Close Your Eyes (클로즈유어아이즈) Breaks Records with Rapid Rise in K-Pop Scene

The K-pop group Close Your Eyes (클로즈유어아이즈), also known as CLUEA, is making waves in the music industry with an impressive ascent. Just ten days after their debut, they shattered the record previously held by Zero Base One (제로베이스원), a group formed through a survival audition, signaling a significant shift in the K-pop landscape.

CLUEA was formed through the JTBC show Project 7 (프로젝트7) and consists of seven members: Ma Jingxiang (마징시앙), Jimin (제이민), Sakurada Kenshin (사쿠라다 켄신), Seo Kyungbae (서경배), Song Seungho (송승호), Jang Yeojoon (장여준), and Kim Seongmin (김성민).

Despite Project 7 ending with a low viewership rating of 0.2% (Nielsen Korea, paid platform), interest in CLUEA remained high. Teaser content released before their debut generated buzz among industry insiders, leading to a successful launch on April 2.

Their debut album, Eternity (이터널티), exceeded 100,000 copies sold on its first day and surpassed 310,000 copies in the first week, securing the fifth spot for the highest first-week sales of a debut album by a boy group in history.

Typically, boy groups focus more on core fandoms rather than mainstream appeal, resulting in stronger album sales compared to digital music performance. However, CLUEA's title track, "All the Poems and Novels Inside Me" (내 안의 모든 시와 소설들), made a notable entry at 18th on Melon's latest chart in its first week and climbed to 2nd place on Bugs' real-time chart.

Their achievements in music shows are even more remarkable. On April 8, CLUEA secured their first win on SBS M's The Show just six days after their debut, setting a record for the fastest music show win by a boy group that debuted in the 2020s, previously held by Zero Base One. Riding this momentum, they topped KBS2's Music Bank (뮤직뱅크) on April 11, just nine days post-debut, breaking the record for the fastest terrestrial music show win by a boy group in the 2020s.

Experts attribute CLUEA's rapid rise to a clear differentiation strategy. Following the success of groups like EXO and BTS (방탄소년단), many boy groups have adopted complex narratives and intricate choreography that can be challenging for casual listeners to grasp. While this storytelling approach has helped globalize K-pop, it has also created barriers for the general public.

In contrast, CLUEA offers music that is easy to hum along to and a natural concept that appeals not only to their fandom but also to the wider audience, making them a rare breed in the boy group landscape. Their collaboration with producer Lee Haein (이해인), known for the success of Kiss of Life (키스오브라이프), has further refined their sound.

With a solid team dynamic forged through their survival show experience and a strong core fandom, CLUEA is poised to become a major player in the K-pop industry. All eyes are on them as they continue to break records and redefine success in the genre.