NCT WISH, &TEAM, NEXZ: 'Japanese Multi-Member Boy Group' on the Rise [★FOCUS]

*This content was translated by AI.

Japanese multi-member boy groups are rising in Korea.

Boy groups primarily composed of Japanese members produced by Korean agencies—NCT WISH (NCT 위시), &TEAM, and NEXZ (넥스지)—are recently making a strong impact on the K-pop market. These groups were originally formed with the goal of focusing on Japan as their main stage while conducting activities in Korea as a secondary focus, but due to exceeding expectations in Korea, they have shifted their direction to become 'groups based on activities in Korea.'

First, NCT WISH (Shion, Riku, Yuushi, Jaehui, Ryo, Sakuya) is a six-member multinational idol group that debuted under SM Entertainment in February 2024 and is NCT's final sub-group. The group features a rare composition with two Korean members, Shion and Jaehui, and four Japanese members: Riku, Yuushi, Ryo, and Sakuya.

NCT WISH's charm lies in the extreme freshness rarely seen among other male idols, natural cuteness, and 'agentic power' that triggers maternal instincts. The members are also well aware of their strengths and deliberately showcased a cover performance of TWICE's 'TT' at the year-end awards. NCT WISH boasts excellent planning capabilities from its design and content teams, and they are diligently presenting items such as the 'Wish Core' wing-point accessories, which even non-fans may have encountered at least once, and challenge videos highlighting Gen-Z sensibilities.

NCT WISH achieved a million-seller status just one day after releasing their first full album 'Ode to Love' on April 20. On April 27, they recorded a first-week sales figure of 1.825925 million copies based on Hanteo Chart, setting a new personal record. With this, NCT WISH has become the first group to achieve 'three consecutive million-sellers,' following their second mini-album 'poppop' (released in April last year) with first-week sales of 1.087 million copies and their third mini-album 'COLOR' (released in September) with first-week sales of 1.395 million copies.

Additionally, this album swept the daily and weekly number-one spots on major domestic album charts including Hanteo Chart, Yes24, and Circle Chart Retail Albums. The title track 'Ode to Love' also reached peak positions of No. 3 on Melon TOP100 and No. 1 on HOT100, climbed to No. 28 on the daily chart (as of the 22nd), and reached No. 3 on Apple Music Korea TOP100, boasting excellent results in both album and digital sales.

&TEAM debuted in Japan in December 2022 and in Korea last October. They are under HYBE Labels' YX Labels. Excluding Korean member E-Ju and Taiwanese member Nicholas, the group consists of seven Japanese members: Kai, Fuma, Yuma, Joe, Haru, Taki, and Macky (who holds dual German nationality), making it a group with a majority of Japanese nationals.

Previously, members E-Ju, Kai, Nicholas, and Taki appeared on the Mnet audition program 'I-LAND,' gaining public recognition. They perform high-difficulty dance routines centered on jumps and acrobatics with precise execution, exuding a 'cool charisma.' &TEAM is notable for sharing a worldview with ENHYPEN, another HYBE Labels group that debuted earlier through 'I-LAND.' In the 'Dark Moon' worldview, ENHYPEN is depicted as vampires, while &TEAM is portrayed as werewolves.

&TEAM's Korean debut mini-album 'Back to Life,' released last October, surpassed one million copies sold on its first day, entering the million-seller ranks, and recorded cumulative shipments of 1.331733 million copies based on Circle Chart. Furthermore, through this album, &TEAM achieved meaningful results on major global charts, including their first entry on the U.S. Billboard and topping the Japanese Oricon rankings.

According to the latest Oricon chart released on April 28, &TEAM's Japanese mini-album 'We on Fire,' released on the 21st, secured the No. 1 spot on the 'Weekly Album Ranking' (dated May 4, covering the period April 20–26). This marks &TEAM's fifth time topping Oricon's 'Weekly Album Ranking.' 'We on Fire' also reached No. 1 on Billboard Japan's 'Top Album Sales' (covering the period April 20–26). The album sold a total of 1.117354 million copies during its first week of release (April 20–26, based on Hanteo Chart). This achievement follows their third Japanese single 'Go in Blind' and Korean mini-album 'Back to Life,' marking three consecutive million-seller releases.

NEXZ is a rookie boy group under JYP that debuted in May 2024. The members were selected from the JYP and Sony Music Japan co-produced survival program 'Nizi Project Season 2.' Among the seven members, six—Tomoya, Yu, Haru, Seita, Hui, and Yuki—are Japanese, while one, So Geon, is a Zainichi Korean with Korean nationality.

NEXZ also showcases high-difficulty performances utilizing the acrobatic strengths characteristic of JYP boy groups. As 'self-produced idols' continuing the legacy of their senior group Stray Kids from the same agency, they strongly emphasize their artistic identity. Members Tomoya, Haru, and Hui are heavily involved in songwriting and composition. NEXZ emphasizes free-spirited freestyle and promotes 'NEXZ Way' (NEXZ+My way) as their pursued aesthetic.

NEXZ released their second single album 'Mmchk' (음츠크) and the title track of the same name on April 27. The album topped the daily album chart on Hanteo Chart, a domestic album aggregation site, on April 28, and also claimed the top spot on the daily retail album chart of Circle Chart. The title track 'Mmchk' reached No. 1 on Bugs' real-time chart on the day of its release, April 27. On the 28th, 'Mmchk,' the B-side track 'HYPEMAN' (하이프맨), and 'Mmchk (English Version)' (음츠크 (영어 버전)) ranked consecutively in the top three of that chart.

The reason NCT WISH, &TEAM, and NEXZ have captured the Korean fandom is analyzed to be rooted in their high-quality music and performances born from K-pop's systematic training, combined with curiosity and emotional familiarity toward their neighboring country, Japan. Each group's distinct personality and charm also account for a significant portion of their popularity.

A music industry official told StarNews, "Cultural exchange between the Gen-Z generations of both countries is active and interconnected, so these three groups are seen as having been born reflecting these elements. Consumers responded to the members' enthusiasm to debut after receiving K-pop training and to perform based on K-pop's grammar and formulas, and they are achieving results commensurate with that." The official added, "The commonality among the three groups is that they have formed a unique group narrative and chemistry among members to share with fans, while their differentiation lies in showcasing their respective weapons—such as concepts, worldviews, and performances—to thrive on the global stage."

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*This content was translated by AI.