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INTERVIEW From survival show to world tour: CLOSE YOUR EYES is just getting warmed up
K-pop boy band CLOSE YOUR EYES / Courtesy of UNCORE
By Pyo Kyung-min
K-pop boy band drops 'OVEREXPOSED,' calls it 'appetizer' for what's next
About a year into its career and currently mid-tour, seven-piece K-pop boy band CLOSE YOUR EYES (CYE) is already releasing music that has something to say.
The group, formed in 2025 through JTBC's survival program "PROJECT 7," dropped its first digital single, "OVEREXPOSED," Tuesday. It's a two-track release built around the concept of overexposure in photography — the point at which too much light wipes an image out entirely.
The idea, as the group describes it, is about still wanting to leave a record of yourself when everything feels uncertain.
"It's an appetizer," said Jeon Min-wook, the group's eldest, during an interview at The Korea Times headquarters in Seoul, Tuesday. "Before a new side of us is revealed in the upcoming album, 'OVEREXPOSED' is a preview of what's coming."
K-pop boy band CLOSE YOUR EYES / Courtesy of UNCORE
The single follows the group's third mini-album "blackout," and Jeon is clear that the narrative is intentional and ongoing.
"We put a lot of meaning into 'Eternity,' our debut project. Then we woke up from 'blackout,' and we've spent a year," he said. "This single is an extension of that. It's a statement of ambition."
The title track "POSE" takes that theme somewhere unexpected, genre-wise. It combines Brazilian Baile Funk with early 2000s hip-hop, which was new territory for most of the members.
"It was a sound I hadn't really been exposed to," said Song Seung-ho. "We thought a lot about how to do it justice."
Kim Sung-min said the process quickly evolved into a collaborative effort.
"At first, we were unsure, so each of us searched for references that matched the song’s coolness and shared them with one another,” he said. "Yeo-jun brought in a clip from the YV series 'Vincenzo,' and I used 'Beat It Up' by NCT DREAM — specifically Jaemin sunbaenim's (senior colleague) part — as a reference for my section. It became fun pretty quickly."
From left are K-pop boy band CLOSE YOUR EYES members Kenshin, Song Seung-ho, Jeon Min-wook, Ma Jingxiang, Kim Sung-min, Jang Yeo-jun and Seo Kyoung-bae. Courtesy of UNCORE
The second track, "What If I Miss Love?," is quieter, a hazy R&B piece built around longing and restraint. Jang Yeo-jun, who wrote the lyrics, described the approach carefully.
"I wanted the texture to feel lo-fi and vintage, but with desperation and heartache layered underneath," he said. "More than half of the lyrics are mine. The pre-chorus is what I'm most attached to. I wrote it with our fans in mind."
The album's central theme, moments that feel like they could be the last, is one this group understands from experience. Several members connect it directly to their time on the survival show.
"It's not that we think of our careers as coming to an end. But it wasn't hard to connect with the concept, because there have been many moments that felt like they could be the last, especially coming from a survival show background. It resonates with memories from that time," Jeon reflected.
K-pop boy band CLOSE YOUR EYES / Courtesy of UNCORE
Seo Kyoung-bae, who used to be a volleyball player as a student, trace it back even further to an injury that kept him off his feet for a month.
"I injured my ankle in the quarterfinals of a regional tournament and couldn't walk for a month. I think that was the time I really thought about things ending," he said.
But the album does not dwell there. The point, as Jeon frames it, is the opposite of giving up. "Don't overthink it. Just show your true self."
That energy has found an audience worldwide. Jang described a moment during the group's recent "BEYOND YOUR EYES" tour which spanned several Asian cities, when he looked out and could see every face clearly.
"They've traveled far to cheer for us. We're the ones who are grateful, and yet they send us love in return. When people cry because they love it, I can see all of them."
Ma Jingxiang says the live shows have made the group noticeably tighter over just a year.
"Our teamwork has grown a lot. The concerts, the cheers, the energy from the audience. I want to give that back first now."
K-pop boy band CLOSE YOUR EYES performs during the Japanese leg of its "BEYOND YOUR EYES" tour at Zepp Osaka Bayside, in February. Courtesy of UNCORE
Asked what sets them apart, Jeon was quick to come up with an answer.
"We're not afraid of change, and we try a wide range of genres. But more than that, we don't put on too much of an act. The naturalness is our strength."
Their long-term goals are well-documented — Coachella, Tokyo Dome, original music that outlasts the moment, a global footprint that speaks for itself.
But for now, the members remained focused on what is right in front of them.
"This month has a lot of comebacks lined up, but even so, I want to win an award on a music show," Jang said.
Ma Jinxiang chimed in, adding, "I hope people who don't even know us yet join the TikTok challenge for the chorus."
K-pop boy band CLOSE YOUR EYES / Courtesy of UNCORE