CLOSE YOUR EYES Are Blazing With Ambition As Fifth-Generation Frontrunners

In 2024, over 17 million global viewers voted for the future of K-pop through the survival show PROJECT 7. Fast forward to the present, those who made the final top seven are now part of the record-breaking multinational boy group, CLOSE YOUR EYES (CYE). The lucky seven are no other than JEON MINWOOK, MA JINGXIANG, JANG YEOJUN, KIM SUNGMIN, SONG SEUNGHO, KENSHIN, and SEO KYOUNGBAE. 

CYE made their official debut on April 2, 2025 with the poeticism-packed mini album, ETERNALT. This mini album solidified CYE’s unique presence in the new generation of K-pop thanks to its deviation from the typical, upbeat pop formula. Their second mini album, Snowy Summer, further expanded their artistry with a nuanced, whimsical take on the summer season. After embarking on their most ambitious project yet — their third mini album, blackout — CYE are ready to show the world that their capabilities are limitless. 

Fresh from winning the “K-POP Award” at the 33rd Korea Culture and Entertainment Awards and thanking their fans on a Weverse livestream, CYE connected with EnVi via Zoom to reflect on their favorite memories and dive into the creation of blackout. Despite the late hour after a packed schedule, CYE were glowing with gratitude and liveliness that warmed the chilly winter night. 

The Next Page In Their Journey

The first time the seven performed onstage together under the name CYE was at “The 39th Golden Disc Awards” in January 2025. They performed a rendition of “TIME AFTER TIME” from PROJECT 7, a sentimental song which foreshadowed the manipulation of time in their world-building. 

SONG SEUNGHO recalled “The 39th Golden Disc Awards” as his most memorable moment, “It was our first stage since our team formation so we were very tense and thrilled, but we completed our stage well and had the opportunity to show the world that we are finally one team.”

CYE prepared for the prestigious stage immediately after the PROJECT 7 finale, demonstrating their grit as K-pop’s newest faces. CYE are slated to return for the upcoming “40th Golden Disc Awards” on January 10. After an eventful debut year, audiences are curious to see how much they’ve grown since their initial appearance. 

A few months after their first performance, CYE’s official debut with the title track, “All My Poetry,” was met with immediate success. CYE’s debut stage on The Show scored them their first of many music program wins — an accomplishment achieved just six days into their career. This memory remains as the most treasured for multiple members.

Opening Their Eyes To A Dreamlike Reality

“Winning first place was a new experience for all of us, so it gave us the encouragement to work even harder and receive greater results moving forward,” the team’s leader, JEON MINWOOK, said. “Receiving that trophy gives me the reassurance that, ‘I can do this!’”

JANG YEOJUN, who was a seasoned survival show participant with a long trainee period, shared a similar sentiment to the industry-experienced JEON MINWOOK. 

“I was a trainee for quite a long time, so it was a moment I always dreamed of,” JANG YEOJUN added. “When the time finally came, to know I had a trophy to call my own was very meaningful to me. All of the obstacles I had to overcome in the past came to mind, and I also thought about all of the love I’ve been receiving from our fans. At that moment, it all became so real to me.”

KENSHIN was also in agreement: “Winning first place was a dream I’ve always had, and that was possible thanks to our fans, CLOSERs. So at that time, I cried — even in front of other groups’ fans I cried! Honestly, it was a little embarrassing, but that just proves how happy I was!” 

KENSHIN added a “ㅠ” gesture with his hands and let out a big pout to exemplify just how much he cried that day. EnVi couldn’t help but also pout in awe at his honest and cute gesture, prompting the members to pout along too with a symphony of laughter. 

Once KENSHIN neatly wrapped his response, SONG SEUNGHO turned to him with a thumbs up and a nod of approval. KENSHIN’s expression softened into an eye smile after noticing SONG SEUNGHO’s warm gesture. Since the team’s early days, SONG SEUNGHO took on the unofficial role of KENSHIN’s translator and Korean teacher. It was a quiet, yet meaningful exchange between the two members, which spoke volumes about the team’s bond. 

Blackout

After CYE’s first win, they went on to gain the title of the fastest fifth-generation group and second fastest group to win on KBS’s Music Bank with “All My Poetry.” CYE’s momentum only increased after their debut, as Snowy Summer earned them three music show trophies and a whopping 200k units sold on its first day. Instead of getting comfortable with this streak of success, CYE took it upon themselves to challenge their limits for their second comeback. 

CYE’s latest mini album, blackout, released in November 2025 after much anticipation. blackout is an incredible display of artistic maturity for a team less than a year into their career. The six track project is a complete 180, conceptually and sonically, from the innocent, boyish vibe CYE displayed in their first two releases. 

“Our third mini album is more mature and charismatic, so it was a situation where we had to transform ourselves from the image the public was already familiar with,” JANG YEOJUN shared. “We wanted to make an impact with this new side of us, and we wondered if our fans would be satisfied with this change. Keeping these initial concerns in mind, and in order to successfully execute this concept, we focused on synchronizing our performance and challenging different vocal techniques to break our limits.” 

Ready For The Race

blackout’s title track, “X,” represents the team’s dedication to maximize their potential to the fullest. This message is delivered through an R&B dance track that flaunts the team’s impressive vocals and incomparable charisma. “X” is all the more special with lyrics by JEON MINWOOK and choreography from KENSHIN. 

JEON MINWOOK revealed that there is an internal system intact where the members are encouraged to participate in the conceptualization of their albums. Whether it is determining aesthetics like styling, or curating the album’s structure through song selection — it is a collaborative environment that promotes creativity. 

“When the song ‘X’ was unveiled, we were all given the opportunity to contribute if we were interested in doing so,” JEON MINWOOK said. “Since we were going in such a different direction from our first and second mini albums, I wrote the lyrics with the mindset of ‘we can do anything’ and ‘I can prove myself.’”

This ambitious mindset for the team paid off, as blackout went on to sell half a million copies in less than a week — boosting CYE to become cumulative million sellers. JEON MINWOOK and JANG YEOJUN also had the honor of announcing their music show win with “X” as Show Champion emcees. 

Shoot For The Moon

The second title track from blackout, “SOB,” features GRAMMY Award winning DJ Imanbek as CYE’s first musical collaboration. “SOB” was the first track to be unveiled from blackout and it set the tone for CYE’s darker era. The song’s fast BPM and club bumping beats make it a quintessential hype booster — hence why CYE’s performance at the “2025 Korea Grand Music Awards (KGMA)” remains iconic for both audiences and the members themselves. 

For PROJECT 7’s first-place trainee, MA JINGXIANG, the recent “KGMA” stood out in his memory. MA JINGXIANG fondly reminisced about how much has changed since their first appearance at the ceremony: “We first stood on the ‘KGMA’ stage as PROJECT 7 trainees. We wanted to show CLOSERs our improved selves, so to stand on that stage again and showcase our new mini album, blackout, made me so happy.”

Their performance at this year’s “KGMA” was a true testament to how much CYE grew within a year. They kicked off with a dramatic introduction into the ever-charming “X.” The performance segued into SEO KYOUNGBAE’s most memorable moment — special guest, Imanbek, appeared onstage for an exclusive rendition of “SOB” with 42 dancers.

“Ever since I was young, performing on a full stage like that with so many others was such a huge dream to me,” SEO KYOUNGBAE said. “Finally experiencing that made me realize my dream came true!” He then shot two thumbs up in the air and let out a small “yay!” — showing his unwavering excitement as CYE’s youngest. 

Soulmate Status

Instead of elaborating on one of their many accolades, KIM SUNGMIN’s fondest memory pivoted into an unexpected and hilarious response. 

“After our team was finalized, we went on a leisure trip to Gapyeong,” KIM SUNGMIN shared. “At that time, we rode sleds, had a snowball fight, and played in the pool. There was only one single occupancy room available at our accommodation, so we drew lots and I won the single room. Until now, it’s the most memorable to me because having my own room was so fun and I felt so free!”

The members lit up in amusement at KIM SUNGMIN’s mere mention of the trip — implying that this likely wasn’t the first time he brought up his victory in conversation. KIM SUNGMIN didn’t miss the chance to boast one last time, as he added in English: “Yes, I’m a lucky boy!” His nonchalant delivery of the statement coupled with a cheeky shrugging gesture caused the room to erupt in even more laughter.

Throughout our conversation, one thing was apparent: when CYE are all together, happiness is inevitable. The members were consistently met with smiles, applause, or words of affirmation from one another whenever they shared their thoughts. 

It is hard to believe that they’ve been a team for only a year, with their camaraderie affectionately dubbed by fans as “cluamily” — a portmanteau combining the Korean abbreviation for “CLOSE YOUR EYES” and the word “family.” 

Just like the “All My Poetry” music video, destiny brought these seven into each other’s lives for a reason. 

BEYOND YOUR EYES

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CYE already has quite the schedule lined up for the new year. On January 31, CYE will embark on their first tour, “BEYOND YOUR EYES,” starting from Seoul then continuing into Japan. 

“At the concert, you can expect new sides of ourselves — such as unreleased songs, and even units,”  SEO KYOUNGBAE revealed. “We would appreciate it if you could look forward to all of the exciting plans we have in store!”

SEO KYOUNGBAE sent a message to CLOSERs around the world as a closing remark: “To our global fans, thank you for giving us your attention and loving us from afar. We are so incredibly thankful for your support. We will continue to work even harder to become an endlessly improving CYE for you all to be proud of!”

The interview ended on a heartwarming note, with EnVi sharing that they too, indeed, were a CLOSER, which elicited a chorus of “wow’s” from the members. CYE poured out an array of heart gestures alongside messages of appreciation when EnVi bid their final farewell to the team. Instead of a simple “thank you” or “goodbye,” CYE displayed the very charm and sincerity that continues to captivate the world.

In that moment, it became clear that CYE not only earned a spot in numerous heavy rotations this past year — they also earned a spot in the hearts of many.

Spend the new year with CYE by following them on Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube.

Want to read more about CYE’s boundary-defying mini album, blackout? Check out EnVi’s detailed breakdown of the album, here!