October is already looking crowded for K-pop fans, but two upcoming releases are now putting the month firmly on the comeback calendar. KickFlip and NCT WISH are preparing new mini albums just six days apart, creating a tightly packed stretch of new music without either group sharing the exact same release date.
KickFlip will kick things off with its fifth mini album, KICK OFF THE WALL Pt. 1, while NCT WISH will follow with its fourth mini album, I SPY. Both releases arrive with their own distinct concepts, milestones and promotional plans, making the first half of October one to watch.
KickFlip starts October with KICK OFF THE WALL Pt. 1
The first release comes from JYP Entertainment’s KickFlip, whose fifth mini album KICK OFF THE WALL Pt. 1 is scheduled for October 6 at 6 p.m. KST.
The project follows My First Kick, released in April, and will introduce an eight-track album with double title tracks. JYP Entertainment has also announced a comeback stage through Mnet M2 at 7 p.m. KST on October 6, giving the group an immediate live promotional moment on release day.
| Group | Album | Release date | Release time | Tracks | Title track details |
| KickFlip | KICK OFF THE WALL Pt. 1 | October 6, 2026 | 6 p.m. KST | 8 | Double title tracks |
| NCT WISH | I SPY | October 12, 2026 | 6 p.m. KST | 6 | “I SPY” |
KickFlip’s official track list includes “๋ฏธ์์ฑ (Puzzle Piece),” also rendered in English coverage as “Incomplete” or “Unfinished,” alongside “Kick Off The Wall (Feat. iann dior)” as the two title tracks.
The remaining songs are “0 (Young),” “ํ์ฒญ (Rockin’),” “hate blueberry,” “Drop In,” “์ฐ๋ฆฌ ๊ฐ์ด ์ฒญ์ถ์ ๋ญ๋นํด (Waste It All With You)” and “Kick Off The Wall.”
That track list is more than a simple collection of songs. The two title tracks are connected by a deliberate question-and-answer concept.
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The two KickFlip title tracks tell one connected story
“๋ฏธ์์ฑ (Puzzle Piece)” focuses on the uncertainty and questions surrounding youth and the feeling of being unfinished. “Kick Off The Wall,” meanwhile, moves toward the answers that emerge from confronting those questions.
That gives the album a narrative thread linking its two title tracks rather than presenting them as unrelated singles.
“Kick Off The Wall (Feat. iann dior)” also brings an international collaboration into KickFlip’s new era through the appearance of iann dior.
The members have continued to participate in the creation of their music as well, with credits appearing across all eight tracks on the album. JYP has already begun the promotional campaign, releasing concept material built around the “Puzzle Piece” theme while gradually revealing the track list and music video teasers.
KickFlip’s fifth mini album arrives after a rapid rise
The October comeback represents another step in a relatively fast-moving career for KickFlip.
The group debuted under JYP Entertainment in January 2025 with Flip it, Kick it!. It then released Kick Out, Flip Now! in May 2025, My First Flip in September 2025 and My First Kick in April 2026.
That makes KICK OFF THE WALL Pt. 1 the group’s fifth mini album.
JYP Entertainment’s artist history confirms the group’s January 2025 debut, while the new album campaign adds another major development to KickFlip’s 2026 schedule.
The group is also preparing for its first tour, titled “Kick Off The Wall.” The tour announcement was made alongside the news of the fifth mini album, giving the comeback era another major milestone beyond the music itself.
For fans following the group since its debut, the October project therefore arrives during a particularly active period. The album, first tour and ongoing promotional campaign are all becoming part of the same “Kick Off The Wall” era.
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NCT WISH announces I SPY for October 12
KickFlip will not have to wait long before another NCT release enters the October comeback conversation.
Just six days later, NCT WISH will release its fourth mini album, I SPY, on October 12 at 6 p.m. KST.
SM Entertainment has announced that the album contains six tracks, with “I SPY” serving as its title track.
The timing is significant within NCT WISH’s own release schedule because I SPY will be the group’s first Korean comeback since its first full-length album, Ode to Love, arrived on April 20.
That puts roughly six months between the group’s previous Korean release and the new mini album.
SM Entertainment has described I SPY as a project centered on youth and emotional growth. The album captures the members as they encounter different emotions, work through those experiences and grow along the way.
A teaser for the comeback has already been released, marking the beginning of the promotional rollout ahead of October 12.
NCT WISH has several physical versions planned
The I SPY rollout is also already underway in Japan, where NCT WISH’s official Japanese website has confirmed pre-orders for the fourth mini album.
Multiple physical versions are planned, including the Deluxe Book version, Japan-exclusive Deluxe Book version, Disc Pack versions, SMini versions and Acrylic Stand versions.
That gives the upcoming release a broad physical lineup as NCT WISH prepares for its next chapter following Ode to Love.
NCT WISH enters I SPY after three million-selling albums
There is another reason I SPY is attracting attention: NCT WISH enters the comeback following the biggest album-sales run of its career so far.
Ode to Love became the group’s third consecutive million-selling album. According to Hanteo Chart figures reported after the release, the album achieved 1,825,925 copies in first-week sales.
That result surpassed the group’s previous records with poppop and COLOR.
Before Ode to Love, poppop had passed 1.08 million first-week sales, while COLOR recorded more than 1.39 million first-week sales. Ode to Love subsequently pushed the group beyond both figures with more than 1.8 million first-week sales.
The milestone gives I SPY a notable place in NCT WISH’s 2026 comeback cycle, although its eventual sales performance will only be known after the album is released.
NCT WISH also has a Japanese milestone behind it
The group’s momentum has not been limited to Korean album releases.
NCT WISH’s July single “YO-I-DON! / BOY MEETS GIRL” surpassed 500,000 cumulative shipments in Japan and received a Double Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan.
That achievement adds another milestone to the period leading into I SPY, while the new mini album now prepares to extend the group’s 2026 release schedule.
Rather than arriving in isolation, the October project follows a sequence that includes the group’s first full-length album, its third consecutive million-selling album and the success of its Japanese single.
Why the six-day gap between KickFlip and NCT WISH matters
The two groups will not actually release their albums on the same day, but their comeback schedules are close enough to create a packed week for K-pop fans.
KickFlip’s KICK OFF THE WALL Pt. 1 arrives on October 6, while NCT WISH’s I SPY follows on October 12.
That is a six-day gap between the releases.
The schedule also means the groups can begin their promotional activities separately rather than competing for attention on the exact same release day. KickFlip already has its Mnet M2 comeback stage scheduled for October 6, while NCT WISH has begun its own teaser rollout for I SPY.
For KickFlip, much of the focus will be on the group’s first double-title-track project, the question-and-answer concept connecting those songs, its participation in songwriting and composition, and the beginning of its first “Kick Off The Wall” tour.
For NCT WISH, the spotlight will turn toward I SPY as the follow-up to Ode to Love and the next release from a group that has now recorded three consecutive million-selling albums.
Neither comeback shares the same release date, but their proximity gives October an unusually concentrated run of new K-pop music.
KickFlip and NCT WISH bring two different comeback stories to October
The two releases may be arriving within the same week, but the albums are entering the spotlight from very different points in each group’s journey.
KickFlip’s KICK OFF THE WALL Pt. 1 is built around an eight-track, double-title-track format, with “๋ฏธ์์ฑ (Puzzle Piece)” and “Kick Off The Wall” connected through a thematic movement from questions about youth and being unfinished toward answers found through confronting those questions. The project also features iann dior and arrives alongside the announcement of KickFlip’s first tour.
NCT WISH’s I SPY, meanwhile, follows the group’s first full-length album, Ode to Love, and comes after a major run of sales milestones. Its six-track release will explore youth, emotions and growth, with “I SPY” leading the project.
Together, the two releases create a closely timed October comeback window, with KickFlip returning on October 6 and NCT WISH following on October 12.
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Conclusion
October’s K-pop calendar is set for a closely timed double drop as KickFlip and NCT WISH prepare to release new mini albums just six days apart. KickFlip will open the run with KICK OFF THE WALL Pt. 1, bringing eight tracks, two connected title tracks and its first tour era, while NCT WISH will follow with the six-track I SPY after the major milestones of Ode to Love.
With separate concepts, promotional campaigns and release-day schedules, both groups are heading into October with distinct stories to tell. For fans, that means two new mini albums arriving within the same week and another busy stretch on the 2026 K-pop calendar.
Disclaimer: This article has been prepared based on thorough research of the sources provided with the original verified material, including official JYP Entertainment, KickFlip, NCT and NCT WISH materials, as well as the cited Korea JoongAng Daily, StarNews and other supplied sources. It reflects the information available from those sources as of September 25, 2026. Release schedules, track information, promotional plans and album details can change before release.
Sources
- JYP Entertainment โ KickFlip official website
- JYP Entertainment โ KickFlip discography
- JYP Japan Online Store โ KICK OFF THE WALL Pt. 1
- NCT official website โ I SPY pre-order announcement
- NCT official website
- Korea JoongAng Daily โ KickFlip October comeback report
- Korea JoongAng Daily โ NCT WISH I SPY announcement
- StarNews โ NCT WISH I SPY and million-selling album milestones
- StarNews โ NCT WISH Ode to Love sales results
Featured Image Credit: SM Entertainment
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