K-pop's 26 October showdown: IVE, ILLIT and RIIZE all return on the same day

K-pop's busiest month is building to one very crowded day. On Monday, 26 October 2026, three of the industry's biggest names release new music at once: IVE, ILLIT and RIIZE.

IVE: Looks Can Kill

1. Release: fifth mini album Looks Can Kill, 26 October
2. Songs: six, including Looks Can Kill, Mirror Mirror, Snakeskin and Crumbs
3. Concept: Girl Hero, styled after superhero comics

IVE got a head start by pre-releasing the title track on 19 October. Its music video, built around superhero-film tropes, reached No. 1 on YouTube's worldwide trending chart and appeared on trending charts in 34 countries and regions within a day. Starship Entertainment describes the song as electronic dance-pop with heavy bass and an explosive final chorus. This is the group's first album in about eight months, since REVIVE+ in February. The kitschy comic-book concept photos have split fans online, which has only added to the buzz.

ILLIT: BREAK EVEN

1. Release: fifth mini album BREAK EVEN, 6 pm KST on 26 October
2. Title track: I'll Arrest You, first performed at the group's encore concerts in Incheon on 17 and 18 October

ILLIT has been promoting as four members since June, when Moka paused activities to focus on her health. Iroha recently suffered an ankle injury and will take part in performances flexibly. The group's earlier single It's Me reached No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100.

RIIZE

RIIZE releases a prologue single on the same day, a first look at its second full-length album, due next spring.

A packed October

The trio cap a month that already brought NMIXX's Strange Muse and LISA's Press Play EP. Catch up on both: https://mediamarvels.in/news/nmixx-strange-muse-birthday-wish-october-2026 and https://mediamarvels.in/news/lisa-press-play-ep-tarantino-music-video.

K-pop has one of the fastest-growing fanbases in India. Follow the comebacks on https://mediamarvels.in/trends/global.