RIIZE Returns with ‘II’ to Make You “Do your dance” This Summer
- Sarah Tan
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
RIIZE just celebrated 1,000 days since debut, and they have spent every single one of them building towards something bigger. On June 15, the six-member K-pop group—SHOTARO, EUNSEOK, SUNGCHAN, WONBIN, SOHEE, and ANTON—will release their second mini album, II, via SM Entertainment and RCA Records. Everything about this era shows a group that has never carried more confidence.
II is a six-track release led by the title song “Do your dance” (DYD) with b-sides “SOAR,” “D-D-Done,” “Overdrive,” “Like a Bomb,” and “In a Loop.” It marks RIIZE’s most confident and complete expression to date, pushing their signature “Emotional Pop” sound further while expanding their musical direction. “Emotional Pop,” their self-defined genre rooted in honest storytelling and real-life experiences that capture emotions and moments across generations, has always driven everything they create.
With II, RIIZE’s fandom, BRIIZE, can expect powerful choreography and standout live vocals, which have become hallmarks of their performances, now delivered with the self-assurance of a genuinely seasoned group after nearly four years together.
From the beginning, their name, a combination of “Rise” and “Realize,” was always meant to represent a group that grows together while turning dreams into reality.
Starting May 25, RIIZE rolled out a series of teaser content ahead of the June 15 release, beginning with the comeback schedule poster that went up at midnight KST on May 22 through their official promotion page and social media channels.
SM Entertainment released trailer videos and photos for each member, with WONBIN opening with “No Fear,” followed by EUNSEOK’s “Silent Walker,” ANTON’s “Still Dreaming,” SHOTARO’s “Born Free,” SUNGCHAN’s “Deep Dive,” and SOHEE’s “New Horizon.” Finally, the group trailer video and photo, “Rise (2) Realize,” rounded out the members’ teasers.
After that, RIIZE launched their RIIZE IIog, an interactive website that gives fans a day-by-day look at where each member spent their time leading up to the comeback. Each day unlocks a map of the members’ locations, and clicking into each spot reveals photos, videos, voice recordings, diary entries, and drawings from that member.
The experience unfolded over five consecutive days, from RIIZE IIog Day 1 “Let's Soar,” RIIZE IIog Day 2 “Imma Go Dance,” RIIZE IIog Day 3 “We Get Into Overdrive,” RIIZE IIog Day 4 “It’s Like a Bomb,” to RIIZE IIog Day 5 “Dreaming in a Loop,” with a preview of “Do your dance” and music video teasers still on the way.
II arrives after a pivotal year of growth for RIIZE on the global stage. Their debut full-length album, ODYSSEY, came out last May and surpassed one million sales, making it their third consecutive million-selling release following their first mini album RIIZING and popular hits like “Love 119.”
Their single “Fame” then dropped in November, in the middle of their most ambitious international tour and festival run yet, which included a landmark stop at the Tokyo Dome for their 2026 [RIIZING LOUD] World Tour.
From Tokyo, RIIZE carried that momentum straight into Latin America, where they made history in March 2026 as the first K-pop boy group to perform at Lollapalooza South America across three countries.
They hit the stage at Hipódromo de San Isidro in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on March 14, Parque O’Higgins in Santiago, Chile, on March 15, and Autódromo de Interlagos in São Paulo, Brazil, on March 21, captivating tens of thousands of fans across all three nights.
Each night, they delivered an 18-song setlist featuring fan favorites “Get A Guitar,” “Talk Saxy,” “Siren,” “Impossible,” “Boom Boom Bass,” “Combo,” “Fly Up,” and “Fame,” backed by a live band, dynamic choreography, and commanding vocals.
They also greeted each crowd in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, creating a deeper connection with local fans and sparking strong media interest across the region as they spoke about their journey in Latin America and their growing global presence.
“Performing at Lollapalooza in Latin America was an unforgettable experience for us,” RIIZE shared in a group statement. “The passion and energy from the crowd were beyond anything we imagined, and even from the other side of the world, we truly felt connected with our fans through our music. We’d love to come back.”
In Brazil, RIIZE paired their festival set with high-profile appearances and cultural experiences across São Paulo. They appeared on the Brazilian talk show The Noite com Danilo Gentili and wore personalized Santos FC jerseys during their Lollapalooza soundcheck.
They visited the iconic ZIV Gallery at Beco do Batman for a graffiti session, while the city itself put up a “Welcome to Brazil, RIIZE” display on Roda Rico, the largest Ferris wheel in the country.
Back in April, they performed at TV Asahi’s The Performance festival in Japan on April 10 and 11 alongside acts like ALPHA DRIVE ONE, ATEEZ, NCT WISH, and Hearts2Hearts, before returning to South Korea to headline the LOVESOME Festival on April 12 with 10CM, MeloMance, HIGHLIGHT, and Isaac Hong.
Two days later, they performed in Thailand at the K20 Songkran Music Festival on April 14, sharing the stage with LNGSHOT, FIFTY FIFTY, and KISS OF LIFE.
They also showed up at Taipei Dome on May 24 as special guests at the CTBC Brothers baseball game, taking part in the ceremonial first pitch and putting on a special performance for fans there.
Moments like these reflect just how far RIIZE has come since debuting in September 2023 with “Get A Guitar,” a single that now sits at over 100 million streams on Spotify.
Within their first four months as a group, they swept four “Rookie of the Year” awards at the Melon Music Awards (MMA), Seoul Music Awards (SMA), The Fact Music Awards (TMA), and Circle Chart Music Awards. They also won the “Favorite New Artist” award at the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA Awards).
At the same time, they broke records as the fastest K-pop group to reach one million Instagram followers. Louis Vuitton tapped them as House Ambassadors just three months after their debut, putting them on the global fashion map immediately.
By the end of 2024, RIIZE gained one million followers on Spotify, becoming the first among the K-pop boy groups that debuted in 2023 to achieve that milestone. They sold out fan concerts across 19 cities worldwide, solidifying them as a must-see live group.
On the global festival stage, they became the first K-pop act to perform at Mexico’s Tecate Emblema in 2024 and the first to take the Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival stage in 2025, before sweeping Lollapalooza South America across Argentina, Chile, and Brazil this past March.
Looking ahead, RIIZE is set to perform at RAPBEAT Festival 2026 at Oil Tank Culture Park in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on Day 1, June 20, sharing the bill with ZICO, Simon Dominic, TAEYONG of NCT, Dynamicduo, BOBBY of iKON, JOOHONEY of MONSTA X, pH-1, BIG Naughty and more.
For Day 2 of Korea’s biggest hip-hop festival Jay Park, Lil Moshpit, Sik-K, HAON, JMIN, NOWIMYOUNG, Bryan Chase, and Keith Ape will headline on June 21 alongside some of Korean hip-hop’s most recognizable names.
Following that, on June 28, RIIZE headlines the 2026 Busan One Asia Festival BIG-CONCERT at Busan Asiad Main Stadium along with artists like TREASURE, EVAN, Hearts2Hearts, HAECHAN of NCT, Lee Young Ji, and more, before closing out the summer at Waterbomb Seoul 2026 in Goyang on July 26.
II and “Do your dance” drop June 15. Physical copies of the EP are available for pre-order now through online and offline retailers.
Which track from II do you think will make it onto your summer playlist? Are you joining the crowd at any of their upcoming festival stops? Let us know in the comments or reach out to us on Instagram or X.
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Edited by Anderson Longenecker
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