Who is THE NEW SIX, and what does it take to make it big?

Image: THE NEW SIX (TNX) Official Twitter. Originally published on August 23, 2023. Edited by Abby White for Cherry Chu Magazine.

Only one year after their debut, THE NEW SIX (TNX) garnered the attention of K-pop stans everywhere with their hit single “Kick It 4 Now.” With three mini albums and six singles in one year, it’s clear that they’ve worked tirelessly to promote themselves and their music. However, the K-pop scene has become hugely saturated with groups and soloists who are doing the same thing. So how did THE NEW SIX stand out and instantly create a bigger name for themselves? 

The group of six was listened to and viewed by so many for doing one thing: being individual among all of the comebacks around the same time. The release of their mini album Boyhood on June 7 was surrounded by boy group comebacks from Stray Kids, ENHYPEN, and P1Harmony, and yet it became hard not to include TNX in this lineup of insanely talented artists. 

Why? Instead of taking the traditional, but always fun, route of having a comeback that consists of interesting outfits, dynamic dance choreography, and stunning vocals, they did all of this plus added a sound that no one else had. They gave an ode to the 90s and first/second generation K-pop with an infectious song that was paired with old school dance moves, a freeing vibe, and youthful stage outfits. Everything was perfectly synchronous with the 90s and early 2000s feel.

Making it big

Though they gained a lot of traction and plenty of new fans, in the world of K-pop, this is only the beginning. The other boy groups they shared a comeback time with are some of the biggest in the industry, but they have all made it big in different ways.

With Stray Kids, their success took time. Even though they’re under JYP Entertainment, they didn’t necessarily have the ease of what a lot of people know as ‘company privilege’. One important thing about Stray Kids is they never seem to settle. Stray Kids have worked nonstop to continuously release music for five years with most of their music being produced by three of their members known as 3RACHA (Bangchan, Changbin, and Han). Their music has slightly changed overtime as they explore new sounds and strive to become better, but the vibe is still the same.

ENHYPEN became very well-known prior to their debut due to being formed on a popular HYBE produced survival show, “I-LAND.” ENHYPEN were incredibly lucky with how much success their survival show had, and their debut with “Given-Taken” is now considered by many to be one of the best boy group debuts. Though survival shows don’t always guarantee big success right off the bat, as THE NEW SIX was created by “Loud,” a survival show by P Nation. These shows are super fun to watch and always catch the attention of viewers, but they are becoming more popular as time goes on, which also means they become more common.

Stray Kids’ newest release, S-Class, recently surpassed 100 million views on Youtube. Image: Stray Kids Official Twitter.

Groups like P1Harmony are the most similar to TNX. P1Harmony is a group that has a wonderfully supportive fanbase and also consists of six members, each talented in different ways. They released a pre-debut movie to explore the group's lore and set the scene for their debut, and though their debut mini album is filled with energy and masterfully crafted songs, they didn’t have the automatic success of others. Over the past three years, they have done the same thing as TNX: create music with a sound that no one else has, and slowly but surely they have grown as a group and made a name for themselves.

The next step

Every group has a different debut story and finds their success in a different way. So what can THE NEW SIX do to keep the ball rolling and gain even more support? As they debuted only a little over a year ago on May 17, 2022, and are already being named alongside massive fourth gen boy groups, they are certainly on the right track. As they explore what kind of group they want to be, they seem to have really found something that suits them within the sound of 90s and 2000s music. The high energy and free vibe gives the group a youthful feel that fans love and that each of the boys bring their own personality and vocals to.

Nothing is ever guaranteed in K-pop, but if THE NEW SIX continue to persevere in the industry and create music that expresses who they are and what they love, we will most definitely continue to tune in and support them for a long time.