Close Your Eyes Hit 1.2M Sales in 10 Months — Now Their April Comeback Is Coming

Close Your Eyes, the seven-member powerhouse that emerged from JTBC's Project 7, has officially confirmed an April 2026 comeback with their highly anticipated 4th mini album. The announcement arrives just ten months after their debut, during which the group has already shattered expectations by accumulating a staggering 1.2 million album sales across their first three releases.

The upcoming album represents a pivotal moment for the UNCORE-managed group, which has been on an almost unprecedented trajectory since their formation. With each release building exponentially on the last, the April comeback promises to push the boundaries of what a rookie group can achieve within their first year in the industry.

From Survival Show to Million-Seller Status

Close Your Eyes debuted on April 2, 2025, with their first mini album "ETERNALT," introducing members Jeon Minwook, Ma Jingxiang, Jang Yeojun, Kim Sungmin, Song Seungho, Kenshin, and Seo Kyoungbae to the K-pop landscape. The group's formation through JTBC's Project 7 gave them a built-in fanbase from day one, but what followed exceeded even the most optimistic projections.

Their second mini album, "Snowy Summer," dropped in July 2025 and demonstrated significant growth in both sales and critical reception. However, it was their third mini album, "blackout," released in November 2025, that truly announced Close Your Eyes as a force to be reckoned with. The album sold an extraordinary 570,073 copies in its first week on the Hanteo chart alone, shattering the group's own previous records by a wide margin.

The cumulative total of 1.2 million albums sold across just three mini albums in ten months places Close Your Eyes in rare company among 5th-generation K-pop acts. The achievement is particularly remarkable given the increasingly competitive landscape of the current K-pop market, where standing out among dozens of new debuts each year requires both exceptional talent and strategic momentum.

International Recognition and Industry Awards

The numbers tell only part of the story. Close Your Eyes has garnered recognition from some of the most respected names in international music journalism. Billboard named them their K-Pop Rookie of the Month in December 2025, while Forbes included their work among the "most acclaimed K-pop releases of 2025." The group also earned a coveted spot on Billboard's "Best K-POP Albums 2025" list, a distinction that underscored the quality of their musical output alongside its commercial success.

Their chart performance has been equally impressive on the global stage. "blackout" reached the number two position on the United World Chart and made significant inroads on iTunes and Apple Music charts across multiple territories. The group has collected seven industry awards in their brief career, a tally that reflects both critical and commercial momentum.

Perhaps most telling of their crossover potential, Close Your Eyes was featured on CNN, bringing their story to an audience far beyond the traditional K-pop fanbase. The international media coverage signaled that the group's appeal extends well past the music itself, encompassing a compelling narrative of young artists who came together through a survival show and rapidly exceeded all expectations.

Record-Breaking Milestones on Music Shows

Close Your Eyes etched their name in K-pop history by becoming the fastest 5th-generation group to win on KBS's Music Bank, one of South Korea's most prestigious weekly music programs. Even more impressively, they hold the distinction of being the second-fastest group of all time to achieve this milestone, placing them in the same conversation as some of the genre's all-time greats.

The music show victories served as validation that Close Your Eyes could compete not only in album sales but also in the fiercely contested arena of weekly music program rankings, where digital streaming, physical sales, broadcast scores, and fan votes all factor into the final result. Their consistency across these metrics demonstrated a well-rounded appeal that bodes extremely well for their longevity.

Solo Concert and Japan Tour Success

The group's upward trajectory continued into 2026 with their first solo concert at Seoul's Olympic Hall in January, a venue that holds special significance in K-pop as a marker of a group's arrival on the major stage. The concert was a testament to their rapidly growing domestic fanbase and their ability to deliver a full-length live performance with the polish of a far more experienced act.

In February 2026, Close Your Eyes took their show on the road with a Japan tour that further cemented their international standing. Japan has long been a critical market for K-pop groups, and the success of the tour demonstrated that Close Your Eyes' appeal translates effectively across cultural boundaries. The tour received enthusiastic responses from fans and media alike, setting the stage for an even more ambitious international schedule in the months ahead.

Beyond their own releases, the members have also branched out into other areas of the entertainment industry. Their contribution of the OST track "I Got It" for the tvN drama "The Judge Returns" showcased the group's versatility and willingness to explore different musical contexts. The drama tie-in introduced Close Your Eyes to viewers who might not have encountered them through traditional K-pop channels, broadening their audience in a natural and organic way.

What to Expect From the April Comeback

According to reports from Korean media outlets, the upcoming 4th mini album is designed to expand Close Your Eyes' artistic identity and broaden their musical spectrum. While specific details about the album's concept and tracklist remain under wraps, the language surrounding the release suggests an ambitious project that aims to showcase new dimensions of the group's capabilities.

Given the progression from "ETERNALT" through "Snowy Summer" to "blackout," each release has represented a meaningful evolution in the group's sound and visual identity. The 4th mini album is expected to continue this pattern of artistic growth while maintaining the core elements that have resonated so strongly with their growing global fanbase.

The timing of the April comeback is also significant. Releasing their fourth mini album almost exactly one year after their debut creates a natural anniversary narrative that will undoubtedly fuel fan excitement and media attention. For a group that has already achieved million-seller status, the question now is not whether they can sell albums, but how far they can push the creative and commercial boundaries of 5th-generation K-pop.

With seven industry awards, Billboard recognition, Forbes acclaim, CNN features, chart-topping performances, and a sold-out concert tour already in their rearview mirror, Close Your Eyes has set an extraordinarily high bar for their own expectations. Their April comeback represents the next chapter in what has already become one of the most compelling debut stories in recent K-pop history. If the trajectory of their first ten months is any indication, the group is only getting started.