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Top-tier K-pop acts are gearing up to vie for the top spots on the music charts in August, with many of them planning to release upbeat summer anthems to keep K-pop lovers cool amid the sizzling hot weather.
1. ASTRO (Aug. 2)
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| The teaser for ASTRO's new mini-album "SWITCH ON" / Courtesy of Fantagio |
"SWITCH ON is an album about ASTRO's past, present and future," the company said in a statement. "It will be a testament to the group's musical growth."
The album will be led by "After Midnight," a disco-based up-tempo pop song with funky beats. Fantagio revealed that ASTRO members have sent messages to each other through the lyrics. Also included in the album are "Footprint," "Waterfall," "Sunset Sky," "MY ZONE" and "Don't Worry."
The company floated two contrasting teasers on its official Twitter, July 21. In one photo, the members are sporting fancy stage outfits and accessories. In another picture, they are wearing just white T-shirts and blue jeans.
"SWITCH ON" is ASTRO's first album since its release of "All Yours" in April.
2. Somi (Aug. 2)
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| The teaser for Somi's new song "DUMB DUMB" / Courtesy of The Black Label |
Her agency, The Black Label, took to its official Twitter July 23 to unveil the teasers for "DUMB DUMB." One of them is the singer's Polaroid photo colorfully adorned with different stickers.
"Somi, who is releasing her first new song in a year, will showcase her different sides this time," the company said in a statement.
The singer's last single, "What You Waiting For," came out last July and grabbed the top spots on multiple music streaming charts including iTunes.
Somi, 20, joined I.O.I after winning the first season of Mnet's popular audition program, "Produce 101" (2016). Following the group's dissolution in 2017, she has been forging a career as a solo artist.
3. Sunmi (Aug. 6)
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| The teaser for Sunmi's upcoming mini-album "1/6" / Courtesy of Abyss Company |
The "Gashina" singer is poised to drop her new mini-album, "1/6," about three years after releasing her last EP, "WARNING."
Sunmi's management company, Abyss Company, recently unveiled a pink-colored poster with a message that reads, "On the moon where gravity is one-sixth, will the weight of anxiety also be one-sixth?" The poster features a purple-haired Sunmi wearing a big white ribbon and a dazzling pearl necklace.
The former Wonder Girls member, whose hits include "24 hours" (2013) and "Heroine" (2018), will also appear as a mentor on Mnet's upcoming audition show, "Girls Planet 999."
4. TXT (Aug. 17)
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| K-pop boy group TXT / Courtesy of Big Hit Music |
On Aug. 17, Tomorrow X Together (TXT) will unleash "The Chaos Chapter: FIGHT OR ESCAPE," a repacked version of its second full-length album that hit shelves in May. Its agency, Big Hit Music, has not revealed how many new tracks will be added to the upcoming album.
"FIGHT OR ESCAPE" is the last part of TXT's "The Chaos Chapter" series.
After releasing a teaser for an album featuring random items such as a mobile phone and a skateboard, Big Hit Music said, "The teaser shows different items that today's young people are fond of."
TXT, comprising Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun and Huening Kai, recently secured the No. 5 spot on the Billboard 200 chart with its second studio album, "The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE."
Other prominent K-pop acts, such as Red Velvet, Stray Kids and Cravity, also hinted that they would return to the music scene in August, but have not yet announced the exact dates.
