then there’s their public image, which has started to decline — from supporting Zionists to individual members facing controversies outside the group.

When you put all these small things together, they could cause serious damage. Even if HYBE throws everything behind this comeback, I really don’t think it’ll live up to the hype.

Idk what groups yall are stanning but TXT goes crazy for their eras so I always have fun. Themed exhibitions, mini fanmeets, music shows, variety shows, scavenger hunts in different cities, etc

check out my only and ult group ARTMS 🤩 comeback eras always special. debut roll out was impressive - and individual teasers and promotion for Tour and comeback was like art. icarus era magnificent. has a concept and direction. i love this group.

https://preview.redd.it/z7fp61k3zznf1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7fdce7861af0eff9d2c78870003c4c7f9937cbba

The most recent one that caught my attention and felt special to some extent was Illit. They promoted for 6 weeks, did many stages, performed multiple songs, wore so many iconic outfits.

It's actually felt like an era that can be remembered.

Things just move too fast these days.

I saw some comments from a couple people who say they "LOVED" Kpop Demon Hunters 2-3 weeks after it came out saying that they were tired of the hype. The movie hadn't even been out for a month and they had genuinely liked it.

If some "fans" of one of the biggest movies this year are tired of it after 2 weeks and think it's normal to share that, it just shows the way things are these days.

Hopefully the pendulum will swing back in the other direction and people will realize it's worth it to stick with a great thing for a while before moving on so quickly. Fans gotta vote with their actions and words.

Monsta X’s comeback has been really fun so far! There was a lot of street promotion including graffiti art for it, pop ups, etc and lots of content. They were up extra at night doing stationhead parties with fans and instead turning it into radio shows lol, they just wanted to chat and sing

Who are you talking about? Im curious.

For small companies its hard to have comeback even if they are low budget bc they barely see any revenue out of it, so they need to have investors for it. Probably new ones every comeback, and from what i understand, investors have lowered since the past year. If they dont get attention enough from kpopers or the general public that translates in sales they won't be able to properly finance a comeback soon

Whether or not it’s a strategy depends on the situation. YG groups do this stuff on purpose, groups from small companies might not be able to afford frequent comebacks.

I wish would go back to yearly releases. These multiple releases makes it feel like nothing gets a chance to grow and breathe. Just when a song is catching on they release another and another. 

Recreating the exclusivity some older groups have to get to a point where no matter what is released they’ll make profit tbh

A lot of smaller company groups just can't afford it tbh

I used to be a BTS fan. I still like their music but I'm not a fan like that anymore. I've heard solo songs and it doesn't hit the same anymore. When BTS peaked, their sings carried messages about loving yourself. Now a days, with a lot of these solos, it's about sex and other stuff that are really positive or as impactful as it used to be. If they do trend again, I believe it'll be momentarily

I definitely think so

I came across some recent social media clips of the next generation male groups selling out huge stadium concerts in various countries. I think BTS returning will be pretty big for the industry and be a tailwind.

All I know is they better roll up to the nines with an XF dance crew.
Shit the Blackpink members pull is ridiculous, shameless ABA(Anything But Asian) dance team.

Yes

Other groups haven't reached the same heights as the 3rd generation, maybe BTS returning will give the whole market a boost but I don't follow closely enough to fully know what's going on - think it'll be much slower growth for Kpop in general 🤷‍♂️

i'm guessing a korean comeback :0 they've been releasing two albums (or mini albums) a year for a while now... and i feel like if they add another tour leg (latam and south east asia) they'll probably release an album before that.

Seonghwa hasn't even turned 27 yet and contracts haven't officially been renewed but people are already freaking out over their enlistment era. My goodness can we not just enjoy 2025 without prematurely worrying about when they're going to leave for the military?

Anyway, I do think it's likely that they'll start teasing the next era at the Seoul concert and if we go by their usual schedule a Korean comeback in May seems reasonable.

anticipating korean, probably golden hour pt 3 soon followed by another world tour maybe by end of the year? our matz are approaching… ahem… that time (im sorry) so i think they’ll want to wrap up this trilogy before then

Being a carat also and seeing atiny doomposting about enlistment is making me giggle a lil. Seonghwa is only 26, they're acting like hes gonna enlist this year. Jeonghan enlisted a few months before his 29th birthday. There's plenty of time for multiple comebacks

samesies i'm manifesting too bc i really want them to come back to latam 😭😭 and last tour that's what they did, a new album (Outlaw) and then the latam and asia tour datesss

Hmm, I checked their comeback schedule from the previous three years, and

• 2022: JPN half-comeback (Japanese versions, no new title tracks) -> KOR Guerrilla -> JPN Paradigm -> KOR Halazia
• 2023: JPN Limitless -> KOR Bouncy -> JPN Crazy Form
• 2024: JPN Not Okay -> KOR Work -> JPN Birthday -> KOR IOMT

Now, if we compare releases in 2023 and 2024, Bouncy and Crazy Form came out on June 15th and December 1st, while Work and IOMT on May 30th and November 15th. Two weeks of a difference, roughly! Guerrilla and Halazia were July 29th and Demeber 30th, for comparison. Unless something changes, I think we can expect May and November to be Korean comeback months. Can they fit in a Japanese comeback, though? Not Okay came out on February 28th, so that's roughly three months between a Japanese and a Korean comeback, but in this case, they're finishing the TTL tour in late March, so it might be an obstacle, and I suppose they'll focus on the concert prep.

tl;dr A Korean comeback probably, yeah.

Many people in the comments mentioned enlistment, so >!I grabbed a couple of random idol enlistment dates and based on those, most of them enlisted a couple of months before their 29th birthday (and some, a couple of months after their 28th birthday). International ages, of course.!<

>!Seonghwa, as the eldest, turns 29 in early April 2027. Now, there are several scenarios, so I can't say for sure -- well, no one but Seonghwa and KQ can, lol -- but the main question is, are they going to enlist in pairs/groups, or individually? Are they going to try for solo releases before enlisting or not? Are they going to promote those solo releases? It all depends on that. But if we assume Seonghwa has to get his butt to the military before he's 29, then, my theory:!<

• >!2025: GH3 + NS (new series)1; beginning of a new tour later in the year!<
• >!2026: if we assume the NS will be a trilogy, NS2 and NS3; if it's a duology, either NS2 + a special album (another Spin-Off?), OR late 2025 is SA and 2026 is NS1 and NS2; the tour concludes!<
• >!late 2026-early 2027: potential Seonghwa/Matz solo stuff, if that one fansign reply wasn't just fanservice and Matz really wouldn't mind enlisting together, OR a special album.!<

>!Another interesting thing to think about: if Matz release solo stuff before enlisting, then what about 99z and Jongho? It would be unfair to ship them off to serve without letting them release something as well, but waiting until 2028 would make the OT8-Atiny separation longer lol. On the other hand, Wooyoung has said it himself that we've got three years left... 🤔🤔🤔!<

R&b sexy song like fever. I feel like they will make a pop rock song within the ep. I think it will be 5 or 6 songs

Man. With all the water imagery since dark blood.

I think its gonna be some water concept. Like they're probably wet and stuff in the MV or something.

Like they're going through a full on rebirth

tbh idk anything all I'm hoping for is a cvnty vampire concept. like. they need to go back to their roots. dark blood's sexy twin 🙏 but make it bolder and more refined given their growth and experience as artists

Heeseung said that their new album will be hot!! So let's see!! I also think their comeback will be mass audience based as well because the comeback is after Coachella.

something spicy!

Itzy Wannabe! The song is very catchy, girls look amazing and their dancing is also sooo good. I love everything about this comeback.

Gfriend's Labyrinth. That album was insane.

Followed by Dreamcatcher and Apink. Still think Apink had the strongest title track. But Gfriend really served the bsides. Also Rocket Punch, while their new title didn't do it for me at all, the bside Lilac was FANTASTIC.

Elris - This Is Me is easily my favourite kpop song released so far this year. I'm a sucker for Sweetune music.

Dreamcatcher’s Scream, hands down! Not to mention Dystopia album in its entirety - still enjoying it daily

not a comeback but nun nu nan na and assa by cignature! ive been waiting for the girls from good day to make a return and they finally did!

I watched Chan and Han talk on NiziU's variety show about their recent Japanese EP.

If I remember rightly, they said that the title track, Hollow, was a concept that they had tried pre-debut but the song wasn't good (their own words) so this was their retry.

And then I think they also mentioned there was a different song on the EP that they'd written quite a few years ago and was only just now being released.

I can only speak for Stray Kids as I watch more of their interviews and appearances and behind the scenes than any other group. But they have often talked about songs being meant for one album but having been shelved for the next one. Or a song sitting on Chan's laptop for years before being used. Famously, their song Superbowl was originally supposed to be "God's Menu" but the members loved a new song that became God's Menu and then Superbowl was renamed and reworked into a b-side 3 years later.

I don't completely disagree with you. I do wish Stray Kids especially spaced out their comebacks a bit more, although I always eat up new music from them very greedily. And I think if I did have to criticise their output, it would be cohesiveness of their albums (although I think Mixtape Dominate was EXTREMELY cohesive!)

But I do think Stray Kids have room to shelve things, revisit things, scrap things, etc.

This is just me theorizing but if the “some groups” you’re referring to are SKZ, Seventeen, and IDLE, the idea that the quality is going down could be a result of those groups’ fandoms getting older. All 3 groups are finally old enough to where they have fandom generations (pre-debut fan vs debut era fan vs peak era fan etc). A lot of times when a group hits this age, the “older” fans start to question the quality of the music. Not because it’s actually “bad”, but because it doesn’t feel as special or magical as the songs when you first became a fan.

I loved SNSD’s last two albums, but I found myself feeling a bit disappointed in the music. And then I realized they still sound like classic Soshi, I just miss the past too much. I bet that a newer SNSD fan considers all of their albums to be equally magical experiences because it’s still novel to them. But nothing will ever be as “good” as what you experienced when you first got there.

Nope I enjoy the music and happily will be open to new song any day even if my fav release a song a day.

Generally, yes. Self-producing groups are caught between a rock and a hard place when they have to rely on themselves for their next release but are short on time and inspiration. Idol-related activities like appearing on variety shows, hosting, and brand deals pack their schedules enough, and then they also have song-making responsibilities on top of that. To meet all their obligations, they can't do everything all by themselves and collab/delegate to get by.

I think it also depends on the idol-producers' styles. I-DLE's Minnie says she takes a long time to write songs because she can only compose when she's inspired, so instances like her becoming very depressed during I-DLE's world tour would take a big hit on her ability to create period. Compare this to Yuqi and Soyeon, who have endless ideas and steadily create. In some ways, having a set deadline in the near future to refine and execute a concept might actually be helpful for them, since they don't have to wait too long to try something new.

Hui recently revealed that the inspiration for Dr. Bebe (the title track of Pentagon's full-length album) was a box of Dr. Bebe wet-wipes -- basically, he was panicking, because Cube didn't like any of his submitted tracks, and they wouldn't push back the schedule.

Now, as it happens, Dr. Bebe is, imo, one of his best tracks, and the concept/MV was actually really cool, but if THAT is the typical level of rush that these idol-producers are under, yeah, you're going to get some clunkers.