Lee Know is preparing his first solo album, and production is further along than most fans would guess. The Stray Kids dancer and vocalist completed his album jacket shoot and filmed parts of his music video in October, and his agency has confirmed the project is aiming for an early 2027 release.
That makes him the first Stray Kids member to step out with an official solo debut. The same stretch of the calendar also holds his scheduled military service and a world tour he will not join, which is why STAYs have so many questions about what the next year will actually look like.
Lee Know’s First Solo Album Is Officially in the Works
Newsen reported in mid-November 2026 that Lee Know is working on his first solo album, with a release planned for early next year. A JYP Entertainment representative confirmed the news to Dispatch, stating, “Lee Know is preparing a solo album with the goal of releasing it in early 2027.”
The production schedule backs up how far the project has come. Lee Know wrapped his jacket shoot and filmed portions of the music video in October, and he is in the final stage of preparations. It will be the first official solo debut by any member of the group since Stray Kids debuted in March 2018.
For a team built on internal production and unit work, that is a meaningful shift. Stray Kids has long split its creative identity between the producing trio 3Racha and DanceRacha, the dance line that pairs Lee Know with Hyunjin and Felix.
What Is Confirmed and What Is Still Reported
Two pieces of information are easy to mix up. JYP’s confirmation covers the album itself and the early 2027 target, while the narrower January window comes from Dispatch’s reporting and has not been announced by the agency as a firm date.
That distinction matters for anyone tracking the rollout. As of the November reports, no official release date, title, or lead single has been revealed.
Everything else remains open, including the tracklist, the concept, guest features, and the production team. There is no word yet on a teaser schedule, a preorder window, or whether the album will be promoted in the United States.
For now, the safe takeaway is simple: the album exists, a large part of the production work is finished, and the exact timing is still the agency’s to announce.
Lee Know Has Released Solo Music Before, Just Not Like This
The word debut can sound odd to fans who already have Lee Know solo tracks in their playlists. Through Stray Kids’ SKZ-Record and SKZ-Player series, he has shared original solo songs, duets, covers, and choreography pieces, but those arrived as group projects.
His track Limbo and the Bang Chan collaboration Drive were released to digital platforms as part of the compilation SKZ-Replay in December 2022. He also performed an unreleased solo song, Youth, during the 2024 Dominate world tour before it landed on the group’s album HOP that December.
Among the other tracks in that series are a duet with Han and a cover of Day6’s Love Me or Leave Me. His OST work has followed the same group-first pattern: he recorded Start! for the tvN drama Resident Playbook alongside Seungmin and I.N, and the song arrived in April 2025 as part of the soundtrack.
Individual work outside music is part of the picture too. He hosted MBC’s Show! Music Core from 2021 to 2023, and before Stray Kids he danced professionally, competing at World of Dance in 2016 and appearing as a backup dancer for BTS, including the 2017 music video for Not Today and the group’s Wings Tour.
What sets this release apart is its shape: a standalone album promoted under his own name, which is new territory for both him and the group.
The Timing: Album, Military Service, and the 2027 Tour
JYP announced in early November 2026 that Lee Know is scheduled to begin his mandatory military service in the first quarter of 2027. No specific enlistment date has been given.
Live Nation’s official tour announcement also confirmed he will not take part in the North American and European legs of Stray Kids’ 2027 RUN IT world tour. For US fans who already have tickets, that is the practical detail to plan around.
Positioning the album ahead of that service window explains why the agency has not named a specific day, and nothing announced so far frames the project as a farewell release.
How the Solo Debut Fits Stray Kids’ Global Momentum
Stray Kids’ August mini album This and That became the group’s ninth release to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200. That kind of chart run gives a solo project from any member a far bigger platform than a debut would normally get.
Lee Know has a US-facing profile of his own. He ranked third on Billboard’s K-Pop Artist 100 in 2024, has served as a Gucci global ambassador since June 2025, and made his Met Gala debut with the group in 2024 as a guest of Tommy Hilfiger. He has also covered Esquire Korea and Harper’s Bazaar Korea.
Group momentum does not automatically transfer, though. No chart expectations, promotional plans, or US distribution details for the solo album have been confirmed.
What STAYs Should Watch for Next
The next concrete step is an announcement from JYP Entertainment with a release date and a title. Until that arrives, the January window counts as a reported expectation rather than a confirmed plan.
Once a date is set, the usual rollout markers should follow: teaser images, a tracklist, the lead single, and preorder details. Whether the album gets a US-focused promotional push is a separate question worth tracking, especially with the tour and service schedule already in place.
The enlistment date will shape how long the promotional window lasts, so it is worth watching as closely as the album news itself. Both will surface through JYP’s official channels before anywhere else.