SM Entertainment’s latest K-pop boy group, RIIZE, has snagged multiple awards within a year of its debut. The group shows finesse in its music right from the start. With skillful vocalists and charismatic performers, the group displays the potential to achieve new heights in their careers fairly early.
RIIZE comprises seven members: Shotaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Seunghan, Sohee, and Anton. Fans already knew some members, like Shotaro and Sungchan, who had previously debuted with NCT. Others got to introduce themselves before debuting through SM Entertainment’s reality show Welcome to NCT Universe.
When did RIIZE debut?
RIIZE debuted on September 4, 2024, with the single “Get A Guitar.” The pop song’s refreshing tune, tinged with a retro-synth vibe and heavenly harmonies of the members, made it a solid banger, getting over 41 million views since its debut.
The single album’s physical edition also sold over 1,050,523 units within a week of its release, making its sales the second-highest among rookie groups. Get A Guitar peaked at number 1 on South Korea’s Circle Album Chart and number 2 on Japan’s Oricon chart.
Since then, RIIZE has released three more singles, including “Memories,” “Love 119,” and “Talk Sexy.” The group has also announced their upcoming fan meeting tour in nine cities, including locations in the United States and various Asian countries.
Profiles of RIIZE members
RIIZE members have been making headlines since their debut as fans swooned over the magnetic charms of the stars from early on. Japanese member Shotaro is the oldest member of the group who was a part of NCT U before joining RIIZE.
Shotaro’s strength lies in his dancing. Before joining RIIZE, he shared several popular dance covers on his TikTok channel. The 24-year-old K-pop star left NCT U in 2023 when SM announced he would join the new K-pop group, RIIZE.
Song Eunseok is the second-oldest member of RIIZE. The Korean member’s electrifying charisma on stage has stunned fans. The 23-year-old K-pop star considers TVXQ’s Changmin his biggest inspiration. In addition to his artistic career, Eunseok received a black belt in Taekwondo.
The third RIIZE member, Jung Sungchan, is a promising rapper. The 23-year-old also debuted with NCT U before switching to RIIZE in 2023. Sungchan joined SM Entertainment in 2016 and trained for four years before officially debuting with NCT. His role model is EXO’s superstar Kai.
Park Wonbin, aka the dancer and center of RIIZE, is 22 years old. The Korean member choreographed Missy Elliot‘s “Joy” with Shotaro and shared the team’s performance through RIIZE’s Instagram. His role models are EXO stars; apart from dancing, he loves playing guitar.
The main vocalist of the group is Lee Sohee. The 21-year-old rookie star follows EXO’s Baekhyun as his idol. After debuting with RIIZE, Lee Sohee snagged the chance to host Mnet’s popular music show, M Countdown, alongside Zerobaseone’s Hanbin and Boynextdoor’s Jaehyun.
The group’s youngest member (Maknae) is Anton, whose birth name is Lee Chanyoung. The American rookie is a skilled cellist and loves producing music in his free time. Anton also comes from a family of famous Korean artists. He is the son of singer and producer Yoon Sang and actress Shim Hyejin.
The last member of RIIZE who is currently on hiatus is Seunghan. The 21-year-old dancer and vocalist went on a hiatus after pictures from his pre-debut life surfaced online.
SM Entertainment stated: “Seunghan is feeling severely apologetic and is reflecting on himself for causing disappointment and commotion to not only the team and members but also to fans due to issues regarding his personal life that are being leaked and circulated recently via social media and online communities.”
During Seungchan’s hiatus, the other members will continue all activities, beginning with their fan meeting concert in Seoul on May 4 at Jamsil Indoor Stadium.
