With the summer heat fast approaching in large parts of Asia, K-pop idols are returning week in and week out. Which of the fan favorites are eyeing their returns this month and the following months this summer? Let us take a look at what we can expect in the next several weeks.

Boy Groups to Return. Will They Be Different?

There has been a trend among idol groups. It is that they break away from being passive performers that get their music spoon-fed and become self-sufficient musicians who write and compose their own songs and participate heavily in the production of their tracks.

BEAST has certainly done that with their new album to be released on July 20 during their solo concert '2013 Beautiful Show.' Yong Junhyung has reportedly taken a large role in writing and composing their songs in the album, garnering much respect for the 'evolution' of the idol group. "Will You Be Alright?" which was pre-released on May 29 took over various music charts and still remains in the top 10 of many rankings. The ballad was written by Yong Junhyung.

MBLAQ, INFINITE and EXO will be staging their performances in June and July. Currently, EXO is sailing smoothly with their "Beauty and the Wolf," even reaching the number one spot in some music charts. MBLAQ's "Smoky Girl" features their signature sexiness with additive electronic sounds and powerful beats. Meanwhile, INFINITE, who created a lot of buzz for becoming the first K-pop artist to shoot a music video in the Universal Studios in Hollywood, is set to return in the month of July.

Sexy Vs. Cute

The two big camps for girl groups have always been sexy versus cute and it seems to remain that way through this summer as well.

In the 'cute' camp are RAINBOW, A-Pink, Girl's Day and AOA. RAINBOW will return with "Sunshine," while A-Pink will come back with 7 members after the exit of Hong Yookyung. Girl's Day and AOA have not announced their official comeback dates but are expected to return sometime in July.

SISTAR, After School and Dal Shabet will lead the 'sexy' camp. SISTAR will frontline their performance with seductive 'ring dance' while After School and Dal Shabet will look to hold their own with powerful, charismatic performances.

The 'international' artist groups and solo artists are coming back to their home country this summer as well. 2NE1 and T-ARA will both return with new albums in July. JYJ Junsu will release his second full album, which is expected to exhibit a good balance of ballads and powerful upbeat performances. IU, who made a successful venture into an acting career, will come back with a new album this summer that will transpire her music and looks into a more mature one.