Sunmi returns with rainy summer single 'Forever July'

Singer-songwriter Sunmi / Courtesy of Abyss Company

Singer Sunmi is returning with a new digital single Wednesday, betting that rain, rather than sunshine, can carry this summer's soundtrack.

"Forever July," due out at 6 p.m., marks the singer's first release in about eight months following her first full-length album, "Heart Maid," released last November. Sunmi once again took part in writing and composing the track, according to her label Abyss Company.

The agency described "Forever July" as an inversion of the familiar summer anthem. The song draws inspiration from Korea's monsoon season, comparing love to a sudden downpour that arrives without warning. Built around a U.K. garage beat, the track explores both the thrill and instability of unexpected romance.

Summer has become one of Sunmi's strongest seasons. While K-pop has typically leaned into brighter, more upbeat concepts, the 34-year-old has carved out a distinctive niche with moodier, more sophisticated summer releases.

Her 2020 single "pporappippam" reached the top 10 of the Circle Digital Chart, and "Heart Burn" followed as another seasonal hit in 2022.

The comeback also follows a critically successful period for the singer. "Heart Maid" earned widespread praise upon its release, with Billboard Korea naming it one of the 25 best K-pop albums of 2025.

Sunmi debuted in 2007 as a member of JYP Entertainment's girl group Wonder Girls, whose 2009 hit "Nobody" became the first song by a K-pop act to enter the Billboard Hot 100.

Since launching her solo career with "24 Hours" in 2013, she has established herself as one of K-pop's defining female soloists through hits including "Gashina," "Heroine," "Siren" and "Tail," earning acclaim for blending distinctive concepts with active participation in her own music.