THE BOYZ have been on a roll since their debut. They¡¯ve placed high on the Korean charts and won various categories, including artist of the year and best performance, at a number of awards ceremonies. In March 2023, They attained the top position in four categories on the U.S. Billboard Charts. Then later in the year, they released the first two of three parts of PHANTASY, their second full-length album. The second part of the album cycle, titled ¡°Sixth Sense,¡± broke the group¡¯s previous record for first-week sales.

Capturing the public¡¯s attention becomes increasingly difficult as the K-pop market expands with more artists. THE BOYZ have grown in size and popularity due to their unique appeal. Sunwoo explained that appeal in terms of ¡°each member having a charm all his own¡± as well as ¡°infinite growth potential¡± and ¡°the capacity to handle various concepts.¡± ¡°We pride ourselves on being upbeat, playful and highly charismatic, all at the same time, as well as being able to pull off completely different concepts one after another. Plus, I think the members complement each other like interlocking puzzle pieces,¡± Sunwoo said.

As Sunwoo suggested, THE BOYZ have developed a public reputation for being ¡°concept craftsmen.¡± They earned that moniker while competing on ¡°Road to Kingdom,¡± a survival TV show in which a number of boys groups competed to put on the best stage show. They managed to incorporate themes from the TV show ¡°Game of Thrones¡± and the ¡°Hunger Games¡± films in a performance that was barely four minutes long, wowing viewers with their smooth touch. Q said that was a big growth experience for THE BOYZ. ¡°Being our first time on a survival show, it was tough and exhausting. But all the company staff and group members pulled together to put on a good performance. Encountering a wide range of music and shows allowed us to grow in various ways and brought us closer together as a group,¡± Q said.

Just as essential for that growth is the talents of the individual members. Each member has been polishing his skills so the group can shine even brighter. While Juyeon has always been one of the group¡¯s standout dancers, he constantly seeks out areas of improvement and keeps practicing to make his stage presence even more extraordinary. ¡°I¡¯m not just practicing my dance steps. I¡¯m also thinking about how my styling can match the song¡¯s mood and how to make my facial expressions and gestures look more natural.¡±

Kevin has been trained in music production since he was young, but he¡¯s diligently applying himself to new things, including sound production and music theory. ¡°I¡¯ve been learning things like songwriting and fun musical videos for TikTok. I hope to have a chance to showcase more of my musicality in the future,¡± he said.

While each of THE BOYZ has his own strengths, there¡¯s one attitude they share: they¡¯re committed to putting in the work. Juhaknyeon said the group¡¯s appeal consists of its ¡°willingness to always make an effort.¡± That makes a lot of sense: The members¡¯ effort to learn how to be better entertainers is clearly what has made them what they are today.

On Dec. 6, 2023, THE BOYZ held an ¡°encore¡± concert in Seoul as a victory lap after their world tour. The concert doubled as a celebration of six years of music shared with fans around the world. When group members were asked to express their feelings about that 6th anniversary, they gushed with gratitude toward the fandom, which is known as ¡°The B.¡±

¡°We were really touched by the special events organized by The B during our concerts. We¡¯re just grateful to be up there on stage and spending time with The B, so that just took the cake. We¡¯ve pledged to put on an even better show for The B,¡± Jacob said. Younghoon said, ¡°We were able to joyfully wrap up 2023. We hope to stay with The B until our 60th anniversary.¡±

It¡¯s clear that The B is the source of THE BOYZ¡¯ boundless energy. That goes beyond the typical artist-fan relationship―THE BOYZ and the B represent a boundless exchange of support and appreciation. Here¡¯s how member New put it: ¡°The reason THE BOYZ work so hard to put out new albums and put on good shows is because we owe that to our fans. We¡¯re always thinking about our fans in whatever we do.¡±

Eric compared The B to a kind of vitamin, and Juhaknyeon even identified The B as one of the group¡¯s strong points: ¡°The B is always there to support us, and they recognize all the efforts we make. Our relationship with The B is one of our strengths.¡±

Although THE BOYZ only recently wrapped up ¡°ZENERATION,¡± their second world tour in 2023, they¡¯ve already started gearing up for a fresh chance to meet up with The B. This coming February, the group is planning to hold a fan concert in Japan and release ¡°Love Letter,¡± the third and final part of its PHANTASY album cycle.

Along with sharing his thoughts about past achievements, Sangyeon promised that the group would roll out special performances that showcase its distinctive qualities. ¡°The other members and I put a whole lot of thought and effort into showing a unique side of THE BOYZ in our album ¡®Sixth Sense.¡¯ We were so happy and delighted it got a lot of fans. Going forward, we¡¯ll keep doing our best to live up to our fans¡¯ expectations.¡± Eric also promised that THE BOYZ would arrange more meetings with The B. ¡°In 2024, we¡¯re planning to go around to meet fans we haven¡¯t gotten to meet.¡± Hyunjae felt the same way. ¡°We can¡¯t wait to make even more special memories with our fans next year.¡±

THE BOYZ¡¯ passion for music and affection for their fans were tangible in our interview. They are the sort of people who remind you of teenagers exploring some interest with a pure but fiery passion. Sunwoo himself said he hopes THE BOYZ become ¡°the kind of group that takes you back to your school days.¡±

¡°You know, we all have these beautiful memories of our school days, when we all felt brilliant and invincible. I¡¯d like THE BOYZ to be that kind of group. I¡¯d like us to serve as the eternal boyhood for our fans, to give them moments that are like beautiful memories of that time,¡± Sunwoo said.

Hearing that, I can¡¯t help feeling curious about the songs and performances THE BOYZ will serve up next. It brings me back to my childhood, when I just couldn¡¯t wait until tomorrow.