BOYNEXTDOOR are determined to stay true

BOYNEXTDOOR (2025), photo by Yookeun Lim[https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/NME-HERO-BOYNEXTDOOR-CREDIT-YOOKEUN-LIM@2560x1707.jpg]To be a “boy next door” in an industry as saturated as K-pop is, arguably, to set yourself up for failure. Every year, hundreds ofhighly talented artists debut with the hopes of standing out and living their dreams. Yet, amid a massive battle for attention,where everyone is trying to hop onto the latest trend or pose as something they’re not, BOYNEXTDOOR stand out for their sincerity.BOYNEXTDOOR on The Cover of NME (2025), photo by Yookeun Lim[https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/NME-COVER-BOYNEXTDOOR-CREDIT-YOOKEUN-LIM@1990x2488.jpg]BOYNEXTDOOR on The Cover ofNME. Credit: Yookeun Lim for NMEThe first group to debut from rapper-turned-producer Zico’s HYBE sublabel KOZ Entertainment, BOYNEXTDOOR stepped into the scene asrelatable, lovesick boys with May 2023’s mini-album ‘Who!’. Ranging from 16 to 19 in age at the time, the six-piece set out toexpress universal emotions in the most honest way possible. “We make sure that it’s our own experiences and our own emotions thatare infused in our music,” says serene vocalist Leehan. “That frankness is what anchors our group. Our style can change over time,but being honest to the things that you go through, that is something that [will always be] a constant in our work.”Their music is largely self-made, with members Jaehyun, Taesan and Woonhak leading composition and lyrics, Riwoo contributingchoreography, and Sungho and Leehan making sure everything looks, sounds and feels like BOYNEXTDOOR. Through a feisty mix of pop,hip hop, rock and a hint of inspiration from Zico’s irreverent former group Block B, BOYNEXTDOOR are masters of relatability,finding fresh and funny angles to situations that every young person goes through.Jaehyun of BOYNEXTDOOR (2025), photo by Yookeun Lim[https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/NME-BOYNEXTDOOR-JAEHYUN-CREDIT-YOOKEUN-LIM@2160x2700.jpg]Jaehyun of BOYNEXTDOOR.Credit: Yookeun Lim for NME Jaehyun of BOYNEXTDOOR (2025), photo by Yookeun Lim[https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/NME-BOYNEXTDOOR-JAEHYUN-2-CREDIT-YOOKEUN-LIM@2160x2700.jpg]Jaehyun of BOYNEXTDOOR.Credit: Yookeun Lim for NMETogether with inventive storytelling and a sassy demeanour, they have shaped irresistible bangers that resonate with multiplegenerations: “Mom and dad should not hear this song”, they say at the beginning of ‘Dangerous’, the ultimate ode to sneaking out;‘Earth, Wind & Fire’ is a hyperbolic adoration of a new crush; they call you a “wuss” in ‘Nice Guy’ and boldly proclaim, “Seoul ismine tonight.”So far, BOYNEXTDOOR’s efforts are making a strong impression – since their debut, they’ve racked up five EPs (includingmillion-sellers ‘19.99’ and ‘No Genre’), an Asia tour, and appearances at global festivals, including KCON Los Angeles 2024, MusicBank in Madrid, and a much-talked-about set at Chicago’s Lollapalooza this August.Leehan of BOYNEXTDOOR (2025), photo by Yookeun Lim[https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/NME-BOYNEXTDOOR-LEEHAN-CREDIT-YOOKEUN-LIM@2160x2700.jpg]Leehan of BOYNEXTDOOR.Credit: Yookeun Lim for NME Leehan of BOYNEXTDOOR (2025), photo by Yookeun Lim[https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/NME-BOYNEXTDOOR-LEEHAN-2-CREDIT-YOOKEUN-LIM@2160x2700.jpg]Leehan of BOYNEXTDOOR.Credit: Yookeun Lim for NMEToday, the six members are sitting backstage at their NME The Cover photoshoot, just before makeup and styling teams transformthem into the dazzling idols the world knows them as. Huddled on a black couch, they look like a bunch of regular boys from anyneighbourhood: messy hair, comfy hoodies and laidback charm. When we speak, it’s exactly one month before the release of theirfifth and latest EP, ‘The Action’, but the whirlwind of preparation doesn’t faze them.“We have been practising a lot, but we have been able to get decent hours of sleep,” says vocalist and eldest member Sungho,polite to a fault. Meanwhile, the multitalented Taesan, sitting beside him, furtively raises three fingers in front of hismischievous face – make of that what you will. “We are always working, whether it be in the morning or at night,” he says. “Ithink we are workaholics,” adds Leehan with a laugh.Sungho of BOYNEXTDOOR (2025), photo by Yookeun Lim[https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/NME-BOYNEXTDOOR-SUNGHO-CREDIT-YOOKEUN-LIM@2160x2700.jpg]Riwoo of BOYNEXTDOOR.Credit: Yookeun Lim for NME Sungho of BOYNEXTDOOR (2025), photo by Yookeun Lim[https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/NME-BOYNEXTDOOR-SUNGHO-2-CREDIT-YOOKEUN-LIM@2160x2700.jpg]Riwoo of BOYNEXTDOOR.Credit: Yookeun Lim for NMETheir passion for what they do is apparent as they speak, still buoyed by rookie eagerness and a desire to improve. “It’s stilltoo early to think about how successful we are now,” says Jaehyun. As the leader of the group, he holds an aura of maturity anddirects an attentive gaze towards his bandmates. “There are so many things we want to show, so many moments, and so many stagesaround the world we want to stand on. We are thirsty for [that], and we’re working hard to quench that thirst. We also have thedesire to create new trends, so I think we constantly feel a sense of lacking in that regard.”“We always talk among the members, saying things like, ‘Doing this stage makes us want even more’,” Sungho adds, picking up hisbandmate’s thread. “Honestly, up until now, whenever we have performed, we always evaluated the stage with a bit of regret,thinking, ‘Maybe there was a cooler way we could have done that.’ We will probably always feel that sense of longing and keepwanting to do something even more amazing.”> “Our style can change over time, but being honest is something that [will always be] a constant in our work” – LeehanEven if they are tough critics, all six members agree that they can feel their progression on ‘The Action’, saying it was mucheasier to make than their previous releases. “With ‘I Feel Good’ there were a lot of scratching sounds, so it was kinda difficultto do,” says Taesan, referring to the raspy cries in the chorus of the ‘No Genre’ track. His bandmates nod in agreement. “Thistime around, it was quite doable, and we enjoyed the process.”Across its five tracks, ‘The Action’ reflects how much BOYNEXTDOOR have grown since their debut. “The key point we wanted toexpress in this album is change through action,” says Sungho. Its centrepiece is lead single ‘Hollywood Action’, which takesinspiration from films in a “fake it until you make it” attitude, charging forward with jazzy brass lines.Riwoo of BOYNEXTDOOR (2025), photo by Yookeun Lim[https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/NME-BOYNEXTDOOR-RIWOO-CREDIT-YOOKEUN-LIM@2160x2700.jpg]Sungho of BOYNEXTDOOR.Credit: Yookeun Lim for NME Riwoo of BOYNEXTDOOR (2025), photo by Yookeun Lim[https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/NME-BOYNEXTDOOR-RIWOO-2-CREDIT-YOOKEUN-LIM@2160x2700.jpg]Sungho of BOYNEXTDOOR.Credit: Yookeun Lim for NMEThe EP also offers a departure from BOYNEXTDOOR’s “good boy” tropes, as the ever-insightful youngest member, Woonhak, shares. “Ifyou listen to our past releases, we are usually the ones who get dumped. We have always been the type of guys who get hurt easily.This time around, we wanted to turn it the other way and be the cool bad guys.” Case in point: the ruthless ballad ‘As Time GoesBy’, where they coldly break up with a lover, singing “I’m too tired to continue this” and “I already don’t love you anymore.” Inthe indie rock cut ‘Bathroom’, they acknowledge being “a punk, a loser, a headache,” but also get impressively vulnerable, asking“but can someone hold me?”Opening up previously unseen layers to the group feels like a natural byproduct of their newfound synergy and closeness. Until therelease of ‘No Genre’ in May, they hadn’t quite clicked, they admit. “The time I felt that we really bonded as a group was afterwe were promoting ‘I Feel Good’,” says Woonhak. “We had this whole lineup of concerts and tours to do, like Weverse Con [a globalmusic festival hosted by HYBE], the encore concerts in Japan, then Lollapalooza, and the final concert in Seoul. Leading up to allthose events, I felt like we were really on the same boat, pushing towards the same goal. Our teamwork is getting better andbetter every minute.”Taesan of BOYNEXTDOOR (2025), photo by Yookeun Lim[https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/NME-BOYNEXTDOOR-TAESAN-CREDIT-YOOKEUN-LIM@2160x2700.jpg]Taesan of BOYNEXTDOOR.Credit: Yookeun Lim for NME Taesan of BOYNEXTDOOR (2025), photo by Yookeun Lim[https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/NME-BOYNEXTDOOR-TAESAN-2-CREDIT-YOOKEUN-LIM@2160x2700.jpg]Taesan of BOYNEXTDOOR.Credit: Yookeun Lim for NME“I totally second what Woonhak said,” adds Sungho, enthusiastically giving a thumbs up. “When we were promoting ‘I Feel Good’, weall felt that everything was just ticking and falling into place; there were no glitches at all. That is why I’m looking forwardto our new EP. I can’t wait to see how [much] better we will be as a team.”As they’ve gained more experience and overcome new challenges together, BOYNEXTDOOR have realised their team extends beyond thecore six members, encompassing a raft of people – from fans to their staff – for whom they feel deep gratitude. “I don’t thinkthose are things you can really understand before debuting,” shares Jaehyun. “The more love we receive, the more we feel the senseof responsibility that comes with it. As we realise there are more things we need to think about and act on than we expected, wealso think about how we should have a positive influence.”Woohak of BOYNEXTDOOR (2025), photo by Yookeun Lim[https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/NME-BOYNEXTDOOR-WOOHAK-CREDIT-YOOKEUN-LIM@2160x2700.jpg]Woonhak of BOYNEXTDOOR.Credit: Yookeun Lim for NME Woonhak of BOYNEXTDOOR (2025), photo by Yookeun Lim[https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/NME-BOYNEXTDOOR-WOONHAK-2-CREDIT-YOOKEUN-LIM@2160x2700.jpg]Woonhak of BOYNEXTDOOR.Credit: Yookeun Lim for NME“And truly, the fact that we’ve been able to keep growing day by day is thanks to the hard work and support of so many people,”adds Sungho. “That’s why, as singers and artists, we believe we have to do even better, because that’s how we can acknowledge andgive value to the effort they’ve put in. We don’t want to just shine alone; we want the people who support us to feel that theirwork is also rewarded. That’s the sense of responsibility we’ve come to have.”As a group aiming to be relatable, their lives as idols pose an ever-growing challenge, as they are continuously driven away frommost people’s regular lives and experiences. In order to fill that gap, Jaehyun says that they strive to read many books, watch TVshows and movies, and talk to people around them to learn about their experiences.> “The more love we receive, the more we feel the sense of responsibility that comes with it” – Jaehyun“Just like I captured the feeling of my songwriting not going well in [‘The Action’ track] ‘Live in Paris,’ we thought it was asong that anyone, even those who don’t write songs, could relate to their own situation,” adds Taesan. Woonhak quickly follows up:“While we are idols and we may seem to live a different life, all lives are pretty similar. We all go through similar stuff.”Of course, as in all groups of people, that means there’s still a fair amount of quarrelling. “Whether it is making the music,training for the choreography, or creating the performance, we always have different ideas, and that leads to disagreement,” saysJaehyun. “I’m not sure if we are solving them very cleverly, but I think it’s a learning curve that we have to take on. It’sinevitable [that] we will have different ideas, but only practice makes perfect.”“But fighting and agreeing to disagree means that we can really feel our growth,” Leehan chimes in. Riwoo, a scene-stealing danceron stage but quite the introvert o