How K-pop boy band Naze’s multinational members found ‘natural chemistry’ for debut album

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 band whose official Korean debut was released on May 4, that sense of calm is the first thing one notices. These are not nervous trainees – they are young men who have already stood on stages in Japan, filmed a prime-time 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 programmes and meeting fans in person,” says Ato, one of the group’s Korean members. “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.” Naze, who were known as C9Rookies during their pre-debut roll-out, are the first new boy band from C9 Entertainment in five years, following label mates CIX and Epex. The group brings together members from Korea, Japan and Thailand: Ato, Kaisei, Younki, Turn, Yuya, Kimkun and Dohyeok. The group’s name carries a double meaning. It refers to a geographical formation where land meets the sea, and also spells the Japanese word for “why”, a fitting wink towards the group’s strong early ties to the Japanese market. Those ties run deeper than most pre-debut strategies. Naze spent roughly six months active in Japan before their Korean debut, appearing on television and starring as the lead cast of Dream Stage, a prime-time 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 recognise how it prepared them. “In Japan, we showed a lot of ourselves through the drama,” Younki says. “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.” Yuya, one of two Japanese members alongside Kaisei, described the group’s early days 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 could not and just kept it to myself,” he says. “But over time, after practising 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 describes the teamwork they built during their activities in Japan as one of their biggest strengths. “It was forged through a real process,” he says. “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.” 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 towards a group chorus that the members say practically wrote itself. “We weren’t trying to plan it that way,” says Kimkun, who cites 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.” “It keeps getting stuck in my head,” says Turn, the group’s Thai member, with a laugh. 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 parts 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 says. “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 realise he’s, in his own words, a bit of a goofball, looks to BTS member Jimin for inspiration. Ato puts it simply: “We want to still be promoting as Naze decades from now.” Read the full story at The Korea Times

How K-pop boy band Naze’s multinational members found ‘natural chemistry’ for debut album

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Naze’s Korean, Japanese and Thai members share how touring before making their self-titled debut album, released on May 4, made them closer

Naze’s Korean, Japanese and Thai members share how touring before making their self-titled debut album, released on May 4, made them closer