NEXZ (Korean: 넥스지; Japanese: ネクスジ) is a seven-member boy group formed by JYP Entertainment and Sony Music Labels. Formed through the survival show Nizi Project 2, they made their debut on May 20, 2024 with the single album "Ride the Vibe".
History
Pre-debut: Nizi Project 2, "Miracle"
Nizi Project 2, which aims to create a global boy group, consists of regional auditions from mid-March to early May 2022 with a total of over 10,000 applicants in 8 cities in Japan, Los Angeles, New York, and Seoul, Korea, and a training camp in Japan in August 2022, followed by a training camp in Korea in December 2022.[1] Nine contestants advanced to the final round, where J.Y. Park, the creator of JYP Entertainment and general producer of "Nizi Project", along with special judge 3RACHA, a division run by Stray Kids, evaluated each of the two performances.[1]
From the nine finalists, Tomoya won his debut in 1st place, Haru in 2nd place, Yuki in 3rd place, So Geon in 4th place, Yu in 5th place, Hyui in 6th place, and Seita in 7th place.[1] Those eliminated were Eiji and Miraku.[2]
J.Y. Park named the new group "NEXZ". He revealed that the name "NEXZ" means "Next Z (Generation)" or "the next generation".[1] The "N" and the "Z" stand for the proof of the birth of the "Nizi Project" and the message that the members of the next generation will gather to deliver new music and performances and open up a new era.[3]
On December 18, NEXZ released their pre-debut digital singles "Miracle" and "Miracle (Korean Ver.)".
2024: Debut with "Ride the Vibe", Ride the Vibe (Japanese Ver.) / Keep on Moving, Nallina
On May 1, JYP Entertainment released the first video teaser for NEXZ's Korean debut single album "Ride the Vibe", scheduled for May 20.[4]
On June 14, NEXZ announced through their website that they will be releasing their first Japanese EP, Ride the Vibe (Japanese Ver.) / Keep on Moving, on August 21.[5] "Ride the Vibe (Japanese Ver.)" was pre-released on July 5.
On October 28, NEXZ released the prologue video for their first mini album Nallina, which is set for release on November 18.[6]
2025: O-Rly?, NEXZ Live Tour
On March 3, JYP Entertainment announced the schedule for their first Japan tour NEXZ Live Tour 2025, which kicks off in Kanagawa on June 4.
On April 6, NEXZ released the timetable for their second mini album O-Rly?, set for release on April 28.[7]
Members
| Rank | Name | Position(s) | Years active | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Korean | Japanese | |||
| 5 | Yu | 유우 | ユウ | N/A | 2023–present |
| 1 | Tomoya | 토모야 | トモヤ | Leader | |
| 2 | Haru | 하루 | ハル | N/A | |
| 4 | So Geon | 소건 | ソ ゴン | ||
| 7 | Seita | 세이타 | セイタ | ||
| 6 | Hyui | 휴이 | ヒュイ | ||
| 3 | Yuki | 유우키 | ユウキ | Maknae | |
Discography
Japanese
EPs
Digital singles
- "Miracle" (2023) (pre-debut)
- "Ride the Vibe (Japanese Ver.)" (2024)
Korean
Mini albums
Single albums
- "Ride the Vibe" (2024)
Digital singles
- "Miracle (Korean Ver.)" (2023) (pre-debut)
- "Keep on Moving (Korean Ver.)" (2024)
Concerts
Showcase
- NEXZ Showcase 2024 "Ride the Vibe" (2024)
Concert participation
Fanmeetings
- NEXZ 1st Fan Meeting <NEXZ High School> (2025)
Gallery
- Main article: NEXZ/Gallery
Trivia
- Although the members are Japanese and were formed as part of a Japanese show, they promote as a Korean group.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 『ニジプロ2』発 NiziU弟分「NEXZ」誕生 メンバー7人発表
- ↑ 『ニジプロ2』脱落の2人と涙の別れ J.Y.Park氏、Stray Kids3人もねぎらう
- ↑ 『ニジプロ2』発 平均年齢16.8歳7人組ボーイズグループ「NEXZ」 18日放送『DayDay.』に韓国から生出演へ
- ↑ Soompi: Watch: JYP's New Japanese Boy Group NEXZ Gears Up For Debut With "Ride The Vibe" Trailer
- ↑ NEXZ Website: NEXZ Japan 1st EP
- ↑ Soompi: Watch: JYP's New Japanese Boy Group NEXZ Announces 1st Comeback With Prologue Teaser For "NALLINA"
- ↑ Soompi: Watch: NEXZ Announces April Comeback Date With Teaser And Schedule For "O-RLY?"
- ↑ @DCWJ2024 on X (July 5, 2024)
- ↑ @MyloveKBS on Twitter: March 21, 2025
Official links
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