# Nexz
**Nexz** (Korean: 넥스지; Japanese: ネクスジ) is a seven-member boy group formed through the joint [JYP Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/jyp-entertainment) and [Sony Music](https://www.edgepedia.org/sony-music) audition project *Nizi Project Season 2*, active in both the South Korean and Japanese markets. The name abbreviates "Next Z(G)eneration" and was coined by producer [Park Jin-young](https://www.edgepedia.org/park-jin-young); the group debuted in South Korea on May 20, 2024, with the single album *Ride the Vibe*, becoming JYP Entertainment's first new boy group since Stray Kids six years earlier.[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/) • [2](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/20240520/nexz-debuts-under-jyp-aiming-to-build-on-stray-kids-legacy)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin | Formed on *Nizi Project Season 2*, a joint audition project by JYP Entertainment and Sony Music; name means "Next Z(G)eneration"[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/) |
| Members | Tomoya, Yu, Haru, So Geon, Seita, Hyui, and Yuki, born between 2005 and 2007[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/) |
| Debut | Pre-release "Miracle" on December 18, 2023; global debut May 20, 2024 with *Ride the Vibe*; Japan debut August 21, 2024[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/) |
| First chart peaks | *O-RLY?* (April 2025) gave the group its first weekly number one on both Hanteo chart divisions and two Circle Chart divisions[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/) |
| First music show win | "Mmchk" won on MBC MUSIC's *Show Champion* on May 6, 2026[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/) |
| Arena touring | First national tour in 2025 drew over 50,000 attendees across 15 cities and 18 shows; first arena tour in 2026 played Yoyogi National Gymnasium and Osaka-jo Hall[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/) • [3](https://ssl.sme.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/live/) |
| Latest release | The 4th mini album *SAUCIN'*, released August 24, 2026[4](https://nexz.jype.com/discography) |
## Formation and name
Nexz was assembled on *Nizi Project Season 2*, the second season of the audition program that JYP Entertainment and Sony Music ran jointly; the season's finale stage featured "Miracle", written and composed by J.Y. Park, which was distributed as a pre-release single on December 18, 2023.[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/) The group name combines "N" and "Z" as proof of its [Nizi Project](https://www.edgepedia.org/nizi-project) origin and stands for "Next Z(G)eneration", a message that members of the next generation will deliver new music and performance and open a new era.[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/) Park Jin-young personally coined the name, according to *The Korea Times*, which also noted that Nexz was JYP's first new boy group since [Stray Kids](https://www.edgepedia.org/stray-kids) debuted six years earlier.[2](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/20240520/nexz-debuts-under-jyp-aiming-to-build-on-stray-kids-legacy)
The seven members are Tomoya, Yu, Haru, So Geon, Seita, Hyui, and Yuki; their birth years run from 2005 (Yu) to 2007 (Hyui and Yuki), with the other five born in 2006.[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/)
## Discography
Nexz releases music in both Korean and Japanese, with Korean mini albums and singles on the JYP side and Japanese EPs on the Sony Music side.[4](https://nexz.jype.com/discography) • [1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/) The Korean-language debut single *Ride the Vibe* was released on May 20, 2024, and reached number one on the Hanteo Physical Album daily chart; its music video passed 10 million YouTube views within three days of release.[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/) The Japan 1st EP *Ride the Vibe (Japanese Ver.) / Keep on Moving* followed on August 21, 2024, topping the Oricon daily album ranking.[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/)
The group's first mini album, *NALLINA*, arrived on November 18, 2024, and reached the top ten on both the South Korean Circle and Japanese Oricon album charts.[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/) • [5](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/nexz-mn0004547774) The 2nd mini album *O-RLY?* (April 28, 2025) marked a chart breakthrough: number one on the Hanteo World Chart and Physical Album Chart in the same week, a first for the group, and weekly number one on two Circle Chart divisions; in Japan it achieved a triple crown on iTunes.[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/) The Japan 2nd EP *One Bite* (July 16, 2025) debuted at number one on Billboard Japan's Top Albums Sales chart.[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/) The 3rd mini album *Beat-Boxer* (October 27, 2025) topped the Circle Retail Album Chart.[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/)
In 2026 the release pace continued: the 2nd single album *Mmchk* on April 27, whose shipments set a career high, the Japan 3rd EP *Hellmate* on June 24, which set a career-high first-week shipment figure for the third consecutive Japanese release, and the 4th mini album *SAUCIN'* on August 24.[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/) • [4](https://nexz.jype.com/discography) A music video for the track "UPGRADE" followed on September 8, 2026.[6](https://nexz.jype.com/notice?PgIndex=2)
## Chart performance and recognition
**Awards and industry attention.** In January 2025 the Recording Academy, which presents the [Grammy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/grammy-awards), picked Nexz as a notable K-pop rookie artist for 2025, and the group was later selected as one of the Best 5 New Artists at the 39th [Japan Gold Disc Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/japan-gold-disc-awards).[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/) The first live video release, *NEXZ LIVE TOUR 2025 "One Bite" in Nippon Budokan* (February 18, 2026), reached number one on Oricon's weekly music DVD and Blu-ray ranking, the group's first weekly number one on an Oricon music ranking.[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/)
**First music show win.** Performing "Mmchk" on MBC MUSIC's *Show Champion* broadcast of May 6, 2026, the group achieved its first music show win.[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/)
## Live touring
Touring has scaled quickly. The Japan showcase tour *NEXZ SHOWCASE 2024 "Ride the Vibe"* played six shows in three cities, all sold out, drawing 40,000 attendees.[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/) The first national tour, *NEXZ LIVE TOUR 2025 "One Bite"*, ran from June to August 2025 across 15 cities and 18 shows and mobilized more than 50,000 people, closing with a [Nippon Budokan](https://www.edgepedia.org/nippon-budokan) performance.[1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/)
The group's first arena tour, *NEXZ LIVE TOUR 2026 "Hellmate"*, was announced in March 2026 and played four dates: May 30 and 31 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium First Gymnasium in Tokyo and June 12 and 13 at Osaka-jo Hall, with all-seat tickets priced at 12,000 yen.[3](https://ssl.sme.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/live/) • [7](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/info/581625) Festival appearances in late 2026 included a-nation 2026 on October 3, Livejack 2026 SMASH BEAT SP at Osaka-jo Hall on October 31, and Buzz Rhythm LIVE 2026 at Yokohama Arena on November 7.[3](https://ssl.sme.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/live/)
In September 2026 the group announced its first Asia tour, *NEXZ 1ST ASIA TOUR *, beginning with dates in Seoul, and on October 19 a Japanese leg of the tour was confirmed.[6](https://nexz.jype.com/notice?PgIndex=2) • [8](https://ssl.sme.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/)
## Position in the market
Nexz belongs to a wave of boy groups formed by Korean agencies with primarily Japanese members, alongside NCT WISH under [SM Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/sm-entertainment) and &TEAM under HYBE Labels, groups that execute localization strategies in Japan while remaining active in Korea.[2](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/20240520/nexz-debuts-under-jyp-aiming-to-build-on-stray-kids-legacy) AllMusic classifies the group's style as K-pop, dance-pop, and pop idol music, and describes it as a seven-member dance-oriented pop group.[5](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/nexz-mn0004547774) The dual-market approach shows in the release record: three Korean mini albums and singles on the JYP side sit alongside three Japanese EPs on the Sony Music side within roughly two years of debut.[4](https://nexz.jype.com/discography) • [1](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/)
## References
1. [NEXZ プロフィール, Sony Music Official Site](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/profile/)
2. [NEXZ debuts under JYP, aiming to build on Stray Kids' legacy, The Korea Times (May 20, 2024)](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/20240520/nexz-debuts-under-jyp-aiming-to-build-on-stray-kids-legacy)
3. [ライブ / イベント | NEXZ, Sony Music Official Site](https://ssl.sme.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/live/)
4. [NEXZ : Discography, JYP Entertainment](https://nexz.jype.com/discography)
5. [NEXZ Biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/nexz-mn0004547774)
6. [NEXZ : Notice, JYP Entertainment](https://nexz.jype.com/notice?PgIndex=2)
7. [「NEXZ LIVE TOUR 2026」開催決定！, Sony Music Official Site](https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/info/581625)
8. [NEXZ, Sony Music Official Site](https://ssl.sme.co.jp/artist/NEXZ/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › East and Southeast Asian pop scenes › J-pop and the Japanese popular music scene › Artists, groups, and people: J-pop and the Japanese popular music scene › Male idol and dance-vocal groups*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license