The group BOYNEXTDOOR (BOYNEXTDOOR) returned with bold confidence.
BOYNEXTDOOR (Seongho, Liu, Myung Jaehyeon, Taesan, Ihan, Unhak) held a showcase at KBS Arena in Hwagok-dong, Gangseo District, Seoul, starting at 2 p.m. on the 20th to commemorate the release of their fifth mini-album The Action and unveiled the stage for their new song "Hollywood Action" for the first time. It was a comeback that revealed BOYNEXTDOOR's vivid sensibility and confidence.
The BOYNEXTDOOR members first said, "We are really grateful that we can meet you often with new music this year. We will do our best to wrap this up well," and added, "In 2025 alone, we are returning to Korea already with our third new song. We are excited to see how you view and listen to our new music. We hope you give it lots of love."
They continued, "I really wanted to make one more comeback this year, and I'm very thankful it could happen," and said, "I'm really excited because I think we'll be able to promote joyfully with the new song. We prepared hard, so we're confident — please look forward to it."
BOYNEXTDOOR's fifth mini-album The Action, which was released at 6 p.m. that day, is an album that encapsulates the group's desire to grow. To grow, you cannot remain where you are. You must challenge yourself and take action to move forward. BOYNEXTDOOR willingly takes steps forward. This new release is an album that captures an enterprising spirit unafraid of new attempts.
If BOYNEXTDOOR declared in the previous album that they would not define themselves as any single thing ("No Genre"), this time they convey a determination to dive in without setting limits. Melodies and lyrics that let you feel the members' personalities also stand out.
Seongho introduced the album, saying, "This album captures BOYNEXTDOOR's desire for growth. It conveys the mindset that you must take action to grow. It is an album that gives a glimpse of our spirit of challenge as we act for growth."
Liu added, "Everyone longs for challenge and growth, but actually putting it into practice is not easy. To do anything, you have to make a move, and I think you have to keep running to become a better version of yourself. I tried to reflect that mindset in this album."
Seongho also said, "Every album has felt like a challenge to us. While preparing this new song, we also toured, so we talked a lot among the members about how much we've improved and how to show a cooler stage with a new concept," adding, "The first goal we want to achieve through challenges is to be recognized for this album's stage and music. During the preparation period for this album, the members communicated a lot, and we really want our musicality to be recognized so that those efforts can shine."
On this album, Ihan was added to the album credits in addition to Myung Jaehyeon, Taesan, and Unhak, who have consistently worked on songwriting. You can feel BOYNEXTDOOR's true nature of continuously growing without stopping.
Ihan said about this, "It would not be an exaggeration to say I truly waited for this day. Songwriting is really difficult, but it is such an attractive process that I plan to keep challenging myself. I have very proud memories from the work."
Myung Jaehyeon and Liu said, "Besides writing lyrics, he also played a full role as an idea bank. This is an album about challenge and growth, and that quality suits Ihan perfectly," expressing their trust in Ihan.
The title track "Hollywood Action" is a song that shows a confident and bold attitude like a Hollywood star and was produced by Zico, the chief producer of KOZ Entertainment and a singer, as well as Poptime and Kako. This song once again shines with the team's signature vivid and direct lyrics, and the members' proactive and confident attitude adds to its appeal. With a swing rhythm, lively brass arrangements, and the six members' smooth tones and rap blending together, the song creates an atmosphere like watching a movie.
Unhak said about "Hollywood Action," "I have confidence that it will do well as soon as you hear it. Our members also participated directly in the songwriting, so I think this song conveys BOYNEXTDOOR's unique vivid feeling," asking for anticipation.
Unhak continued, "Honestly, I want to recommend this song to those who were unable to challenge what they wanted to do because of certain constraints or hesitated. I hope everyone who listens to this song gains the courage and achieves everything they put into action with that courage. I was like that too, so I hope they find confidence," and expressed, "Frankly, I want to be No. 1 on music shows and try to top many charts."
Liu said, "Personally, when I first heard this song, the chorus stayed in my head. I liked it so much that my brow actually furrowed while listening," introducing it as a great song, and Myung Jaehyeon added, "When I first encountered this song in its early stages, I thought, 'This kind of concept is BOYNEXTDOOR's specialty,' and some members reacted that the chorus is the best among our songs so far."
Seongho also said, "I think our members always share the same feeling. Hearing someone say, 'I want to see a BOYNEXTDOOR stage,' makes us happiest and is something we always want to hear," adding, "We always think about how our music can approach people warmly under the name BOYNEXTDOOR, and we communicate, wondering, 'Will people empathize with our music? Will many people feel the same?' When many people say BOYNEXTDOOR's music feels like their own story, that's the proudest moment and makes us feel we are doing what we want to do well."
BOYNEXTDOOR's new release consists of five tracks in total: "Hollywood Action," "Live In Paris," "JAM!," "Bathroom," and "Ittjana." "Live In Paris" likens immersing oneself in late-night work in search of inspiration to the time difference with Paris, France. "JAM!" centers on "jam" as a theme of friends connecting through freestyle dance and music. "Bathroom" sings about the confusion of emotions exploding during a conflict with a lover. "Ittjana" is a ballad portraying a lover who realizes they no longer love the other person and reluctantly conveys words of goodbye.
BOYNEXTDOOR continues a steep upward trajectory, recording a "career high" with each album. Their third mini-album 19.99 and fourth mini-album No Genre achieved back-to-back million-selling status, and No Genre had first-week sales of 1,166,419 copies (sales in the week following release), about a 54% increase compared with the previous release's first-week sales of 759,156. Their tracks, both title and album cuts, charted broadly, helping them emerge as a "powerhouse on the charts."
Their global expansion also stands out. All four mini-albums BOYNEXTDOOR has released so far entered the U.S. Billboard main albums chart, the Billboard 200. This summer they successfully concluded their first solo tour, BOYNEXTDOOR TOUR "KNOCK ON Vol.1," with 23 performances in 13 cities, and they appeared at Lollapalooza Chicago, further asserting their growing presence in the global music market.
Expectations are high for BOYNEXTDOOR's next challenge, The Action, as they ride a wave of commercial success.
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