Sunmi returns with rainy summer single 'Forever July'

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 follow ...