ÍøÆغÚÁÏ

South Korean boy band the Boyz are known for their upbeat pop, hip-hop, and dance-influenced sound. The group first garnered attention with 2017's "The Boy" off The First EP, before hitting number one on the Goan Album Chart with their 2020 full-length, Reveal. A year later, they cracked the Top Five in Japan with Breaking Dawn. The Boyz also topped the charts with 2021's single-album Maverick and the EPs Thrill-ing (2021), Be Aware (2022), and Be Awake (2023).

Formed by the IST Entertainment Group in 2017, the Boyz originally featured the talents of Sangyeon (leader, vocalist), Jacob (vocalist), Younghoon (vocalist), Hyunjae (vocalist), Hwall (vocalist/dancer/rapper), Juyeon (dancer/vocalist), Kevin (vocalist), New (vocalist), Q (dancer/vocalist), and Ju Haknyeon (dancer/vocalist). The group debuted in 2017 with The First EP, featuring the single "Boy." A second EP, The Start, arrived in April 2018, followed by The Only that November. Both albums cracked the Top Five of the Goan chart, as did the group's 2019 single "Bloom Bloom" and subsequent EPs including 2019's Dreamlike and 2020's Chase. It was also around this time that Hwall left the group (initially due to health issues) to pursue a solo career.

In February 2020, the Boyz released their debut full-length album, Reveal. Led by the title-track single, it topped the South Korean Goan Album Chart and reached number 32 in Japan. On the heels of the album's release, the group competed on the Mnet reality series Road to Kingdom, ultimately finishing in first place. They also released their debut Japanese album, Breaking Dawn, hitting number four on the Oricon Albums Chart. In November 2021, they again topped the South Korean charts with the single-album Maverick. More EPs followed, including 2021's Thrill-ing and 2022's She's the Boss. Also that year, both Eric and Sunwoo went on an indefinite hiatus from the group. In August 2022, the Boyz again hit number one in South Korea with the Be Aware EP, and they continued their ascent in 2023 with the Be Awake EP. ~ Matt Collar