[TMA Interview] CLOSE YOUR EYES, Wins for the Second Consecutive Year... Aims for 'Artist of the Year' Next Year

Last year's 'Hottest' followed by this year's 'Global Hot Trend' awardFrom 'Beat It Up' to 'Drop That!'... Special stages presented every yearGroup CLOSE YOUR EYES received the 'THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS' award in 2026, following last year. / Reporter Park Sang-min[THE FACT|Reporter Kim Saet-byeol] Group CLOSE YOUR EYES showcased their presence with the 'THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS' award and a special performance for the second consecutive year. They have prepared stages exclusively for TMA every year, and this year they attended the awards ceremony with a more grown-up image, expressing their ambition to aim for the 'Artist of the Year' award next year.'2026 THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS' (2026 THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS, TMA), hosted by and organized by FANNSTAR and UCW, was held on September 19th at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium. On this day, CLOSE YOUR EYES (KENSHIN SONG SEUNGHO JEON MINWOOK MA JINGXIANG KIM SUNGMIN JANG YEOJUN SEO KYOUNGBAE) received the 'Global Hot Trend' award.'Global Hot Trend' is an award presented to singers (or groups) whose fandom and popularity have rapidly increased both domestically and internationally. It is calculated by combining 60% of album and music sales with 40% of judging.This marks CLOSE YOUR EYES's second consecutive year of recognition, following their debut year in 2025 when they received the 'Hottest' award, proving their potential and growth by receiving the 'Global Hot Trend' trophy this year.Indeed, CLOSE YOUR EYES's trajectory has been dazzling. Their 3rd mini-album 'blackout,' released in November 2025, recorded 570,000 initial sales, and the title track 'POSE' from their digital single 'OVEREXPOSED,' released in April, was named in the 'Best K-Pop Songs of the First Half of 2026' by Billboard critics, earning them global music recognition.Most notably, CLOSE YOUR EYES has consistently added to the excitement of the TMA by presenting special stages every year. This year, they delivered a special cover of NCT DREAM's (NCT DREAM) 'Beat It Up,' and also unveiled the first performance of their pre-release song 'Open Your Eyes,' released just the day before the ceremony (the 18th), heating up the venue.Their fourth mini-album '256th Note,' released on September 30th, surpassed 710,000 initial sales, setting another career high.Group CLOSE YOUR EYES heated up the Busan venue by receiving the 'Global Hot Trend' award at '2026 THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS' and delivering a special performance. / Reporters Park Heon-woo, Kim Sung-ryeolMeeting with reporters backstage after finishing all their stages, CLOSE YOUR EYES shared various stories, from the joy of winning for the second consecutive year and the preparation process for their special performance to a humorous conversation about the members' changed visuals.When asked about his feelings on returning to TMA this year, JEON MINWOOK said, "Last year, I took home many happy and joyful memories from 'THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS'." He added, "Today, I came to TMA for the second time in the beautiful city of Busan, performed with joy, and received an award, so I am very happy. I hope to return with good feelings next year as well."When asked about the changes over the past year, JANG YEOJUN answered with a laugh, "Perhaps stage presence and visuals?" He joked, "I think everyone got handsomer as their facial fat decreased a bit." When SONG SEUNGHO asked, "Who do you think got the most handsome?" JANG YEOJUN chose himself.KIM SUNGMIN chimed in, "I also thought it was Yeojun. He became so handsome after bleaching his hair." MA JINGXIANG also praised, "After a year, Yeojun's facial fat decreased, and he seems to have developed a more mature charm." Faced with the members' unexpected agreement, JANG YEOJUN initially seemed flustered, saying, "That's not it," before laughing and responding, "Hahahaha. Thank you."One of the highlights of the stage that caught the eye was the special performance of NCT DREAM's 'Beat It Up.' Regarding the song choice, JEON MINWOOK explained, "I've always been a big fan of NCT DREAM seniors. I chose 'Beat It Up' because I thought it was a song that could better showcase our ambition and fierceness."Group CLOSE YOUR EYES expressed their ambition to become a group that grows with 'THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS'. / Reporter LEE SAEROM, Reporter Nam Yong-heeBehind-the-scenes details of the preparation process were also revealed. JEON MINWOOK said, "Since the choreography includes boxing moves, Xiang keeps boxing, and it's scary. I am genuinely afraid of Xiang and am avoiding him," which brought laughter to the venue.CLOSE YOUR EYES prepared a special stage for TMA this year, as they did last year. In particular, the release of their pre-release song 'Open Your Eyes' and its first performance at the awards ceremony the very next day added significance. Kenshin recalled, "It was the first time we were showing the performance of a pre-release song. I was especially nervous because I was in charge of the intro. But I think we were able to show a good performance because we practiced really hard."As they have presented new stages at TMA every year, the members have also promised future encounters. JEON MINWOOK stated, "We also feel that we always get along well. We want to come back with even better performances after growing more next year and the year after." He particularly expressed his ambition to "win the Artist of the Year award," vowing, "We will show you CLOSE YOUR EYES along with THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS."Finally, JEON MINWOOK promised the readers and fans of , "Please look forward to and love our fourth mini-album '256th Note'. We will always do our best and continue to be CLOSE YOUR EYES who makes good music."sstar1204@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]