From 200 global contestants to a seven-member multinational boy group
In short: The path to K-pop stardom is increasingly global. Close Your Eyes emerged from a massive survival competition featuring 98 contestants from across the world. Now, they are navigating a high-speed debut cycle, proving that the next generation of pop music is built on international diversity and rigorous competition.
Close Your Eyes was forged through the JTBC reality competition Project 7, which aired in late 2024. The show served as a high-stakes filter, narrowing a pool of 200 global contestants down to just seven members. These individuals came from a diverse array of regions, including China, Japan, Thailand, Ukraine, the United States, Australia, and South Korea. This multinational approach was a core component of the group's formation, aiming to create a lineup with broad international appeal.
The group's trajectory was accelerated by strategic partnerships. They are managed by Uncore, a new label formed by the joint venture of SLL and YG Plus. This backing provided the infrastructure for a rapid-fire release schedule. Within their first year, the group released three mini albums—Eternalt, Snowy Summer, and Blackout—alongside several singles. Their debut on April 2, 2025, was marked by immediate success, securing music show trophies on major networks like SBS and KBS2 within days of their release.
A key distinction of this group is the creative involvement of its members. While many idol groups rely on external producers, members like Minwook, Yeojun, and Seungho are credited as lyricists on multiple tracks. By the release of their fourth mini album, 256th Note, in September 2026, every single member of the seven-person group had been credited as a lyricist on at least one song. This shift toward internal creative agency is a significant trend in the modern idol industry, moving from pure performance to collaborative artistry.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Close Your Eyes (group)
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