, 2026, with their self-titled mini album, “NAZE.” Members of NAZE include KAISEI, YOUNKI, ATO, TURN, YUYA, KIMKUN, and DOHYEOK. The members first introduced themselves through TBS’ DREAM STAGE television drama in Japan, which aired in January 2026. Their name means headland where the ocean and land meet, and by choosing this as their group name, C9 Entertainment and the members of NAZE hope to convey that they are a team with infinite potential that can move forward anywhere.
The third track, ‘Awesome,’ is a mid-tempo blend of R&B and a danceable rhythm and speaks to the moments in life that call for confidence and courage. The album closes with ‘Seoul,’ a pop track that captures what Seoul means to NAZE as their new collective home, where the multinational group members have found their place together.
KpopWise along with our media colleagues joined NAZE in a roundtable to discuss their highly anticipated debut.
Since each
of you have different nationalities each of you contribute with a different
hue. What was the specific moment during your training in which you really felt
you became NAZE, a single unit?
TURN: So first, we are all from different
countries with different nationalities. When we practice, the biggest problem
is that we can’t communicate with each other because of different languages.
But since we had a lot of time that we’ve been practicing together, we’ve been
translating apps and asking our manager to help us every day. Since we’ve been
doing that every day, it seems like we are being connected to each other. When
we look into each other’s eyes and look at each other’s gestures, there’s a
weird connection that we don’t have to talk, but we understand each other.
That’s the time everyone thought, “This is what teamwork is, and this is
NAZE.”
Many groups
debut every year, but building a lasting identity is a different challenge.
What do you hope NAZE represents beyond this first era?
KAISEI: I hope that people think of us as a
natural, fun, and diverse group that has a lot of charm. I hope they recognize
us as a group for the next generation.
YOUNKI: I also want us to become a group that
truly enjoys ourselves on stage, where we can look at each other, have fun, and
just really enjoy the moment together. On stage, I want to feel completely
free, doing everything we want, while showing our best to the public. I hope we
can fully deliver the messages we want to share and express everything we feel.
What was the
most exciting part of creating this album?
YUYA: The thing that was most exciting was
learning the choreography because when all seven of us came together and put
our choreography together, I have a really vivid memory that it was really fun.
Our title song, “People Talk,” has choreography, but we actually
arranged it and included our own movements and gestures, so the dances actually
change every day based on our feelings that day or based on our eye contact.
It’s different every day, so it always feels new.
YOUNKI: In “People Talk,” there’s also
a part at the very end of the choreography where we all gather together like
we’re taking a family photo, each striking our own cool pose. That part isn’t
fixed in advance. We just go with whatever we’re feeling that day, doing poses
based on our mood in the moment. So we might say, “Let’s do it like this
today,” and create it on the spot. I’m really curious about how the
audience will react when they see that, and since it’ll be different every
time, I’m especially looking forward to that part.
KW: Your “People Talk” challenge is really enjoyable. If each
member represents a different “energy” within NAZE, how do those energies come
together when you perform?
TURN: First of all, thank you for watching our
challenge. We’re really happy! Our seven members have different energies and
colors, so they mix into one color, and I’d say it looks like a rainbow.
They’re all different colors, but everyone sees us as one, just like a rainbow,
which is beautiful. And that’s NAZE. It’s beautiful, cool, and natural.
ATO: Each of us has our own unique energy,
but since we’ve spent such a long time together eating, sleeping, and
practicing, we’ve become more than just members. In a way, we’re even closer
than family, like friends and teammates who truly understand each other. We can
definitely feel that energy among ourselves, and I believe the public and our
fans will be able to feel it too when they watch us. Each of the seven of us
brings our own energy, and then there’s also the energy we create together as
NAZE, so I think you’ll ultimately be able to feel eight different kinds of
energy on stage.
KW: How do you
want people to talk about NAZE after you debut?
KAISEI: When people see NAZE’s stage, I want
people to feel like, “Oh, I want to watch that again. I’ve never seen that
before; this is brand new, a new genre.” That’s what I’m hoping, and I
hope people feel a new world that we bring as a new group.
Which are
the genres and sounds NAZE would like to try on their songs?
KIMKUN: Looking at our debut album, we have a
lot of easy listening hip-hop-based tracks, but moving forward, our ambition
isn’t just to stick to the genres we’re already good at. We want to go beyond
that and showcase sounds that a K-pop group hasn’t done before, music that
people have never heard. That’s the direction and ambition we want to pursue.
TURN: As KIMKUN said, we would love to try all
of the genres in this world because we just naturally love music. We, all seven
members, love music, and we love to show you guys and each other what we like,
love, and what we want to do. So we would love to try all the genres in this
world. Don’t forget to check us out!
What are
NAZE’s global goals at this moment?
DOHYEOK: Our
global goal would be to make it so that no matter where you go in the world,
our songs are playing.
ATO: I agree. Whether it’s walking into a
store or just traveling in another country, if we happen to pass by somewhere
and hear a NAZE song coming from a speaker, I think that would make me
incredibly happy.
YOUNKI: When it comes to performance, we always
talk among ourselves about wanting to stand on huge stages like Coachella or
Glastonbury Festival. That’s our biggest goal as performers.
