Tomoya
토모야Finished first in the Nizi Project Season 2 finale; co-wrote the lyrics of "Mmchk".
Their story
Chosen on Nizi Project
NEXZ were put together on the second season of Nizi Project, the audition series JYP Entertainment runs with Sony Music. The final episode streamed on 15 December 2023 and picked seven boys, with Tomoya in first place. At debut two of them took new names: Ken became So Geon and Yuhi became Hyui. The group name joins "next generation" and "Generation Z". Three days after the finale they put out a pre-debut single, "Miracle".
Two debuts in one year
The official Korean debut came on 20 May 2024 with the single album Ride the Vibe. Three months later they debuted again in Japan, with a Japanese version of the same song. From then on NEXZ worked both markets: three Korean EPs in a year, from NALLINA to Beat-Boxer, alongside Japanese releases. At the end of 2025 the Asia Artist Awards named them Best New Artist.
Writing their own lines
The members have a hand in their own songs. Yuki, Hyui and Tomoya worked on the lyrics of "Mmchk", and Yuki and Tomoya wrote the B-side "HYPEMAN". On SAUCIN' Tomoya, Haru and Hyui co-wrote and composed "Appetite". "O-RLY?" and "Beat-Boxer" had both brought them close to a music show win. "Mmchk" finally did it on Show Champion in May 2026, after the best first week of sales the group had seen.
Where they are now
The fourth EP, SAUCIN', arrived on 24 August 2026, four months after Mmchk. In September they performed at Rock in Rio in Brazil, the festival Stray Kids headlined that year. Their first Asia tour, SAUCIN' THE WORLD, opened with two nights at Olympic Hall in Seoul on 17 and 18 October, a year after their special concert ONE BEAT.
