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Only a year and a half out from their debut, K-pop group CLOSE YOUR EYES is already making a name for themselves. Originally formed through JTBC’s survival show Project 7, JEON MINWOOK, MA JINGXIANG, JANG YEOJUN, KIM SUNGMIN, SONG SEUNGHO, KENSHIN, and SEO KYOUNGBAE officially made their debut in April 2025 with their mini album ETERNALT. Despite their limited time as a project group (meaning they only have 3 years to promote as a unit), they’ve already dared to take creative swings that many of their seniors have yet to try. CLOSE YOUR EYES established their bold, yet recognizable sound through their debut track “All My Poetry,” and their 4th mini album, 256th Note, is proving that they are truly a force to be reckoned with.

Influenced by the unconventional forms of expression found in jazz, both jazz and bossa nova are deeply infused into each song on the project. The title of the mini album refers to one of the shortest possible moments in music, and reflects a focus on fleeting, unfiltered emotions experienced in everyday life. Through the contributions of seven members, the seven tracks also naturally progress to mirror the seven-note musical scale. The most cohesive project in CLOSE YOUR EYES’s discography to date, the group also worked with various artists to bring their vision to life: pianist Yohan Kim and Grammy award-winning saxophonist Jacob Scesney contributed to “Open Your Eyes,” “Drop That!” reinterprets Yoon Si-nae’s “이 밤을 즐겁게,” and “Baby Bossa Nova” features rising R&B artist Joo Hyerin. 

Ahead of the release of their new mini album, we chatted with CLOSE YOUR EYES via email about establishing their own color through the creative process for 256th Note, their upcoming North American tour, and their eternal love for their fans, CLOSERs.

Congratulations on the release of your 4th Mini Album, 256th Note! What did you want to share about CLOSE YOUR EYES through this comeback? 

JEON MINWOOK: I wanted to show how we've grown musically. I also wanted to introduce our music to people who aren't that into K-pop.

MA JINGXIANG: This time, I wanted to show a side of CLOSE YOUR EYES with a mood a little different from what we've shown before. I hope our fans enjoy watching us search for our own color as we try out different kinds of music.

JANG YEOJUN: Since this album comes with a new genre and a new concept, I wanted to show a fresh, new kind of charm.

KIM SUNGMIN: With this comeback, I think I wanted to show our own way of expressing ourselves. Through the genre of jazz, we poured our own jazz feel into every part of 256th Note, so I hope people show it a lot of interest.

SONG SEUNGHO: This time we also took on jazz, another new genre, and I wanted to show how much more we've grown and how we made this new concept and music our own, CLOSE YOUR EYES's own colors. 

KENSHIN: Through this album, I wanted to show a new mood for us and a version of us that's grown a bit more. I think you'll be able to feel a different kind of charm from us this time.

SEO KYOUNGBAE: Through this 4th mini album, 256th Note, I wanted to show not only our growth but also a freer way for CLOSE YOUR EYES to express ourselves. Since we're presenting the genre of jazz, I'm so excited that we get to share a different side of our music with everyone once again!

Through blending jazz and Korean jazz funk with hip-hop and R&B, songs like “Drop That!” and “Open Your Eyes” showcase how you’ve explored your musical range and developed your unique sound as CLOSE YOUR EYES. What was challenging about exploring genres like jazz and bossa nova, and what was exciting about the prospect of blending them with K-pop? 

JANG YEOJUN: It was hard to bring out and get comfortable with the rhythm unique to the genre, but since I couldn't predict what it would sound like once blended with K-pop, I felt excited that it could really turn into a masterpiece.

SONG SEUNGHO: When I first heard about jazz, it felt unfamiliar, and I worried a lot about how to make it sound like our own. But now that we've finished preparing the album, we've created music and performances we can show with real confidence, and I'm genuinely excited to see how people will respond to it.

You’ve mentioned in previous interviews that your creative director, LEE HAEIN, involves the members in many aspects of the creative process, from writing lyrics and creating choreography, to even becoming involved with the styling. What was the creative process like for 256th Note, and what does it mean to you to be hands-on with your music?

KENSHIN: For this album too, the members took part directly in writing lyrics and creating choreography, and we tried to put a lot of our own color into it. The more directly we get involved, the more our love for the album grows, and I think it lets us express what we want to say even better.

SEO KYOUNGBAE: Director LEE HAEIN always gives us so much freedom to get involved with the album! Thanks to that, we get to explore things like our own lyric-writing and the style that fits each of us on a much deeper level, so I think it's a great process!

All of the members contributed to writing on “Eternity,” the closing song on the EP. What did you want to convey to your fans, CLOSER, through this song? 

JEON MINWOOK: No matter where you are or what you’re doing, I wanted to tell you that CLOSE YOUR EYES and our music will always be somewhere you can find us.

MA JINGXIANG: Just like the title “Eternity” suggests, I wanted to express our hope that the bond between us and CLOSER will last for a long time. Writing the lyrics myself made it especially meaningful because I was able to express my gratitude more honestly, something I don’t always get the chance to say.

JANG YEOJUN: Simply put, I think we wanted to convey a message of love. It’s an emotion that all the members feel strongly, and I think the words we most wanted to say to CLOSER were simply, “I love you.”

KIM SUNGMIN: I wrote the lyrics while thinking about the fans who hope that our group, as K-pop idols, could last forever. I think I also wanted to imagine what our CLOSERs might be thinking when they turn 100 years old. I hope that when they hear “Eternity” at that time, the song will pass by them like a nostalgic memory of the moments they shared with us.

SONG SEUNGHO: The title of the song means “eternity,” and our title also carries the meaning of eternity. When I was writing the lyrics, it was challenging to put such a profound word like “eternity” into words, but I tried to put the stories I wanted to tell our fans and my sincere feelings into the lyrics.

KENSHIN: I wanted to capture the time we’ve shared together so far and our wish to stay together with CLOSER for a long time to come. I hope that when you listen to this song, you’ll think back on the moments you’ve shared with us.

SEO KYOUNGBAE: Since the title means “eternity,” I spent a lot of time thinking about what eternity really means. I think I wrote the lyrics piece by piece with the overall idea that we should make eternity a reality!

What song from the album would each member recommend, and why? 

JEON MINWOOK: “Baby Bossa Nova.” I think it's a song that can clear your mind and put you at ease when you're tired and worn out. That's why I recommend it.

MA JINGXIANG: I'd like to recommend “Eternity.” All seven of us took part in writing the lyrics, so it's a song that means a lot to us too. It's full of lyrics we wrote while thinking about CLOSER, so if you listen closely to the words, I think you'll feel our sincerity even more.

JANG YEOJUN: “Fool For You.” Maybe because I took part in writing it, I feel like it's a song with the power to stir up fresh, youthful nostalgia whenever I listen to it!

KIM SUNGMIN: I'd recommend “Open Your Eyes!” Honestly, I want to recommend every song, but if I had to pick just one, I'd pick “Open Your Eyes.” Even the first time I heard the demo, I remember thinking 'whoa' a lot. I kept thinking a song like this could come out of K-pop, and I feel like it's a track that never gets old no matter how many times you listen — it always sounds fresh — so that's why I recommend it.

 SONG SEUNGHO: I recommend “Fool For You.” I love the other songs too, but this one has fun lyrics, and it's a song that's comfortable to listen to.

KENSHIN: I'd like to recommend “Open Your Eyes.” It's the song that best shows our new mood, and I think it's one where you'll feel even more of its charm when you see it performed live.

SEO KYOUNGBAE: I recommend “Baby Bossa Nova!” I really think this song is perfect to listen to by the Han River on a Saturday morning! I personally love the Han River, and I think it's easy, comfortable music to listen to, so that's why I picked this track!

Nearing almost 1.5 years since your debut, how do you feel you have changed as performers and artists? 

JEON MINWOOK: I don't feel like I've changed all that much myself. But if I had to pick one thing, I think I've become a bit freer in how I express myself. I've come to express myself just as I am, rather than worrying about how I'll look.

MA JINGXIANG: At first I focused on performing the given music and performance well, but now I think I spend a lot more time thinking, “What is our own color?” I feel like the way I listen to and express music is gradually broadening too.

JANG YEOJUN: This is our dream, but it's also a job, so I think I've learned to take more responsibility and go about things smarter. Above all, I think my feelings for our fans have grown a lot.

KIM SUNGMIN: Early on after debut, the idol I had imagined and the idols we were actually becoming together were so different that it scared me and worried me a lot. But as we kept releasing albums and I watched and felt us gradually finding our own new color, it made me feel less afraid or worried about our color, and more eager to show it through a different genre as soon as possible.

SONG SEUNGHO: The way I enjoy being on stage has personally changed a lot. Right after debut, every single stage made me nervous and I couldn't even imagine enjoying a stage, but now I feel excited, and I find myself thinking about how I can enjoy it together with the audience even more.

KENSHIN: At first, I focused on showing what was given to us well, but now my desire to build our own color directly has grown. Especially by taking part directly in the music and performances, I think my sense of responsibility has grown too.

SEO KYOUNGBAE: For me personally, I think it's my mindset. I used to be filled with anxiety before every stage or shoot, worrying about what to do, but now, instead of anxiety, I go in thinking “This'll be fun!” and actually enjoy it, so I think my confidence going into stages and shoots has grown!

Your 2026 world tour [BEYOND YOUR EYES] is set to hit North America in October, marking your first time performing in eight cities across the United States and Canada. What has been a highlight of the tour so far, and what are you looking forward to the most about the North America stops? 

JEON MINWOOK: Every show has been so special, but if I had to pick just one moment, it's seeing CLOSERs in tears — it moves me too.

KIM SUNGMIN: Every stage stays with me, but I especially remember the CLOSERs singing along at the top of their lungs right before the last stage. I'm so grateful that they sing our songs together with us even across different languages and cultures, so I'm really looking forward to that kind of singalong at the North America tour shows too!

Who are your OnesToWatch (up-and-coming artists you’ve been loving recently)? 

JEON MINWOOK: I've been enjoying songs by Don Toliver, Dimo Rex, and joh!. They're already so loved by so many people that calling them “up-and-coming” almost feels wrong.

MA JINGXIANG: I usually love NCT DREAM's music, so I listen to them a lot. I like how you can really feel each member's individual personality while the team still has such clear, unified energy. Their songs have always given me strength — I'm learning a lot from listening to their music, and I want to show our own color even better going forward.

JANG YEOJUN: It's BTS. Lately I've been looking up their solo tracks and B-sides that carry their personal stories, and I've been getting a lot of positive influence from them.

KIM SUNGMIN: I've been listening to a lot of Ariana Grande lately. I especially keep listening to her new song 'hate that i made you love me' — her calm, whispery vocals feel captivating.

SONG SEUNGHO: These days I've been listening to Justin Bieber's songs a lot. I've liked him since my trainee days, and I really love the song 'Stay.'

KENSHIN: I'd like to recommend Drake. He's an artist I listen to often anyway — the mood and style of his music really match what I like, so I keep coming back to him.

SEO KYOUNGBAE: My OnesToWatch is Justin Bieber! I've been listening to the SWAG II album a lot lately, and I sometimes find comfort in the lyrics of the songs on that album!

Listen to 256th Note below: