YG Entertainment has confirmed the official comeback date for iKON. The announcement was accompanied with a black and white teaser photo of the group.
In the photo the boys are wearing matching black hoodies with their backs turned to the camera. According to allkpop, the group will release their new album on May 22.
Not much else was revealed about iKON's comeback details. However, at the 2017 YG x UNICEF Walking Festival, the group teased that they have prepared a "killer song, sharp choreography and music video," Soompi reported. Yang Hyun Suk also raised expectations for iKON's comeback when he commented that the group's new songs are their best so far.
It was previously reported that iKON had filmed two music videos in March. The group is reportedly returning with double title tracks, both of which written by the members themselves. This seems to mirror the same comeback strategy undertaken by WINNER, which released "Fate Number Four" in April.
iKON's upcoming album will be their first one since they released "Welcome Back" in 2015. Last year, iKON released a digital single titled "#WYD," which debuted at number three on the Gaon Digital Chart. In the same year, iKON dropped their first Japanese single, titled "Dumb & Dumber."
Following the release of "Dumb & Dumber," the group has been gaining a lot of exposure in Japan and has been actively promoting in the country ever since, starting with their Japan Tour 2016-2017. The boys held a total of nine concerts at the Osaka-Jo Hall, Fukuoka Marine Messe and Yokohama Arena. iKON's Japan Tour drew a total of 442,000 fans, setting a new record for the group.
Due to the success of iKON's concert series, they will host two dome tours at the Osaka Kyocera Dome on May 20 and Saitama Seibu Prince Dome on June 17.
