Boy groups NCT WISH, &TEAM, and NEXZ, formed by Korean agencies with a primary focus on Japanese members, are currently taking the K-pop market by storm. While they were originally designed to focus on Japan with Korean activities as a side project, the response in Korea was so overwhelmingly positive that they shifted their direction to become Korea-based groups.
First up is NCT WISH (Sion, Riku, Yushi, Jaehee, Ryo, Sakuya), a six-member multinational idol group that debuted under SM Entertainment in February 2024. They are the final sub-unit of NCT. The group has a unique composition with two Korean members, Sion and Jaehee, and four Japanese members, Riku, Yushi, Ryo, and Sakuya.
NCT WISH is known for an extreme level of freshness and natural cuteness rarely seen in other boy groups, along with a charm that triggers maternal instincts, often called “egen-ryeok.” The members are well aware of their strengths, even delivering a dedicated cover of TWICE’s “TT” at year-end award shows. With excellent planning from their design and content teams, they have been consistently releasing Gen-Z style challenge videos and the “Wish Core” wing accessories that have caught the eye of many, even non-fans.
NCT WISH achieved million-seller status just one day after releasing their first full-length album, “Ode to Love,” on April 20. According to Hanteo Chart, they recorded 1,825,925 copies in first-week sales on April 27, marking their highest figure yet. This follows their second mini-album “poppop” (1.087 million copies in April last year) and third mini-album “COLOR” (1.395 million copies in September), making them three-time consecutive million sellers.
The album also swept the daily and weekly top spots on major domestic charts, including Hanteo, Yes24, and Circle Chart. The title track “Ode to Love” also performed strongly, peaking at #3 on Melon TOP100 and #1 on HOT100, ranking #28 on the daily chart (as of the 22nd), and hitting #3 on Apple Music Korea TOP100.
&TEAM first gained public attention when members Euijoo, K, Nicholas, and Taki appeared on the Mnet audition program “I-LAND.” They showcase a “cold charisma” through perfectly synchronized, high-difficulty choreography featuring jumps and acrobatics. Interestingly, &TEAM shares a universe with ENHYPEN, another Belift Lab group under HYBE Labels that debuted through “I-LAND.” In the “Dark Moon” universe, ENHYPEN are depicted as vampires, while &TEAM are werewolves.
&TEAM’s Korean debut mini-album “Back to Life,” released last October, became a million-seller on its first day, recording cumulative shipments of 1,331,733 copies according to Circle Chart. The album also achieved significant global success, entering the US Billboard charts for the first time and hitting #1 on Japan’s Oricon ranking.
According to the latest Oricon chart released on April 28, &TEAM’s third Japanese mini-album “We on Fire,” released on the 21st, took #1 on the Weekly Album Ranking (dated May 4, tracking period April 20 to 26). This marks their fifth time topping the Oricon Weekly Album Ranking. “We on Fire” also hit #1 on Billboard Japan’s Top Album Sales for the same period. The album sold a total of 1,117,354 copies in its first week (April 20 to 26, Hanteo Chart), marking their third consecutive million-seller following the Japanese third single “Go in Blind” and the Korean mini-album “Back to Life.”
NEXZ also delivers high-difficulty performances utilizing acrobatics, a known strength of JYP boy groups. Following in the footsteps of their seniors, Stray Kids, they strongly project an artistic identity as self-producing idols, with members Tomoya, Haru, and Hyui participating in songwriting. NEXZ emphasizes a free-spirited freestyle approach, promoting the “NEXZ Way” (NEXZ + My way) as their desired aesthetic.
NEXZ released their second single “Mmchk” and title track of the same name on April 27. The album topped the daily album charts on Hanteo and the daily retail album chart on Circle Chart on April 28. The title track “Mmchk” hit #1 on the Bugs real-time chart on the day of release, and by the 28th, “Mmchk,” the B-side “HYPEMAN,” and “Mmchk (English Version)” all ranked in the top 3 of the same chart.
Analysts suggest that NCT WISH, &TEAM, and NEXZ have captured Korean fans because they combine high-quality music and performances born from systematic K-pop training with a sense of curiosity and emotional familiarity toward neighboring Japan. The distinct personalities and charms of each team also play a major role in their popularity.
An industry insider told StarNews, “Since cultural exchange between Gen-Z in both countries is active and interconnected, these three groups were born reflecting these elements. Consumers have responded to the members’ passion to debut and thrive based on K-pop’s grammar and formulas, leading to corresponding achievements.” They added, “The commonality among the three teams is that they’ve formed their own narratives and chemistry with fans, while their difference lies in how they use their own weapons, such as concepts, universes, and performances, to succeed on the global stage.”
