NewJeans, NMIXX, ITZY: Who Will Reign as the Summer Queen of K-pop this Summer?

In July, the music scene is predicted to be a fierce battleground due to the comeback of numerous artists. The summer season is traditionally a time when idols are especially active. Several girl groups are aiming for the title of 'Summer Queen' with refreshing music that fits the summer vibe. Top-tier girl groups such as NewJeans, NMIXX, and ITZY have made their names known in the July lineup.

Confident NewJeans: Another Triple Title Track Strategy

NewJeans is releasing their second mini-album 'Get up' on July 21. On the 7th, ahead of their comeback, 'Super Shy' and 'New Jeans' will be pre-released. The pre-released 'Super Shy' is a title track of the album and 'ETA', 'Cool With You' are also title tracks. That means they have selected three out of six songs as title tracks, showcasing a triple title track strategy.

This is not the first time NewJeans have confidently chosen a triple title track. In their debut album last August, they highlighted 'Attention', 'Hybe Boy', and 'Cookie' as triple title tracks. Producer Min Hee-jin's choice was a hit, all three songs gained immense popularity, causing the 'NewJeans Syndrome'. The first song to be released, 'ETA', has unique lyrics and a melodic rap that gives off a conversation-like vibe, resonating with teenagers.

In this album, all six songs will have their own music videos. The agency said, "We plan to show a different charm in each music video, including unusual collaborations with global brands and surprising guest appearances that surpass expectations." The recently released 'OMG' music video, featuring popular streamer 'Calm Man' (Lee Mal-yeon), has garnered a lot of attention. With their strong debut, it's anticipated that NewJins will continue to dominate the summer.

NMIXX: On the Rise after Gaining Popularity?

Group NMIXX will release their third single 'A Midsummer NMIXX's Dream' on July 11. 'Roller Coaster', one of the songs on the album, will be pre-released on the 3rd, and the title song is 'Party o'clock' written and composed by Park Jin-young. The rest of the album consists of two instrumental versions of the songs. The strategy here is to sequentially reveal the two tracks on the album to draw attention.

NMIXX, who released their first mini-album 'Xpergo' in March, had their pre-released song 'Young, Dumb, Stupefied' top the US Billboard 'Hot Trending Songs Powered by Twitter' chart. However, what's more significant than global chart success is the positive reception of their title song 'Love Me Like This'. Though it did not top domestic music charts, it showed significant growth.

Since their debut, NMIXX has championed their own genre, 'Mix Pop', but did not gain much attention from the public with their singles 'Ad Mare' and 'Entwarp'. However, with their first mini-album, they received recognition for finding the answer to the popular appeal of 'Mix Pop'. It is interesting to see whether NMIXX, who have found their own direction, can rise to new heights with their first summer comeback after their debut.

ITZY Steps Out to Solidify the Formula 'Summer = ITZY'

The group ITZY is also releasing a new album 'KILL MY DOUBT' on July 31. After about seven months since their last mini 6th album 'Cheshire' released in November last year, ITZY is returning with a total of six songs in this album, including the title track 'CAKE'.

Unlike the girl groups introduced earlier, who are making their first summer comebacks to challenge for the throne of the 'Summer Queen', ITZY already has a reputation as a 'Summer Queen' with their summer activities. They have solidified their position as the summer queen with songs like 'ICY' and 'Not Shy' each summer, all receiving positive responses. The song 'Sneakers', which they performed last summer, also received a lot of love.

To solidify the formula 'Summer = ITZY', many star composers have been credited in this album. Especially, the title song 'CAKE' raises expectations with the participation of Black Eyed Pilseung, who created 'Elegant', 'Cheer Up', 'TT' and other songs for JYP Entertainment's senior group TWICE.

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