"Wanting to Become a Music Hotspot": CLOSE YOUR EYES Tackles Jazz, Confident in Ultra-Fast Comeback [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

The idol group CLOSE YOUR EYES (Jeon Min-wook, Ma Jingxiang, Jang Ye-jun, Kim Sung-min, Song Seung-ho, Ken Shin, Seo Kyung-bae) announced their comeback with a new genre called jazz funk.

CLOSE YOUR EYES held a comeback press conference at 1 p.m. on the 30th in the Montblanc Hall on the 6th floor of The Riverside Hotel in Jamwon-dong, Seoul.

CLOSE YOUR EYES will release their fourth mini album '256th Note' through major online music streaming sites at 6 p.m. on the same day.

'256th Note' is an album inspired by the fleeting moments created improvisationally by individual instruments and the unique freedom and spontaneity of jazz that draws deep immersion from within those moments. Rather than focusing on formalized expressions, it captures the process in which passing moments are completed into a single piece of music, concentrating on the emotions and flow of the moment.

The title track 'Drop That!' is a song that samples Yoon Si-nae's 'Enjoy This Night,' considered the pioneer of Korean jazz funk, reinterpreting it in a 90s street hip-hop style. It combines the unpredictable spontaneity of jazz with the sampling techniques unique to hip-hop, adding CLOSE YOUR EYES' unique sensibility on top of powerful string lines and upright bass sounds.

CLOSE YOUR EYES previously released 'Open Your Eyes,' which unfolded the free-spirited feel of jazz through the grammar of hip-hop and R&B, showcasing a lyrical and delicate texture.

The album includes a total of seven tracks: 'Open Your Eyes' and 'Drop That!'; 'Vibe Check,' a pop number where urban piano and groovy drum beats blend together; 'Slowly Bleed,' which combines electro-pop and alternative R&B elements; 'Fool For You,' an R&B track with a vintage and romantic atmosphere; 'Baby Bossa Nova,' which adds modern pop sounds to bossa nova; and 'Eternity,' a pop ballad based on warm acoustic piano.

On this day, CLOSE YOUR EYES stated, "We are back after five months. We wanted to create good memories with our fans." They added, "We will show you a wonderful appearance bringing the genre of jazz. We expressed the charm of our unique personality through 'Drop That!'. It was awkward and new for us as we encountered jazz funk for the first time. While it was a burden to sample a song from a senior artist, we strived to express it with our own colors with a sense of responsibility."

Regarding the reason for choosing the jazz funk genre on this day, CLOSE YOUR EYES said, "Since our debut, we have shown many lyrical and melodic songs." They continued, "We chose the improvisational charm unique to jazz. And in the process of trying not to be confined to a single genre, we chose jazz."

They further stated, "We studied extensively about previous generations' genres, including senior artist Yoon Si-nae's songs," adding, "We thought that our strength, which is the pleasant musicality only we possess, fits well with jazz." They continued, "Senior artist Yoon Si-nae graciously and readily granted permission to sample her song. Just as we felt a sense of being ahead of the generation when listening to 'Enjoy This Night,' we hope that senior artist will evaluate our song as music that is ahead of its time when she listens to it."

On this day, regarding the reason for choosing the jazz funk genre, CLOSE YOUR EYES said, "Since our debut, we have shown many lyrical and melodic songs," adding, "We chose the improvisational charm unique to jazz. And in the process of trying not to be confined to a single genre, we chose jazz."

They further stated, "We studied extensively about previous generations' genres, including senior artist Yoon Si-nae's songs," adding, "We thought that our strength, which is the pleasant musicality only we possess, fits well with jazz. We want to be given the epithet 'music hotspot' through this new song activity."

CLOSE YOUR EYES also stated, "We wanted to share music by challenging various genres. All the songs will be pleasant to listen to." They added, "In terms of breathing and communicating with the audience while feeling energy, we are gaining a lot of experience on this tour. It seems that our internal coordination has grown significantly as well."

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*This content was translated by AI.