Global Boy Group AEN Makes Sleek Debut with “X to Z (Next to me)”
Seven-member boy-group AEN, a joint multinational collaboration between K-Pop label Starship Entertainment and Japanese entertainment agency Amuse, debuts with a chrome-like sheen in their debut EP A NEW ERA OF NOW. The group, consisting of four Korean members (Jiyong, Bomin, Kyuhyun, and Junseo) and three Japanese members (Haru, Haruto, and Kaira), finally launched onto the global entertainment scene on August 5, 2026, after a long promotional lead-up. Title track “X to Z (Next to Me),” with both Korean and Japanese versions, features a futuristic pounding bass line, sleek chrome visuals, and sharp, extended point choreo: arms outstretched, visually reaching to a new axis. The members don cropped suits against a dark, urban futurescape of funk and synth-rock instrumentals.
A NEW ERA OF NOW Tracklist:
“Clockwise (Korean ver.)”
“X to Z (Next to me) (Korean ver.)”
“Focus on Me (Korean ver.)”
“CHILLS (Korean ver.)”
“HIGHFIVE (Korean ver.)”
“Clockwise (Japanese ver.)”
“X to Z (Next to me) (Japanese ver.)”
“Focus on Me (Japanese ver.)”
“CHILLS (Japanese ver.)”
“HIGHFIVE (Japanese ver.)”
While technically a ten-track bilingual EP, the five distinct songs that make up A NEW ERA OF NOW futuristic funk-rock with calmer, cold synths, all underscored by the EP’s core elements of dance music, house, and funk. “Clockwise” launches the EP with oscillating synths and sharp, forceful vocals against the EP’s edgiest track. “Focus on Me” is AEN’s spin on airier EDM-forward house music, upbeat and grooving. “CHILLS” leads with a percussive, acoustic pulsing minimalist intro, before layering into the most danceable, funk-laden track on the EP, huffing breaths in a refrain: “Ch-ch-ch-ch-chills.” Lastly, “HIGHFIVE” is a final, suave, fast-paced track to round out with one last dose of funk and sleek vocal layering, with a restrained chorus.
With both Korean and Japanese versions of all five new tracks, AEN positions itself as a new, cross-border global boy group set to take Korea, Japan, and the world by storm. Stream AEN's debut EP below.