Tunexx is just getting started

Tunexx is learning to think as one.

Asked what kind of group they wanted to be remembered as, the seven members jokingly answered, “Ultra Legend Super Tunexx,” sending the room into laughter. The exchange offered a glimpse of a group still young in its career but increasingly comfortable as a team, with members quick to build on one another’s thoughts.

That evolution is at the heart of Tunexx’s second EP, “Blue Mode,” the group’s first release since debuting in March and the first in which the members took a more active role in shaping their music.

Their debut EP, “Set By Us Only,” introduced seven distinct identities. “Blue Mode” shifts the focus to how those identities come together through the connections and shared experiences the members have built as a team.

The album’s central metaphor is “frequency,” a term rooted in Tunexx’s “tune” concept and used by the members to describe each person’s unique individuality.

“Our journey from now on is about Tunexx and our fans, Tuewin, continuing to tune together,” leader Donggyu said in an interview with The Korea Herald.

“If our first album expressed each member’s individual ‘frequency,’ this album is about those frequencies coming together and capturing the excitement and joy that come from that.”

That shift from “I” to “we” also shaped the music. “Blue Mode” moves away from the harder hybrid sounds of “Set By Us Only,” embracing R&B, trap soul and UKG house to explore connection and shared experiences.

“We wanted this album to be different from what we released before,” Donggyu said. “We wanted to show that Tunexx can pull off genres at the opposite end of the spectrum.”

The members also took a bigger role behind the scenes. Five of the seven contributed lyrics, including Inhu and Taira, who received their first official writing credits on “Blue Mode.” Donggyu, Zeon and Sihwan had explored songwriting since their trainee days.

“When I wasn't sure if my lyrics made sense or whether the rhymes worked, I got a lot of help from the other members,” Inhu said. “We kept thinking about how to express our message honestly while making it easy for people to relate to.”

That collaborative spirit was not the group’s first experience of growing together. Long before they began writing lyrics, several members had already shared another formative chapter in their careers.

Four members — Donggyu, Inhu, Sihwan and Arctic — first came into the public eye through the survival show “Boys II Planet,” an experience they say pushed them to look more honestly at themselves.

“If I were given the chance to do it again, I’d say yes without hesitation. That’s how much the experience meant to me,” said Donggyu, who finished 15th on the show, narrowly missing its eight-member debut lineup. “The show forced me to look at myself more objectively. I realized there were things I thought I was good at that still needed improvement, but I also discovered strengths I didn’t know I had.”

The lessons also became part of the group’s shared growth. Zeon said the members learned from their teammates’ experiences on the show, sharing the feedback and perspectives they brought back.

Six months into their career, the members say that growth is visible onstage, too.

“Looking back on our debut promotions and where we are now, we’ve begun to notice that we perform with more confidence than we did six months ago,” Sungjun said. “We feel more relaxed on stage and even while preparing for performances. We hope to carry that confidence forward as we continue to grow as artists.”

Their ambitions now extend beyond Korea, with Tokyo Dome in Japan, Coachella and Billboard Live among the stages they hope to reach.

But ultimately, Tunexx wants to be known not for where it performs, but for what it can do.

“When people look at us, we want them to think there’s nothing we’re lacking, that we’re a versatile group,” Taira said. “Whether that’s dancing, singing or performing, we want to become a group that’s remembered for being able to do it all.”