THE BOYZ Bets on a New Structure to Make Its Nine-Member Era Work

THE BOYZ is starting a new chapter after losing two members and splitting its individual activities across multiple agencies. With Ju Haknyeon and New no longer in the group, the remaining nine members will pursue individual careers under separate companies while entrusting group activities to newly established 78 RECORDS. The question is how sustainable that arrangement will be.

On Sept. 14, 78 RECORDS announced that it will oversee group and unit activities for Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, Q, Sunwoo and Eric.

The label is led by co-CEOs Kim Ji-won and Han Na-rae, both former A&R staff at Cre.ker Entertainment, where THE BOYZ debuted. The two participated in the group's debut and early music and album planning before later working on virtual group MAVE: at Kakao Entertainment. After moving through several agencies, THE BOYZ has reunited with familiar faces from the beginning of its career.

THE BOYZ debuted under Cre.ker Entertainment in 2017 and later moved under IST Entertainment. All members signed with ONE HUNDRED in December 2024, but Ju Haknyeon left the group last year. Nine members, excluding New, notified ONE HUNDRED in February that they were terminating their exclusive contracts, citing unpaid settlements and a breakdown of trust. A court later granted their injunction seeking to suspend the contracts. New reached a separate agreement to terminate his contract last month and also left the group.

Rather than moving to another agency together, the remaining members have separated their individual and group careers, with their choices pointing to different paths outside THE BOYZ.

Younghoon joined Namoo Actors, Hyunjae signed with Management Seesun, Juyeon joined Ace Factory and Q signed with Peach Company, placing greater focus on acting. Sunwoo joined AT AREA, led by producer duo GroovyRoom, while Eric signed with GRID Entertainment to continue his music career. Sangyeon, Jacob and Kevin have yet to announce individual agencies.

The arrangement gives each member more freedom, but coordinating group activities could become more difficult. Drama and film shoots can last for months, while solo albums and concerts require their own promotion periods. THE BOYZ will now have to work around the schedules of several different companies.

This type of "separate but together" arrangement is no longer unusual in K-POP. BLACKPINK members pursue individual careers through separate companies while YG Entertainment continues to manage group activities. Girls' Generation has also released albums and performed together despite its members being signed to different agencies.

THE BOYZ is taking a different route. Unlike BLACKPINK, whose longtime agency remains responsible for the group, THE BOYZ has placed its group career in the hands of a new label after parting ways with ONE HUNDRED. Its setup is closer to INFINITE, which uses a separate company for group activities while its members pursue individual careers elsewhere.

That structure has its limitations. INFINITE planned a full-group fan meeting this year, but L was unable to participate due to an individual schedule. As members build careers outside their groups, keeping a group together does not necessarily mean having every member available for each activity.

One advantage for THE BOYZ is the strength it still holds as a group.

"Unexpected," released after the group's move to ONE HUNDRED, set a career high with more than 740,000 first-week sales last year. Its follow-up, "a;effect," dropped to around 430,000, but the group's core fandom remains strong. For now, THE BOYZ carries more weight as a group than its members do individually.

78 RECORDS now faces the task of turning that existing fandom into sustained group activity. Kim and Han's history with THE BOYZ could work in their favor, as they already understand the members and the identity the group has built over the years.

Their role, though, extends far beyond the A&R work they did at Cre.ker Entertainment. They will now need to oversee albums, investment, concerts and promotions while coordinating with the members' individual agencies. Knowing THE BOYZ well is one thing; running the group across multiple companies is another.

As a new label, 78 RECORDS will also need to build the infrastructure to support those activities. THE BOYZ previously operated within established entertainment companies, while 78 RECORDS must now take the lead itself.

Sangyeon is set to complete his military service on Sept. 16 after enlisting in March last year, clearing the way for the group to move forward as nine.

THE BOYZ's "separate but together" model could offer another path for groups balancing individual careers with a continued group identity. Ultimately, much will depend on whether the nine members continue to prioritize THE BOYZ as their individual careers develop. The real test will be how consistently that commitment translates into albums, concerts and full-group activities.