Seventeen Has a New Unit. Vernon and The8 Debut June 29. Pharrell Wrote One of the Tracks.
V8 - the sixth official unit in Seventeen's lineup, combining Vernon's "V" and The8's "8" - releases its debut mini-album on June 29 at 6 p.m. KST. Eight tracks. One of them was written, composed, and produced by Pharrell Williams, with longtime Seventeen producer Bumzu also contributing. Another was co-composed with Mechatok, the German DJ and producer whose footprint runs through European hyperpop and electronic music. The unit is not a side project handed to two members - both Vernon and The8 are credited with writing and composing throughout the album.
The tracklist maps the range: "singasong" (title track, hyperpop-rooted electronic, co-composed with Mechatok), "Friend," "Beat," "Mia" (Vernon with Kirara and Korean indie artist Han Jung-in), "Coloring," "girlsnboys" (Pharrell Williams, Bumzu), "8DM" (The8 with Alice Longyu Gao, DPR Cream, DPR Arctic), and "rat race" (digital only). The concept framing - "Rats Nest," portraying "raw traces of resilience found amid the chaotic and unstable moments of youth" - runs through the visual campaign that has been rolling out since June 8.
V8 Debut Mini-Album
Release: June 29, 2026, 6 p.m. KST
Label: Pledis Entertainment / HYBE
Available on all major streaming platforms
V8 Live Concert Tour
July 11-12: KINTEX Exhibition Center 1, Hall 1 - Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
July 18-19: AsiaWorld-Expo Hall 10 - Hong Kong
Ticket details: not yet announced for either date
The pairing has logic behind it. Vernon became a Recording Academy voting member earlier this year - one of a small number of K-pop artists to hold that status - and has contributed to Seventeen's songwriting catalog across multiple albums. The8 released the Chinese-language solo EP Stardust in 2024 and has built a parallel career through "The 8 Contemporary Art," a series combining music with contemporary dance and film. Their previous collaboration, "54321 (Lift Off)" from Stardust, established a working chemistry that V8 is now built around at scale.
V8 is Seventeen's first unit launch since the group's New_ World Tour concluded earlier this year. The group ranked No. 7 on Billboard's most recent biannual Top Tours chart - the highest position ever recorded for a K-pop act. The unit operates between main group touring cycles, which gives it room to move without competing with a full Seventeen schedule.
Ticket information for the Goyang and Hong Kong shows is expected ahead of the June 29 release. Monitor Weverse and Pledis Entertainment's official channels for announcements.
