On May 4th at 6 PM, NAZE officially dropped their debut album ‘NAZE,’ featuring the title track ‘People Talk’ and three other songs, all carrying a message to enjoy the happiness of the moment.
While it can be challenging, small agencies often become the birthplace of the most attractive groups, armed with original concepts, fresh attempts, and unique personalities.
C9 Entertainment’s rookie boy group NAZE is one such rising star, already garnering significant attention through their fresh and unconventional pre-debut activities.
A 7-member global group, NAZE consists of Yunki, Ato, Kim Gun, and Dohyuk from Korea, Kaisei and Yuya from Japan, and Turn from Thailand. Since their members were revealed last May, they’ve built their recognition in Japan through TBS YouTube reality content, appearing at the Mynavi Tokyo Girls Collection, various Japanese variety shows, and magazine photoshoots.
What’s most eye-catching is that the members met fans through acting before ever stepping onto a music stage. The members appeared in the TBS drama ‘Dream Stage’ using their actual team and stage names, leaving a strong impression on viewers.
Since ‘Dream Stage’ aired in both Japan and Korea, they successfully built a solid fandom in both countries.
On April 16th,
The biggest curiosity was, of course, their appearance in the drama ‘Dream Stage.’ It’s certainly rare for a rookie K-pop group to land lead-level roles in a prime-time drama on a major Japanese network before even debuting.
Having made a strong first impression, many fans were eagerly awaiting their official debut. Ato shared, “We met many fans through our showcase tour in Japan. Thanks to the drama, many people recognized us. We’ll keep working hard so even more people can get to know us.”
Kim Gun added, “Many fans in Korea waited for our debut after our profiles were revealed last year. Some also discovered us through the drama. We spent a lot of time away from Korea to focus on Japanese activities, but we plan to be very active here from now on.”
Now entering full-scale debut promotions, NAZE’s first title track is ‘People Talk.’
‘People Talk’ is a dance-pop track featuring a bouncy piano sound and a rhythmic beat, characterized by an easy-to-follow chorus and addictive vocals. The lyrics convey a message of enjoying happy moments regardless of what others say.
Ato highlighted the song’s appeal, saying, “The biggest strength of ‘People Talk’ is that it’s an easy-listening song anyone can enjoy. The killing point is the chorus where all seven members sing together. The ‘la la la’ repetition makes it easy to follow. It’s a song that creates a natural, joyful atmosphere, just as the intention was to ‘enjoy happy moments.'”
Kim Gun emphasized, “I think a hip-hop coolness naturally seeps through. We didn’t set up an intentionally crafted image, like a grand worldview or a fantasy narrative. We wanted to show ourselves as we are and our natural charm. We have our own vibe and style, and we plan to reveal that step by step.”
Because they emphasize ‘natural charm,’ NAZE didn’t set any specific role models.
Turn shared his bold ambition: “We want to show the individual personalities and charms of the seven of us as a team called ‘NAZE.’ Rather than following a role model, we are working hard so that we can be the role models for many juniors in the future.”
Another strength noticed during the interview was the members’ great chemistry. Naturally, deep trust leads to better teamwork.
The members revealed that they enjoy spending time together, often cooking and eating meals at their dorm.
Dohyuk laughed, saying, “After joining NAZE, I gained a Thai brother and Japanese brothers. Turn taught me how to make Thai grilled eggs, and Kaisei taught me how to make takoyaki.” Kaisei joked back, “I’m from Osaka, and everyone from Osaka is a takoyaki fan and knows how to make it,” sparking more laughter.
Ato added, “We love the time we spend making and eating food together. It’s even better because we get to experience a variety of menus, from Korean and Japanese to Thai. Spending this much time together is naturally building our teamwork.”
When asked about their dream stages, the members mentioned everything from their alma maters to massive festivals like Coachella and Glastonbury, the Tokyo Dome, Thailand’s Rajamangala National Stadium, and the Tokyo National Stadium where the finale of ‘Dream Stage’ took place.
Their desire to meet more people in larger venues aligns perfectly with the message of ‘People Talk.’
Ato and Kim Gun shared their grand goal: “We are a group open to everyone, regardless of age or gender. We hope everyone can connect through our music and be happy together.”
It remains to be seen if NAZE’s ‘hopeful energy’ will bring a fresh breeze to the K-pop scene.
