InterviewHow NAZE brings multinational lineup, real-world experience to May debut

K-pop boy group NAZE poses during an interview at The Korea Times headquarters in Seoul, April 16. The seven-member act is set to release its self-titled debut mini-album on Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

There is a particular kind of calm that comes from having already been through it. Walking into a room with NAZE, the seven-member K-pop boy group set to make its official Korean debut on Monday, that calm is the first thing you notice.

These are not nervous trainees counting down the moments before their debut — they are young men who have already stood on stages in Japan, filmed a primetime TBS drama, recorded four original soundtracks and gone on a showcase tour before most Korean fans even knew their names.

"We've already experienced music shows, morning live broadcasts, variety programs and meeting fans in person," said Ato, one of the group's Korean members during a predebut interview at The Korea Times headquarters in central Seoul, April 16.

K-pop boy band NAZE member Ato poses during an interview at The Korea Times headquarters in Seoul, April 16, ahead of the group's official Korean debut. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

"So compared to a group debuting out of nowhere, we have a certain level of experience. There's a natural ease that comes through, and a comfort with cameras. That's what sets us apart," he said.

NAZE, formerly known as C9ROOKIES during its predebut rollout, is the first new boy band from C9 Entertainment in five years, following labelmates CIX and EPEX. The group brings together members from Korea, Japan and Thailand: Ato, Kaisei, Younki, Turn, Yuya, Kimkun and Dohyeok.

The group name carries a double meaning, referring to a geographical formation where land meets the sea. It also happens to spell out the Japanese word for "why," a fitting wink toward the group's strong early ties to the Japanese market.

NAZE member Dohyeok, the youngest in the group, poses during an interview at The Korea Times headquarters in Seoul, April 16, ahead of the group's Korean debut. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Those ties run deeper than most predebut strategies. NAZE spent roughly six months active in Japan before its Korean debut, appearing on television and starring as the lead cast of "Dream Stage," a primetime TBS drama co-produced with C9 and CJ ENM Japan. The group also contributed multiple original Japanese songs to its soundtrack.

While it was an unusual path to a Korean debut, the members can clearly recognize how it prepared them.

"In Japan, we showed a lot of ourselves through the drama," Younki said. "Now, with the Korean debut, I feel like I can show who I really am. We've prepared so much and I just want to show it as soon as possible."

K-pop act NAZE member Younki poses during an interview at The Korea Times headquarters in Seoul, April 16, ahead of the group's Monday debut. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Yuya, one of two Japanese members alongside Kaisei, described the early days of the group with characteristic honesty.

"Originally I found it hard to open up to people, and with the language barrier, there were times I wanted to say something but couldn't and just kept it to myself," he said. "But over time, after practicing in Japan, the seven of us started gathering to talk. We shared what was hard, what was fun. I gradually became more comfortable. It's still a challenge, but it's enjoyable."

That process of becoming a team is something the members look back on repeatedly. Ato described the teamwork they built during their Japan activities as one of their biggest strengths.

"It was forged through a real process," he said. "Seven people who grew up in different places, with different languages and personalities, finding a natural chemistry. That's what we want people to see."

K-pop boy band NAZE member Yuya poses during an interview at The Korea Times headquarters in Seoul, April 16, ahead of the group's Korean debut. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

The group's debut album, titled simply "NAZE," leans into exactly that philosophy. Rather than constructing an elaborate fictional universe or a high-concept visual identity, the group chose to lead with themselves.

The title track "People Talk" opens with an addictive, bright piano riff and builds toward a group chorus that the members say practically wrote itself.

"We weren't trying to plan it that way," said Kimkun, who cited rap as his strongest suit and industry senior Zico as his role model. "We were just genuinely having fun, and all seven of us ended up singing together. The melody is easy to follow, so it's a song fans and new listeners alike can sing along to from the very first listen."

Turn, the group's Thai member, did not know the track was their debut song when he first heard it.

"I just thought, this song is really good, it keeps getting stuck in my head," he laughed. "Then I found out it was ours. It made me even happier."

K-pop boy band NAZE member Turn poses during an interview at The Korea Times headquarters in Seoul, April 16. The Thai-born member is one of three international members in the multinational group. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

There is one track on the album that holds a quieter kind of significance. The fourth track, titled "Seoul," is a song about convergence — seven people from different corners of the world, arriving one by one in the same city, building a shared life out of practice rooms, shared meals and late-night conversations.

"Each of us has memories of what it felt like to come to Seoul for the first time," Ato said. "Those feelings are in the lyrics. It's the most personal song on the album for us."

Looking ahead into the group's future, the members are ambitious but grounded. Dohyeok, the youngest, wants music show wins and every rookie award available. Younki wants to keep reinventing, citing BTS member Jung Kook's ability to return each time as a completely different artist. Kaisei, who says he is often told he looks intimidating before people realize he is, in his own words, a bit of a goofball, looks to BTS' Jimin for inspiration.

Ato put it simply: "We want to still be promoting as NAZE decades from now."

NAZE member Kimkun poses during an interview at The Korea Times headquarters in Seoul, April 16. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Senior labelmates have also offered their support along the way. Singer Younha encouraged the group members to find happiness in their work and to stay humble. EPEX members, whom NAZE runs into regularly at the company building, cheer them on whenever they cross paths.

On Monday, NAZE will step onto the Korean stage for the first time as a fully debuted act. The group is arriving not as wide-eyed newcomers, but as one that has already been tested, already bonded and already found its sound.

The only thing left for the members now is to show up and do what they have clearly been building toward for a long time.

NAZE member Kaisei poses during an interview at The Korea Times headquarters in Seoul, April 16. The Japanese-born member is the eldest in the seven-member group. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk