Seoul, South Korea
—
A week before Close Your Eyes took to the stage for their first solo concert, the seven members formed a practice formation in an underground rehearsal studio in Seoul’s Gangnam district.
Surrounded by managers and coaches, the band worked out a staging concept for their performance at Seoul’s Olympic Hall and repeatedly executed the steps toward a 20-song setlist.
For a rookie group that’s only been together for a year, this is a big moment that shows how far they’ve come in an incredibly short amount of time.
Formed by a worldwide audience vote on the 2024 cable TV survival show “Project 7,” the band released three mini-albums in 10 months, selling 1.2 million copies and winning seven industry awards in the process. In November, Close Your Eyes reached number two on the United World Charts behind Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’.
Their relentless productivity, quick reinvention, and rabid fanbase have made them one of the hottest new artists in K-pop.
But if you ask members what makes them unique, they’ll likely point to the intensity of the work behind the scenes, not praise.
“We practice until after 3 a.m. every day,” says band leader Min-wook Chung, after a day of fan events, photo shoots, and recording. While their rise may seem rapid to outsiders, he insists it’s more than just natural aptitude. “We’re not that type of person, so we spend a lot of time on that.”
In a sense, the band is ready for what’s to come as they begin working on talent agency SLL’s reality competition series “Project 7.”
“We didn’t have much time to prepare for the stage,” recalls Yeojun Jang, dancer and vocalist for Close Your Eyes. “So there were a lot of situations where we had to produce something quickly.”
Out of 200 applicants and 100 trainees for the program, only seven remained in the final lineup. Viewers voted to create teams for each major round of the competition. This meant that trainees were constantly reassembled into new lineups and lower-ranking contestants were eliminated.
As a result, the final lineup will be a mix of personalities, skill sets, and nationalities.
Often seen as aloof despite what he calls his “amazing charm,” Chan quickly became known for his dancing, which has become a staple of the band’s choreography. Chinese member Jinshan Ma describes herself as hard-working and passionate, while the youngest member, 17-year-old Gyeongbae So, has a combination of raw talent and honesty that resonated with viewers. Rapper Song Seungho and Japanese member Kenshin Sakurada provide contrasting energies, with Sakurada’s cheerful personality and Song’s easygoing warmth. Sung Min Kim, who calls himself a bridge between the older and younger members, is always positive. And the oldest member, 26-year-old Chung, brings quiet leadership shaped by his years of experience with boy band BAE173.
South Korean survival shows have been producing pop idols for decades, and several major groups, including TWICE, ZEROBASEONE, and Stray Kids, have begun appearing on the music reality series. These shows typically feature groups of trainees competing for a chance to debut as an idol group. Viewers vote after each episode to determine which contestants remain and which contestants are eliminated. This system can prioritize popularity over talent.
Nevertheless, the resulting groups are often incredibly successful. In 2024, girl group ILLIT became the first K-pop rookie group to enter the Billboard 100 with their debut single, putting an even greater spotlight on the talent appearing on these shows.
But that’s not necessarily a surefire recipe for pop stardom. Only a handful of thousands of applicants make it to the final line-up, and many bands struggle to turn reality TV wins into long-term chart success.
Each member of Close Your Eyes earned their position through a 12-week fan vote. According to SLL, more than 17 million votes were cast in the final vote alone. This deepened the attachment of fans and raised expectations.
“During ‘Project 7,’ fans supported individuals,” said Chan, 20. “Now a lot of fandoms have come to support the group as a whole.”
Close Your Eyes debuted in April 2025 with the mini album “ETERNAL”. The album was followed by the four-song EP “Snowy Summer,” which quickly built its foundation with a soft, sophisticated introduction that showcased sentimental vocals and a clean pop sound.
But it was November’s release of “Blackout” that signaled the band’s first bold reinvention. With house-inspired production and a darker, more experimental sound, the mini-album sold over half a million copies in four days and hinted at the group’s creative ambitions.
“We haven’t changed,” Chong says. “From the beginning, we have tried to tell our stories in different genres.”
This change, he explains, reflects both their evolving artistry and their desire to explore new sounds.
Part of that growth comes from controlling your creativity. Jeon earned his first songwriting credit within six months of his first album, contributing heavily to the lead single “X” from “blackout.”
“I wanted to sing this song with the lyrics I wrote,” he says. “The lyrics reflected the feelings of the team, so I felt satisfied myself, and I think my attachment to the song grew even more.”
The group’s expanding musical scope has also attracted international collaborators, including a notable partnership with Grammy-winning Kazakh DJ Imanbek on “Blackout,” and they’ve ventured into “electronic genres that K-pop idols don’t often do,” Chung said.
“Working with DJ Imanbek has made the music on Close Your Eyes quite different from previous ones, and that song definitely stands out on the third EP. It definitely has more of DJ’s signature sound than the others,” says Jeon. “I think I learned a little bit that I can do this style of music, too.”
In addition to the studio, CYE’s first year is filled with variety show appearances, photo shoots, fan meetings, performance schedules, and currently concert rehearsals. Several members have added new skills, and both Sakurada and Song hope to pick up the guitar and play live.
From the TikTok Awards to the Korea Grand Music Awards to the Golden Disc Awards, Close Your Eyes has won seven New Artist and Artist Awards in five months.
But for the members, the highlight was more personal.
Chan, who like Jeong has experience as a K-pop trainee, recalls his parents watching him perform at an event last year after other attempts to jump-start his career failed.
“When my mother came to the dressing room and saw me, she started crying. Those tears brought back all kinds of emotions and memories,” Chan said. “I realized how happy people were when I debuted, and how happy my mother and father were. That’s why I remember that day so vividly.”
The debut concert marked the end of their first chapter and the beginning of the next.
After performing in front of thousands of fans at Seoul’s Olympic Hall on January 31st, Close Your Eyes began their first overseas tour.
Just last week, the band took to the stage in Japan, with upcoming shows announced in Canada, Malaysia, and Russia.
The Russian dates have sparked backlash from fans who say it is inappropriate to perform in Moscow during Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The group’s management company, UNCORE, issued a statement on X (formerly Twitter) saying the performance was “not intended to represent or endorse any political position,” but instead described it as a cultural exchange. “At UNCORE, we believe that music has no borders. Our main mission is to provide fans around the world with the opportunity to enjoy K-pop performances.”
Organizers have rescheduled the band’s concert in Malaysia after fans expressed concerns about holding the event during Ramadan.
For new bands, the controversy shows how global fandom can quickly become both a platform and a pressure point.
But in the studio, the band remains focused on their work and is already shaping the next era of music.
After releasing three mini albums in six months, they hope to release a full album in 2026. This album will include three unreleased songs, “Best Life,” “Lemonade,” and “Nameless,” which were first performed at the group’s debut concert.
“What I can say for sure is that we’ve been exploring different sounds, so what we release in 2026 will be incredibly new and unexpected,” says Jeon.
Immediately after the interview, the seven idols disappeared to change their costumes for the evening’s rehearsal, returning a few minutes later to sip piping hot ramen. Before dinner had settled down, they bounced around the dance floor again and ran down the stairs one more time.
