Brendan Le is an Editorial Assistant at PEOPLE with three years of experience working as an editor and writer.
BoyNextDoor is facing the next phase of their career -- and their lives -- head on.
The group of six, consisting of members Jaehyun, Sungho, Taesan, Riwoo, Leehan and Woonhak, answer the tough questions of turning 20 with their mini-album 19.99 and its lead single "Nice Guy, released on Monday, Sept. 9. 19.99 marks BoyNextDoor's fourth project since their debut last May. In that time, the group has gained 1.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify, 2.5 million Instagram followers and a devoted fanbase dubbed "Onedoor."
Woonhak, 18, tells PEOPLE that their latest seven-track EP opens up "a new chapter" for the K-pop rising stars. He explains that 19.99 signifies "the imperfect number on the verge of turning 20." Because all the members are on the cusp of adulthood, he feels they can be "very frank and candid" about the challenges of transitioning out of adolescence.
From their first project Who!, Jaehyun, 20, Taesan, also 20, and Woonhak have had a hand in the writing and production of their songs -- a rarity for newly debuted idols. Jaehyun, BoyNextDoor's leader, calls it an "honor" to have a chance to contribute their individual perspectives to albums.
"We could really speak from our hearts from the very beginning of our journey," he continues. "That actually helped shape us as a group and shape our direction forward."
Under KOZ Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Hybe Corporation, the group reports to the record label's founder, former K-pop idol Zico. With 13 years of industry experience, the rapper, 31, has guided BoyNextDoor since its inception.
"He's always shown so much interest in what we do as a group and as individuals," says Sungho, 21. "He knows what we've been through. He knows what content we've filmed. He knows what we're all up to and regarding producing the albums and about the creative part of the album."
Zico provides Jaehyun with leadership advice, drawn from his experience as the leader of the K-pop group Block B. He identifies his mentee's strengths and weaknesses to give "constructive feedback," which Jaehyun says makes him "strive to be a better leader."
Jaehyun has led the K-pop boy group's public presence as an emcee of M Countdown, a weekly South Korean music program. During a July 2024 broadcast, he performed a cover of "I Need a Girl" by K-pop veterans Taeyang and G-Dragon of BigBang. Clips of his performance garnered upwards of 5.9 million views on TikTok, and nearly 100,000 have used the sound.
The reception shocked Jaehyun, who was unaware "for some time" that he had kickstarted a viral dance challenge.
"I was really happy to find out that it was, and I'm going to try to do another cover soon," he teases. "Nothing's fixed yet, but for 'I Need a Girl,' I want to do a short [Instagram] Reels on that song."
Their onstage charisma showed during their KCON LA performance at the end of July. Of the group's first show on American soil, Woonhak says the atmosphere made him feel "exhilarated."
"When I was on the L.A. KCON stage and I was saying something, I think the crowd really liked this, so they started doing the cheering sound," he recalled, mimicking the audience's barks. "That really made my heart bounce."
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For now, concerts remain one-off gigs until they are ready to embark on their first tour. As for when that time will come, Sungho answers, "When the time is right, we'll get to work on that." Although there are no concrete plans revealed yet, he adds that the group has brainstormed ideas for a potential tour.
"It's like a long-held dream that we have," Sungho confesses. "There are definite things and stages that you can show only when you're on tours, so ... we are really putting our heads together for that."