Major girl bands schedule new releases for May
Names like BABYMONSTER, NMIXX, ITZY, LE SSERAFIM, aespa, and I.O.I are making May 2026 one of the busiest months for K-pop girl groups. They are all scheduled to return with different singles, mini-albums, albums, and concepts, making the fifth month of the year highly competitive.
The musical lineup stars on May 4, 2026, with the release of BABYMONSTER’s third EP, “Choom.” It will come as the girl band’s first release since We Go Up” in October 2025 and is expected to show a wider musical range. The EP will have a total of 4 songs, including “Moon,” “I Like It,” and “Locked In.”
NMIXX and ITZY add momentum to JYP’s lineup
NIMIXX will continue the comeback run on May 11, 2026, with their fifth EP, “Heavy Serenade,” about seven months after their acclaimed album “Blue Valentine.” JYP Entertainment said singer-songwriter Hanroro helped write the title track, while Lily and Bae joined the writing process for other B-side tracks in the project, titled “Crescendo,” “Loud,” and “Different Girl.
Love—once it grows, it won’t stay hidden.#NMIXX #엔믹스
NMIXX 5th EP “Heavy Serenade”
➫ 2026.5.11 6PM (KST)🎼 Pre-Save & Pre-Add & Pre-Orderhttps://t.co/xB3mkUNH4u#NMIXX #엔믹스#HeavySerenade#NMIXX_HeavySerenade pic.twitter.com/nLGyID1RCl
— NMIXX (@NMIXX_official) April 23, 2026
Meanwhile. ITZY, also under JYP, will return on May 18, 2026, with the EP “Motto.” The project will include solo songs from each member, which has raised interest among fans, especially after the group’s older song “That’s a No No” found new popularity online. The track was originally released in 2020, but gained traction after being performed during ITZY’s World Tour in Sydney.
LESSERAFIM, aespa, and I.O.I will wrap up the month
Adding excitement to the girl group run, LE SSERAFIM will release their second full-length album, “Pureflow pt. 1,” on May 22, 2026, following the pre-release track “Celebration,” which dropped today. Watch the music video for “Celebration” below:
I.O.I will also return on May 19, 2026, with “I.O.I: Loop,” marking the group’s first release in about nine years. The group was originally formed in 2016 in the Produce 101 reality show. The girl band remained active until 2017. Finally, aespa will close the month on May 29, 2026, with their second album, “Lemonade,” before starting a global tour in August 2026. This will mark their next full project following “Armageddon,” which spawned massive hits like “Supernova.”
