By Hasan Beyaz
To celebrate CLOSE YOUR EYES' comeback with 256th Note, we caught up with each member individually.
"Vibe Check," the third track on CLOSE YOUR EYES' new EP 256th Note, is built to sit between two eras at once: sophisticated piano and restrained, groovy bass underneath vocals and rap that swing between classic and contemporary. For JANG YEOJUN, that balance comes down to one specific moment. The chorus is his, and it's where he layered breath directly into the vocal tone, shaping something delicate rather than just hitting the note cleanly. It's a small technical choice, but it tracks with how he talks about everything else, too. Early wins and strong first-week numbers haven't made him cautious. If anything, he treats that momentum as pressure to earn it properly, framing the group's success as encouragement to take on more responsibility rather than a reason to play it safe.
That same instinct shows up when he talks about CLOSE YOUR EYES' fanbase, which is overwhelmingly international from the group's very first vote. YEOJUN describes it with something closer to disbelief, treating it as motivation rather than something he's owed.
Get to know JANG YEOJUN in our Meet the Member interview series with CLOSE YOUR EYES below.
'Vibe Check' blends classic and contemporary sounds together. Which part of your own style do you think comes through most clearly on this track?
JANG YEOJUN The chorus part! It's a part I sang delicately, mixing in breath to shape the tone, so I think it'd be great if you focused on the vocal color in that part of the song!
You debuted just over a year ago and already have music show wins and strong sales behind you. Has that early success changed how much pressure you put on yourself now?
No! I think of that kind of success as encouragement from our fans, so it makes me want to carry even more responsibility and show a better side of myself!
You joined this group through a global vote, with most of that support coming from outside Korea. What does it feel like performing a song this rooted in Korean music history, knowing how international your fanbase is?
I'm always amazed that people cheer for our music and that we have this kind of reach! I feel grateful, and like it's more than I deserve, so I end up pushing myself even harder!
What would you want CLOSER to say about you specifically after hearing this album?
I want to hear CLOSER's honest thoughts!