Rising K-Pop male group The Boyz is the latest act to join NCSoft's UNIVERSE - the new mobile platform where artists can interact with their fans from all over the world.
Last Nov. 14, NCSoft Corporation and its subsidiary KLAP announced the third group to join the upcoming platform. The Boyz plans to introduce a variety of their own contents through UNIVERSE, including connecting to "The Bs," the group's official fanbase, in real-time.
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The NCSoft UNIVERSE utilizes the latest technology to deliver different entertainment content, from the artists themselves to their global fanbases. The new platform promises specialized and custom content never seen before in existing K-Pop platforms. Through the UNIVERSE, fans can enjoy a range of both online and offline activities through their devices - anytime, anywhere.
Furthermore, the platform offers Korean, Japanese, and English language services and will be available across 134 countries.
NCSoft's UNIVERSE has already generated a large hype before its release, thanks to its game-changing options. "Collection" allows K-Pop fans to certify, record, and upload their fandom activities, both online and offline. On the other hand, "Studio" lets fans decorate animated avatars of their favorite artists and even produce their own music videos with their motion capture!
Fans can now start their pre-registrations on NCSoft's UNIVERSE starting Nov. 12. While a specific date for its release has not yet been announced, NCSoft is looking to open the global platform early 2021.
The Boyz: K-Pop's Rising Stars
The Boyz, formerly known as Cre.kerz, made their debut under Cre.ker Entertainment in December 2017, with the EP "The FIrst" led by the single "Boy." Currently, the group has ten members: Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, New, Q, Joo Haknyeon, Sunwoo, and Eric.
Before they debuted together, a few would-be group members had already made appearances as guests or cameos in other artists' music videos. Additionally, Kevin made his public appearance as a contestant on Kpop Star 6, although he was eliminated early. Sunwoo also joined a reality competition show, High School Rapper, in January 2018. Joo Haknyeon joined Produce 101, the winners of which became the boy group Wanna One.
Since their debut, The Boyz have won a number of awards, including the "Male Rookie of the Year Award" from the 2018 Asia Artist Awards, "Best New Male Artist" (2018), and the "1theK Performance Award" (2019) from the Melon Music Awards, and the "Rising Star Award" from the MTV Video Music Awards Japan.
The Boyz has recently dropped their fifth extended play "Chase," supported by its carrier single "The Stealer." Their recent release also earned the group with four music show victories. The Boyz won once on MBC's "Show Champion," twice on Mnet's "M Countdown," and another one on SBS' "The Show." Their latest album also marked an all-new high in album sales, breaking their previous records with "Chase" sales exceeding 300,000 copies. Their latest album also managed to enter the Gaon Album Charts (Korea) and the Oricon Album Charts (Japan).
