CLOSE YOUR EYES Bring Jazz, Hip-Hop and R&B Together on ‘Drop That!’

CLOSE YOUR EYES are continuing their rise with ‘Drop That!’, the focus track from their fourth mini album, 256th Note.

The K-pop group take inspiration from an earlier era for the release, reinterpreting Yoon Si-nae’s ‘이 밤을 즐겁게’, a song regarded as an early example of Korean jazz funk. ‘Drop That!’ brings the track into a new setting through the influence of 1990s street hip-hop, combining jazz elements with hip-hop sampling and an energetic performance style.

Its unpredictable production gives the track plenty of character, moving between old-school influences and a more contemporary K-pop sound. Rather than treating its source material as something fixed in the past, CLOSE YOUR EYES reshape it around their own identity and the wider musical ideas explored across 256th Note.

The mini album takes its name from one of the shortest possible moments in music. That idea runs throughout the project, which focuses on brief, unfiltered emotions and the way they can appear in everyday life. Its seven songs also reflect the seven notes of the musical scale, giving the album a connected sense of movement from beginning to end.

Opening track ‘Open Your Eyes’ mixes jazz improvisation with hip-hop and R&B. Experimental piano arpeggios and fast drums are joined by keyboard work from pianist Yohan Kim and saxophone from Jacob Scesney. ‘Vibe Check’ follows ‘Drop That!’ with sophisticated piano, restrained bass and groovy drums, giving the members space to switch between polished vocals and rap.

Elsewhere, ‘Slowly Bleed’ moves into cinematic pop, electropop and alternative R&B as it explores the experience of unexpectedly falling deeper into an emotion. ‘Fool For You’ offers a more intimate moment through vintage R&B influences, lo-fi textures and lyrics centred on the vulnerability of love.

‘Baby Bossa Nova’, featuring rising R&B artist Joo Hyerin, draws from traditional Brazilian bossa nova while introducing upbeat pop drums and an emotional melody. The album closes with ‘Eternity’, a warm pop ballad dedicated to the group’s fans, known as CLOSER. All seven members participated in its lyrics, with acoustic piano supporting their sincere vocal performance.

CLOSE YOUR EYES made their debut in April 2025 after being formed through the global audition programme PROJECT7. The final members were selected through more than 17 million votes, with 91 per cent coming from overseas.

Their debut mini album, ETERNALT, sold 316,000 copies during its first week, while its focus track ‘All My Poetry’ secured the group’s first music show win only nine days after their debut. Their follow-up, Snowy Summer, went on to sell more than 200,000 copies on its opening day.

The group consists of JEON MINWOOK, MA JINGXIANG, JANG YEOJUN, KIM SUNGMIN, SONG SEUNGHO, KENSHIN and SEO KYOUNGBAE. Guided by creative director and executive producer Lee Haein, they use 256th Note to widen their sound without losing the understated quality that has helped define their early releases.

With its meeting of Korean jazz funk, 1990s hip-hop and modern K-pop, ‘Drop That!’ stands out as one of the album’s boldest moments. It captures CLOSE YOUR EYES in a playful and experimental mood while showing just how quickly their musical world is expanding.