YG Had It All Planned… The “Eye of the Storm” of the 2026 Music Industry
[OSEN=장우영 기자] YG Entertainment had everything planned. In 2026, the year of its 30th anniversary, the company will reunite with BIGBANG, which celebrates its “20th anniversary,” and plans to shake up the K-pop scene once again by launching a new boy group for the first time in six years.
YG Entertainment, celebrating its 30th anniversary since its founding, has signaled an aggressive move forward. In the video “2026 YG PLAN | YG ANNOUNCEMENT,” released on the official blog on the 4th, executive producer YANG HYUN SUK personally took the microphone for the first time in about six months since last August to share the projects YG Entertainment has prepared for this year.
The first is the return of BIGBANG’s activities. BIGBANG, which marks its 20th debut anniversary this year, will step forward again hand in hand with YG. YANG HYUN SUK said, “We have agreed with the BIGBANG members to hold concerts. Since we’ve worked together for such a long time, all YG staff are doing their best to create a perfect and outstanding performance.”
YG, which successfully wrapped up BLACKPINK’s world tour last year and demonstrated perfect synergy, plans to showcase the long-developed chemistry with the BIGBANG members on stage in 2026. Although the members have left YG and are currently active under their respective agencies, they are expected to reunite under the name BIGBANG for the first time in a while and shake the global market.
Next, BABYMONSTER plans to solidify its status as a global powerhouse through the release of two albums this year and a large-scale world tour, while TREASURE plans to open the second chapter of its activities in earnest starting with a mini album scheduled for release in June. In particular, TREASURE is expected to return with “YG-style authentic hip-hop,” and YANG HYUN SUK said, “The members came to me themselves and said they wanted to do hip-hop. You can look forward to the most YG-style music they’ve ever shown.”
The outline of the future has also become clearer. YANG HYUN SUK said, “We are preparing a new boy group with the goal of launching this fall,” while also revealing that the remaining two members of the four-member girl group “NEXT MONSTER” (tentative name), following EVELLI and Chanya, will be unveiled soon.
Previously, YANG HYUN SUK had already stepped forward last month and signaled bold moves. While announcing the “2026 YG SPECIAL AUDITION : GO! DEBUT,” he stated, “The passion I had back then when I traveled around searching for young talents like GD and Jennie is burning brightly inside me again.” He also expressed his conviction, saying, “If we simply sit in the office and wait because aspiring artists from around the world are flocking to major Korean agencies, a second GD or JENNIE will never be born.”
As he rolls up his sleeves and steps to the forefront himself, expectations are rising. The outlines of the new groups that were hinted at last year are becoming clearer, and with activities planned for BIGBANG, TREASURE, and BABYMONSTER, 2026 is expected to be a year more packed than any other in the music industry.
2026. 3. 5.
