I.O.I: Loop

I.O.I: Loop
EP by
I.O.I
ReleasedMay 19, 2026 (2026-05-19)
Length20:28
Language
  • Korean
  • English
Label
Producer
I.O.I chronology
Miss Me?
(2016) 		I.O.I: Loop
(2026)
Singles from I.O.I: Loop
  1. "Goodbye with a Smile"
    Released: May 4, 2026 (2026-05-04)
  2. "Suddenly"
    Released: May 19, 2026 (2026-05-19)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
IZM[1]

I.O.I: Loop (Korean: 아이오아이 : 루프[2]; stylized in all caps) is the third extended play (EP) by South Korean girl group I.O.I. Produced by Swing Entertainment and distributed by Stone Music Entertainment and KT Genie Music, the EP was released on May 19, 2026. The EP marked the group's reunion to celebrate their tenth debut anniversary.

Formed as a temporary project group from the television program Produce 101 (2016), I.O.I found success but only actively promoted for less than a year before disbanding in January 2017 as part of their contract. While the members pursued solo or group careers in their respective agencies, attempted reunions never materialized until it was announced in December 2025 that nine of the eleven members would reunite to release new music for their tenth anniversary.

The EP features a total of six tracks, carried by its singles "Goodbye with a Smile" and "Suddenly". The physical version of I.O.I: Loop features one version, including a photo book, a CD, two random photo cards, a poster, a special printed photo, a mini accordion booklet and a photo taken with a Polaroid camera.[3] I.O.I will promote the EP through their Loop Tour around Asia.

Background

On July 1, 2019, Studio Blu confirmed that the group would return in October 2019 with nine members, excluding Yoo Yeon-jung and Jeon So-mi.[4][5] On September 6, the planned comeback was postponed to December.[6] On October 29, the comeback was canceled due to scheduling conflicts between the members and the Mnet vote manipulation investigation.[7]

On December 25, 2025, the members revealed that I.O.I would reunite for a comeback in May 2026; with the exception of Zhou Jieqiong and Kang Mi-na—who were unable to participate due to commitments to acting—the remaining nine members joined forces for this reunion project.[8] On February 23, 2026, Swing Entertainment announced that the group will reunite for a new album release in May, without Mina and Jieqiong. Swing also confirmed that they will manage the group's promotional activities for the album and their 10th anniversary.[9] On March 9, 2026, I.O.I launched official social media accounts to mark their 10th anniversary.[10]

Release and promotion

On April 20, the group announced that their album would be titled I.O.I: Loop and scheduled its release for May 19.[11][12] The following day, the album's promotional schedule was unveiled.[13] On April 22, a concept film was released.[11] On April 23, the first set of concept photos was revealed.[14] Four days later, the EP's tracklist was released.[15] On April 28, the second set of concept photos was unveiled. On May 4, the pre-release single "Goodbye With A Smile" was released. The single, recorded in 2016 and produced by Jung Jinyoung, features Mina and Jieqiong who were unable to join the comeback activities.[16] The following day, the first music video teaser for the title track, "Suddenly" (Korean: 갑자기), was released.[17]

Track listing

I.O.I: Loop track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."IOI (Where My Girls At)"Jeon Somi
  • Jeon Somi
  • Dominsuk
3:02
2."Suddenly" (갑자기)
  • Jeon Somi
  • Vvn
  • Vvn
  • Kush
  • Ido
3:15
3."SPF 100+ (Summer Pop Fantasy)"
  • Emily Yeonseo Kim
  • Jung-yoon
  • Big Sancho
  • Thomas Mikailin
  • Emily Yeonseo Kim
  • Kanner
  • K-Mega
3:34
4."If I"
  • Hey Farmer
  • Shannon Bae
  • Yoo Yeon-jung
2:47
5."Then, Now, and Forever" (그때 우리 지금)Chung Ha
  • MinGtion
  • Chung Ha
3:50
6."Goodbye with a Smile" (웃으며 안녕; recorded in 2016; prod. Jinyoung)JinyoungJinyoung4:00
Total length:20:28

Charts

Chart performance for I.O.I: Loop
Chart (2026) Peak
position
Japanese Download Albums (Billboard Japan)[18] 70
South Korean Albums (Circle)[19] 33

Release history

Release history for I.O.I: Loop
Region Date Format Label
South Korea May 19, 2026 CD
Various

References

  1. ^ Shin, Dong-gyu (May 29, 2026). "I.O.I: Loop". IZM. Archived from the original on May 30, 2026. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  2. ^ 선미경 (April 24, 2026). 아이오아이, 각자의 시간이 만든 모습으로 다시 만났다. The Chosun Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 27, 2026. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  3. ^ "I.O.I - 3rd Mini Album [I.O.I : LOOP]". www.ktown4u.com. May 19, 2026. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  4. ^ 아이오아이, 10월 9인조로 재결합..."전소미·유연정도 응원할 것" [공식입장 전문]. Naver News (in Korean). July 1, 2019. Archived from the original on July 1, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  5. ^ "Girl band I.O.I gets back together for new album in Oct". Yonhap News Agency. July 2, 2019. Archived from the original on July 2, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  6. ^ [단독]아이오아이, 12월로 컴백 연기...'11인조 완전체로 돌아오나?'. Naver News (in Korean). September 6, 2019. Archived from the original on July 20, 2020. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  7. ^ [단독]아이오아이, 주결경도 '합류 불투명'...12월 재결합 무산 위기. Naver News (in Korean). October 29, 2019. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  8. ^ Kim, Jae-heun (December 24, 2025). "I.O.I to reunite in spring 2026 for 10th anniversary". 韓國先驅報. Archived from the original on December 24, 2025. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  9. ^ '10주년' 아이오아이, 5월 컴백 확정..강미나·주결경 제외 9人 참여 [공식]. Osen. February 23, 2026. Retrieved February 23, 2026 – via Naver.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ Jang Woo-young (March 10, 2026). "I.O.I's 10th Anniversary: SNS Launch, May Comeback". 朝鮮日報. Retrieved April 24, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ a b 김수진 (April 22, 2026). '데뷔 10주년' 아이오아이, 국민 걸그룹 복귀..단체 모습은?. 스타뉴스 (in Korean). Retrieved April 24, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ Park, Se-yeon (April 21, 2026). 아이오아이, 5월 19일 새 앨범 컴백 확정...5월 4일 선공개곡 발표 [I.O.I confirms new album comeback on May 19... Pre-release song to be released on May 4] (in Korean). Ilgan Sports. Archived from the original on April 24, 2026. Retrieved April 24, 2026 – via Naver.
  13. ^ 이승훈 (April 20, 2026). [공식] '재결합' 아이오아이, 5월 19일 컴백 확정. 스타뉴스 (in Korean). Retrieved April 24, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ Seon Mi-kyung (April 24, 2026). "I.O.I Reunites with Transformed Visuals After 9 Years". 朝鮮日報. Retrieved April 24, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ 아이오아이, 미니 3집 타이틀곡은 '갑자기'...전소미 작사 참여. 每日經濟新聞 (in Korean). Star Today. April 27, 2026. Archived from the original on April 27, 2026. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  16. ^ 지승훈 (May 4, 2026). 아이오아이, 10년 전 타임캡슐 열었다...선공개곡 '웃으며 안녕' 공개. 每日經濟新聞 (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 6, 2026. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
  17. ^ 유정민 (May 6, 2026). 전소미·김도연, 기습 입맞춤 무슨 일? 아이오아이 파격 MV 티저. MBC (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 6, 2026. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
  18. ^ "Billboard Japan Top Download Albums – Week of May 27, 2026". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  19. ^ "Album Chart: 2026 Week 21". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved May 28, 2026.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.