Few acts in K-pop have built momentum as relentlessly as Stray Kids, and the group is making sure the second half of 2026 keeps that streak alive. On June 22, JYP Entertainment lifted the curtain on a multi-part comeback plan, and the first piece lands today.
What Happened
Stray Kids opened a new chapter on June 22, 2026, when JYP Entertainment released a cinematic teaser and a music-video preview confirming the eight-member group’s return. The centerpiece is a pre-release single titled “RUN IT,” set to arrive on June 24 at 1 p.m. KST alongside a full music video.
The single is only the opening move. JYP confirmed that a larger project, the album “THIS & THAT,” will follow on August 7 at 1 p.m. KST, with multiple outlets reporting an eight-track lineup. “RUN IT” is positioned as a lead-in rather than the album’s main single, giving listeners an early taste roughly six weeks before the full release.
The reveal also introduced a new world tour that shares the “RUN IT” name. Members Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N now have a release-and-tour calendar that stretches deep into 2027, tying recorded music and live shows together under a single banner.
Why It Matters
For Stray Kids, this rollout continues an unusually steady run of global activity. The new “RUN IT” tour is framed as a direct continuation of last year’s “dominATE” trek, which the group carried across 56 shows in 35 cities — a scale that places them among the busiest touring acts in contemporary K-pop.
That touring base has been reinforced by a deliberate push into cinema and immersive formats. The “dominATE” concert film, built around sold-out shows at California’s SoFi Stadium, reached theaters and IMAX screens worldwide on February 6, 2026, while a VR concert experience ran in Tokyo from March 6 to June 21, 2026. Dropping a pre-release single just days after that VR run closes keeps the group in front of audiences with almost no gap.
The staggered single-then-album structure has become a familiar tool across the industry, and Stray Kids’ use of it signals confidence that interest can sustain a six-week build toward “THIS & THAT.” Rather than front-loading everything into one release day, the plan spreads attention across summer, with the tour announcement giving fans a reason to stay engaged well beyond August.
Reaction
The announcement arrived through the group’s official channels with a cinematic teaser, the format Stray Kids has often used to frame a new era. By pairing the “RUN IT” music-video preview with the tour reveal on the same day, JYP gave its global fanbase, known as STAY, a single moment to rally around rather than a slow drip of separate updates.
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Stray Kids enter this comeback off a strong awards-season showing, including an appearance at the 40th Golden Disc Awards in January 2026. That continued visibility on major stages has kept expectations high, and the layered reveal — single, album, and tour at once — plays directly into a fanbase accustomed to treating each rollout as an event in its own right.
What’s Next
The immediate milestone is today’s release of “RUN IT” and its music video at 1 p.m. KST. From there, attention turns to August 7, when “THIS & THAT” arrives as the centerpiece of the era and gives the pre-release single its place within a fuller body of work.
The tour adds a longer horizon. The newly revealed itinerary focuses on Asia, with stadium and dome dates scheduled across South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, and Singapore, running through March 2027. City-by-city specifics are still being filled in, leaving room for additional dates as the schedule firms up over the coming months.
Closing Thoughts
What stands out about this announcement is less any single release than the shape of the whole plan. A pre-release single, a full album six weeks later, and a multi-country tour stretching into 2027 form a continuous arc rather than a one-off comeback, reflecting how established K-pop acts now think in terms of seasons instead of single drop dates.
For Stray Kids, the throughline is consistency. Coming off a global touring run, a theatrical concert film, and a VR experience, the group is moving straight into another cycle without pausing for breath. Whether “RUN IT” proves to be a quiet warm-up or an early standout, it sets the tempo for a busy stretch that fans will be tracking all the way to next spring.
한글 요약
스트레이 키즈가 6월 22일 JYP엔터테인먼트를 통해 새 컴백과 월드투어 계획을 공개했습니다. 선공개 싱글 ‘RUN IT’은 6월 24일 오후 1시(KST)에 뮤직비디오와 함께 공개되며, 8개 트랙으로 구성된 정규 앨범 ‘THIS & THAT’은 약 6주 뒤인 8월 7일에 발매됩니다.
이번 ‘RUN IT’ 월드투어는 35개 도시에서 56회 공연을 진행한 지난 ‘dominATE’ 투어의 연장선입니다. 한국·일본·홍콩·대만·태국·싱가포르 등 아시아 주요 도시의 스타디움과 돔 공연으로 2027년 3월까지 이어질 예정이면, 도시별 세부 일정은 순차 공개됩니다.
스트레이 키즈는 극장 개봉한 콘서트 영화와 도쿄 VR 공연에 이어 이번 컴백까지 쉼 없이 활동을 이어가고 있습니다. 이번 발표는 단일 컴백을 넘어 여름부터 내년 이어지는 긎 활동 주기를 보여줍니다.