Mid-July 2026 is turning into one of the busiest solo stretches K-POP has seen this year, with idols from TXT, BTOB, and one of the genre's most respected soloists all dropping new music within days of each other.
Here's what's actually happening and why it matters if you're following any of these groups.
Three K-POP idols are having solo moments in mid-July 2026: TXT's YEONJUN released his second solo EP "NO LABELS: PART 02" (title track "Ice Cream") on July 10; BTOB's Lee Min-hyuk, performing as HUTA, releases his single album "TEMPERATURE" (title track "Icy & Spicy") on July 15; and veteran soloist SUNMI releases her digital single "Forever July" the same day, July 15. All three are established idols using solo work to stretch beyond their group identities.
YEONJUN — "Ice Cream" Official MV (2026) · BIGHIT MUSIC · via YouTube
YEONJUN: "NO LABELS: PART 02" and "Ice Cream"
TXT's YEONJUN kicked off this stretch of solo activity on July 10 with "NO LABELS: PART 02," his second official solo EP and the follow-up to November 2025's "NO LABELS: PART 01." The six-track mini album is led by "Ice Cream," a funky pop-rock title track that compares romance to, well, ice cream — sweet, playful, and built around mutual respect rather than intensity.
YEONJUN
TXT · BIGHIT MUSIC (HYBE)Release: "NO LABELS: PART 02" — 6-track solo EP
Title track: "Ice Cream" (funky pop-rock)
- Second official solo project, following "NO LABELS: PART 01" (Nov 2025) and his 2024 mixtape "GGUM"
- Tracklist also includes "Vanilla," "Baby Wassup?," "No More Disco," "Fxxking Star," and "Long Way Long Ride"
- YEONJUN is credited on lyrics for several tracks, continuing his hands-on involvement in his solo work
- The music video was filmed in Prague and features Spanish dancer Lara Casquero Fernández
What makes this release notable beyond the music itself is the timing: YEONJUN is releasing solo work while TXT is mid-way through an international tour, meaning the group and its members are essentially promoting on two fronts at once. It's a pattern that's become increasingly common for HYBE artists — members maintaining group activity while building an individual identity in parallel, rather than waiting for a group hiatus.
HUTA: "TEMPERATURE" and "Icy & Spicy"
BTOB's Lee Min-hyuk — known in his solo work as HUTA — follows up close behind with "TEMPERATURE," his new single album releasing July 15 at 6 PM KST. This comes just weeks after his second full solo album "BOOM," released in late June, meaning HUTA is in the middle of an unusually active solo stretch even by his own standards.
HUTA (Lee Min-hyuk of BTOB) — "BOOM" Official MV (2026), his most recent single ahead of "TEMPERATURE" · via YouTube
HUTA
BTOB · BTOB CompanyRelease: "TEMPERATURE" — single album, 3 tracks
Title track: "Icy & Spicy"
- Also includes "KO" and an alternate "KO (Rush Ver.)"
- Concept built around contrasting temperatures — "Icy" concept photos dropped first, with a "Spicy" set to follow
- Comes on the heels of "BOOM," his June single, making this back-to-back solo activity within the same summer
- Physical album available in Goods and Paper versions
HUTA has built a reputation as one of K-POP's most reliably high-energy solo performers, and "TEMPERATURE" leans into that directly with its hot-and-cold concept. If you're new to BTOB, this is a useful entry point specifically because it's solo material — you get a concentrated dose of one member's style without needing to know the full seven-member group's discography first.
SUNMI: "Forever July"
Rounding out the week is SUNMI, releasing her digital single "Forever July" on July 15 — the same day as HUTA's comeback. Unlike YEONJUN and HUTA, SUNMI's solo career isn't a side project alongside a group; she's been a full-time soloist for years, first as a member of the Wonder Girls and now as one of K-POP's most consistent independent artists under her own agency.
SUNMI
Soloist · ABYSS CompanyRelease: "Forever July" — digital single
- Teased with a short video titled "...7?" before the title was confirmed
- Marketing imagery leans into a rainy, monsoon-season summer mood rather than typical bright "summer song" visuals
- Her most recent prior release was the single "Heart Burn"
- Known for writing and co-producing much of her own catalog, including fan-favorite tracks like "Gashina" and "Siren"
If you're a newer fan wondering why SUNMI's name keeps coming up outside of "girl group" conversations, this is why — she's spent close to a decade building a solo identity that stands apart from any group affiliation, and "Forever July" continues that run rather than functioning as a one-off side release.
This Week's Solo Comebacks, Side-by-Side
| Artist | Release | Title Track | Release Date | Group / Agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YEONJUN | NO LABELS: PART 02 (EP) | Ice Cream | July 10, 2026 | TXT · BIGHIT MUSIC |
| HUTA | TEMPERATURE (single album) | Icy & Spicy | July 15, 2026 | BTOB · BTOB Company |
| SUNMI | Forever July (digital single) | Forever July | July 15, 2026 | Soloist · ABYSS Company |
If you only have time to check out one of these, start with whichever act you already follow at the group level — solo releases tend to reward existing familiarity more than group comebacks do, since they're built to show a different side of an artist you already know, rather than to hook brand-new fans.
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