AEN (group)
AEN | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Seoul, South Korea |
| Genres | K-pop, J-pop |
| Years active | 2026–present |
| Labels | Starship Entertainment Amuse |
| Members |
|
AEN (Korean: 에이엔; RR: Eien; acronym for A New Era of Now) is a South Korean-Japanese boy group formed by Starship Entertainment. The group consists of seven members: Bomin, Jiyong, Kyuhyun, Haru, Haruto, Junseo, and Kaira.[1] They debuted on August 5, 2026, with the extended play (EP) A New Era of Now.
Name
[edit]The group's name, 'AEN'—short for A New Era of Now, signifies "a new generation that redefines and shapes the present moment". The group name also includes the Japanese meaning of 'eternity', reflecting the group's determination to continuously evolve and grow.[1]
Career
[edit]Pre-debut, participation in Debut's Plan, and formation
[edit]In 2025, Starship Entertainment aired their reality competition Debut's Plan, which aired from March 14 to May 4, 2025. The show had 33 Starship Entertainment trainees compete to debut in their newest boy group since Cravity. At the show's conclusion, eight contestants were selected for the final lineup of Idid, who debuted on September 15.[2] Two members of AEN made it to the Top 12 of the show's finale but were unable to debut in the final lineup, which included Kyuhyun and Jiyong, who placed 9th and 11th respectively. The remaining members who would make up the group are Bomin, Haru, Junseo, and Kaira who were eliminated in the semi-final round of the show, placing 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th, respectively, and a new member, Haruto, who was not present in Debut's Plan.[citation needed]
Later, on June 1, Starship Entertainment announced through SNS that six eliminated contestants from the show alongside one new member would debut under the agency in the second half of 2026.[1]
The group's lineup includes several members with extensive training from Starship Entertainment, including Jiyong who trained for more than five years prior to the show, and Bomin who trained for more than three years.
2026–present: Debut with A New Era of Now
[edit]On June 1, 2026, Starship Entertainment released AEN's profiles on social media. On June 24, it was announced that AEN would make their official debut on August 5, with the EP A New Era of Now, alongside its lead single "X to Z (Next to Me)",[3] following the pre-release singles "Clockwise" and "Focus on Me"[4] on June 30 and July 8 respectively. The EP features 5 tracks, in both Korean and Japanese, making for a total of 10 tracks.[5]
Members
[edit]- Bomin (보민)
- Jiyong (지용)
- Kyuhyun (규현)
- Haru (하루)
- Haruto (하루토)
- Junseo (준서)
- Kaira (카이라)
Timeline
[edit]
Discography
[edit]Extended plays
[edit]| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR [6] |
JPN [7] | |||
| A New Era of Now |
Track listing
|
5 | 7 | |
Singles
[edit]| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR DL [8] | |||
| "X to Z (Next to Me)" (Korean ver.) | 2026 | 165 | A New Era of Now |
| "Clockwise" (Japanese ver.) | 177 | ||
| "X to Z (Next to Me)" (Japanese ver.) | 183 | ||
| "Focus on Me" (Japanese ver.) | 174 |
Other charted songs
[edit]| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR DL [8] | |||
| "Clockwise" (Korean ver.) | 2026 | 171 | A New Era of Now |
| "Focus on Me" (Korean ver.) | 170 | ||
| "Chills" (Korean ver.) | 172 | ||
| "Highfive" (Korean ver.) | 179 | ||
| "Chills" (Japanese ver.) | 181 | ||
| "Highfive" (Japanese ver.) | 176 |
Videography
[edit]Music videos
[edit]| Title | Year | Director(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| "X to Z (Next to Me)" (Japanese ver.) | 2026 | Lafic | [9] |
Other videos
[edit]| Title | Year | Director(s) | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "X to Z (Next to Me)" (Korean ver.) | 2026 | Han Dae-hee | Performance film | [10] |
| "Clockwise" (Japanese ver.) | Sunny Inspires | [11] | ||
| "X to Z (Next to Me)" (Japanese ver.) | — | Performance video | ||
| "Focus on Me" (Japanese ver.) | Sunny Inspires | Performance film | [12] |
Live performances
[edit]Music festivals
[edit]| Event | Date | Location[A] | Performed song(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inkigayo Live in Tokyo 2026 | September 23, 2026 | Belluna Dome, Saitama, Japan |
|
[13] |
| Rakuten Girls Award 2026 A/W | September 26, 2026 | Makuhari Messe, Chiba, Japan |
|
[14] |
| The Performance Zero 2026 | October 12, 2026 | Zepp DiverCity, Tokyo, Japan |
|
[15] |
| Music Bank Global Festival 2026 | December 13, 2026 | Japan National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan | TBA | [citation needed] |
Awards shows
[edit]| Event | Date | Venue[A] | Performed song(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Korea Grand Music Awards | November 8, 2026 | Gocheok Sky Dome, Seoul, South Korea | TBA | [16] |
| 2026 Melon Music Awards | November 14, 2026 | Gocheok Sky Dome, Seoul, South Korea | TBA | [17] |
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Sports, Chosun (June 1, 2026). "Starship Entertainment Launches Japan-Korea Boy Group AEN". The Chosun Daily. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
- ↑ Yoon, So-yoon (May 5, 2025). "Starship Entertainment to debut new 8-member boy band Idid". Korea JoongAng Daily.
- ↑ Mun, Wan-sik (August 2, 2026). AEN(에이엔), 'X to Z'로 여는 신비로운 세계관..글로벌 데뷔 임박 [AEN, Opening a Mysterious World with 'X to Z'.. Global Debut Imminent]. StarNews Korea (in Korean). Retrieved October 24, 2026.
- ↑ Jang, Woo-young (July 10, 2026). AEN(에이엔), 정식 데뷔 전부터 집중 조명…퍼포먼스 필름 공개 [AEN sparks attention with performance film ahead of debut]. Chosun Biz (in Korean). Retrieved October 24, 2026.
- ↑ Geum, Bit-na (August 25, 2026). "Global boy group AEN (AEN) showed its presence by decorating the fashion magazine Cosmopolitan Digital Cover even before its official debut on the domestic stage". Maeil Business. Retrieved October 24, 2026.
- 1 2 "Circle Album Chart – Week 32, 2026". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved August 13, 2026.
- 1 2 オリコン週間 アルバムランキング 2026年08月31日～2026年09月06日 [Oricon Weekly Album Ranking August 31, 2026 – September 6, 2026]. Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 9, 2026. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
- 1 2 Peak chart positions on the Circle Download Chart:
- Songs from A New Era of Now: "Download Chart – Week 34 of 2026". Circle Chart (in Korean). August 16–22, 2026. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
- ↑ AEN(에이엔) - <X to Z>(Next to me)(Japanese ver.) MV (in Korean). nomess_ss. August 9, 2026. Retrieved August 22, 2026 – via Instagram.
- ↑ "AEN 'X to Z (Next to me) (Korean ver.)' Performance Film". spicy_krdesign. September 7, 2026. Retrieved October 25, 2026 – via Instagram.
- ↑ "'Clockwise' Performance Film ｜ AEN The 1st EP [A New Era Of Now]". whatever_production. August 11, 2026. Retrieved August 22, 2026 – via Instagram.
- ↑ "'Focus On Me' Performance Film ｜ AEN The 1st EP [A New Era Of Now]". whatever_production. August 11, 2026. Retrieved August 22, 2026 – via Instagram.
- ↑ Kang, Sun-ae (September 18, 2026). 투바투·라이즈·아이브 출격...'인기가요 라이브 인 도쿄', 22·23일 日 베루나돔 개최 [TXT, RIIZE, IVE to Take the Stage: 'Inkigayo Live in Tokyo' to Be Held at Japan's Belluna Dome on Sept. 22–23]. SBS News (in Korean). Retrieved October 14, 2026.
- ↑ Rakuten (September 26, 2026). "Rakuten Girls Award 2026 Autumn/Winter". SBS News (in Korean). Retrieved October 14, 2026.
- ↑ Natalie Music (July 27, 2026). 「The Performance」登竜門イベントにXngHan&Xoul、Tagright、AEN、One Or Eight、Myera ["The Performance" Gateway Event featuring XngHan&Xoul, Tagright, AEN, One Or Eight, and Myera]. Natalie Music (in Japanese). Retrieved October 14, 2026.
- ↑ Choi, Lee-jeong (September 22, 2026). K팝·밴드·트로트 총출동...'2026 KGMA', 11월 고척돔 수놓을 라인업 ('KGMA') [2026 KGMA Lineup Unites K-pop, Bands, Trot Stars]. The Chosun Daily (in Korean). Retrieved October 14, 2026.
- ↑ Lee, Kyung-min (October 14, 2026). "MMA2026 brings 26 K-pop acts to Gocheok Sky Dome for 2-night spectacle". The Korea Times. Retrieved October 14, 2026.
