All we know about ZICO’s first idol group, BOYNEXTDOOR: Members, debut date, and more

ZICO, one of the top soloists in South Korea, surprised fans by announcing the debut of his own idol group called BOYNEXTDOOR. The boy group will be managed by KOZ Entertainment, a record company founded in 2019 by ZICO. The company was acquired by HYBE in 2020 and also manages the singer-songwriter Dvwn.

HYBE’s social media accounts created much enthusiasm with their unique online and offline marketing for ZICO’s new group. At midnight of May 12 in KST, the members of the rookie group were finally revealed on HYBE’s official accounts. In a video titled WHO! trailer Film, the agency gives a glimpse into the group’s aesthetics, the members, and the concept of their debut album. The group is set to be a six-member band.

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Who are the members of BOYNEXTDOOR?

BOYNEXTDOOR was first announced on April 16, 2023, when it opened its social media accounts. Some days later, pictures of a colorful playhouse on HYBE INSIGHT’s building created enthusiasm in the K-pop fandom and went viral. It is the first group to debut under KOZ Entertainment, founded by Any Song hitmaker ZICO.

The rookie group was reported to be of six members. The agency held an interesting marketing strategy where it announced that the soon-to-debut group would be a part of the 2023 Weverse Con Festival. They even opened pre-orders and showcased the album inclusions of the group’s debut album, WHO!, without revealing the members.

After teasing fans with only the names, the agency dropped a trailer film revealing all six members of BOYNEXTDOOR - Sungho, Riwoo, Jaehyun, Taesan, Leehan, and Woonhak - on May 12.

Not much details about the members are available online. However, it is said that Sungho and Riwoo attended dance classes at the SMMA Academy. The duo had passed auditions for KOZ Entertainment in September 2021. Additionally, they had announced the same on their Instagram account.

Meanwhile, a few days ago, iKON’s Bobby gave a shoutout to Jaehyun by posting a screenshot of BOYNEXTDOOR’s logo motion trailer.

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When will ZICO’s rookie group debut?

The debut date for BOYNEXTDOOR was revealed in the start itself. The six-member boy group will be debuting with their first single album, WHO!, on May 30, 2023.

Leading up to the album release, the group will first post concept photos and films on May 18 and 19, a music video highlight on May 17, a moving profile on May 15, and a trailer film on May 12. The six-member group will also release two more music videos, one on May 23 and May 26.

Meanwhile, WHO! will include three songs, all of them which will be title tracks. These tracks are 돌아버리겠다 (But I Like You), One and Only, and Serenade. Jaehyun, Taesan, and Woonhak are also credited as songwriters for 돌아버리겠다 (But I Like You) and Serenade.

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How did fans react to BOYNEXTDOOR?

The debut of BOYNEXTDOOR is one of the most anticipated debuts fans are looking forward to in 2023. ZICO’s impressive career and ability to make viral hits (Any Song, New Thing for Street Man Fighter, Okey Dokey, etc.) also brought much attention to his rookie group.

Within 24 hours of the member reveal, the trailer crossed 910k views on YouTube. The tweet was also viewed 5.3 million views on Twitter. Fans especially loved the bright concept and the members’ visuals.

The initial reception of the group has been positive. Since the group is getting recognized for being the first idol group produced by ZICO, the K-pop fandom is looking forward to BOYNEXTDOOR’s debut on May 30, 2023.