IVE (top) and BLACKPINK, set to face off in February.

The group IVE (An Yujin·Gaeul·Rei·Jang Wonyoung·Liz·Leeseo) will make a comeback late next month, going head-to-head with their seniors BLACKPINK. This sets up a fierce showdown between two flagship mega girl groups.

Starship Entertainment stated on the 17th, “IVE is aiming for a late-February comeback and is devoting itself to final work to deliver an even more complete album.”

This comeback comes about six months after the release of their 4th mini album ‘IVE SECRET’ in August last year. Starting with ‘LOVE DIVE’ released in 2022 and up through the 4th mini album, IVE surpassed 1 million in total shipments to become ‘seven consecutive million-sellers’. Last year, beginning with a ‘perfect all-kill (PAK)’ for ‘REBEL HEART’, they found success with ‘ATTITUDE’ and ‘XOXZ’ as well, lifting 20 trophies on music programs. They also claimed 28 crowns at earlier award ceremonies, including grand prizes, maintaining the stature of the ‘IVE syndrome’.

In particular, IVE’s return is drawing added attention because a showdown with BLACKPINK, which has already announced a comeback on the 27th of next month, appears unavoidable. On the 15th, YG Entertainment stated, “BLACKPINK will make a full-group comeback on February 27 with their 3rd mini album ‘DEADLINE’.” The timing is almost the same as IVE planning a late-February return.

Moreover, BLACKPINK is pushing even harder, as this marks a return three years and five months after the 2nd full album ‘BORN PINK’ in September 2022. Word is they are putting great effort into the music video shoot. They also intend to go all out in global activities to achieve strong results. During ‘BORN PINK’, BLACKPINK became the first K-pop girl group to top the U.S. Billboard main albums chart ‘Billboard 200’, and the digital single ‘JUMP’ released last year earned the group a third No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200, setting new records as the first and the most for a K-pop girl group.

IVE’s global results are formidable as well. IVE topped Billboard’s ‘Emerging Artists’ and appeared on the ‘Billboard Artist 100’ as well as the ‘World Albums’, ‘Top Current Album Sales’, ‘Top Album Sales’, and ‘Global (Excl. U.S.)’ charts; at year’s end, Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter named them among the ‘Best K-pop Songs of 2025’, acknowledging their expanded musicality. In addition, last year they performed at ‘Lollapalooza’ Berlin and Paris, becoming the first K-pop girl group to grace stages across three cities for two consecutive years. They then secured ‘Rock in Japan Festival 2025’ in Japan, standing tall as a ‘global festival powerhouse’.

There is keen interest in what results these two giant idol teams, now headed for a clash of the century, will achieve.

Meanwhile, after finishing February comeback promotions, IVE will embark on full-fledged global moves through its second world tour ‘SHOW WHAT I AM’. IVE opened the world tour last October at the KSPO DOME in Seoul and has confirmed a show at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan this April; they plan to continue the tour across various countries in Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania to meet global fans.

BLACKPINK is engaging with fans around the world through the ‘BLACKPINK World Tour <Deadline>(BLACKPINK WORLD TOUR < DeadLine >)’, which spans 16 cities and 33 dates. From the 16th to the 18th, they will take the stage for three days at Tokyo Dome in Japan, and on the 24th, 25th, and 26th, they are set to close the tour at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong.