CLOSE YOUR EYES enters April 2026 with rookie momentum that already looks unusually durable. On April 2, the seven-member group marked its first anniversary after surpassing 1.2 million cumulative album sales and collecting eight rookie awards, while Korean reports said its next album was in the “final stages” ahead of an April comeback.
A First Year Built on Immediate Impact
The speed of the rise still stands out. CLOSE YOUR EYES debuted in April 2025, and its first mini album ETERNALT sold more than 310,000 copies in its first week. Even more importantly, the title track earned a music show win just six days after debut, the kind of early breakthrough that instantly changed how the market viewed the group.
Each Release Kept Raising the Ceiling
Instead of fading after the debut cycle, the group kept expanding its commercial base. Snowy Summer sustained the buzz, and November’s blackout pushed first-week sales to 570,000. Across three mini albums, CLOSE YOUR EYES crossed 1.2 million total sales before even reaching its first birthday, which is why the coming comeback now carries more than routine expectations.
April Will Test Whether the Hype Is Sustainable
That timing matters because April is already crowded with high-profile K-pop returns. CLOSE YOUR EYES is no longer trying to prove it can attract attention once. It is trying to show that first-year excitement can evolve into a clearer musical identity and a longer competitive run in one of the busiest release windows of 2026.
The Tour Suggests the Audience Is Deepening
The group’s expanding tour schedule supports that argument. After launching BEYOND YOUR EYES in Seoul, CLOSE YOUR EYES continued through Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, with Hong Kong set for May 30. That route suggests the fandom is growing beyond early online curiosity and developing into a more stable cross-market audience.
Why This Comeback Could Redefine the Group
The anniversary is meaningful, but the bigger story is what happens next. If the new album sharpens the emotional storytelling and performance identity that fueled the group’s first year, April 2026 may be remembered as the moment CLOSE YOUR EYES stopped looking like one of K-pop’s hottest rookies and started looking like one of its next leaders.
