Close Your Eyes is a new boy group formed through the audition series Project 7, which came to my attention because of contestant Shin Jaewon who had previously debuted with The Wind. Jaewon didn’t end up becoming part of the group, meaning I’m not familiar with any of the actual members. Unlike most survival show acts, they’ve debuted with a sound that feels more idiosyncratic than expected.
Of course, “idiosyncratic” doesn’t automatically mean I’ll love a piece of music. It just means the song is a bit more unique than what everyone else is peddling at the moment. Rewind to the early 2010’s and you’d find it much more common to release glistening mid-tempos like All My Poetry (내 안의 모든 시와 소설은) as title tracks. But in the years since, K-pop has become even more focused on dance. Contemporary title tracks are almost always upbeat and/or hip-hop focused. In contrast, All My Poetry offers a shimmering pop sound, potentially more of a b-side than a main course.
In the end, this gambit might pay off. All My Poetry is far from the best thing I’ve heard within its sub-genre, but I can already tell it will benefit from replays. The melodies are slight but effective and the guys deliver them well. The arrangement reminds me of an updated version of the R&B-pop that dominated airwaves from the mid-to-late 2000’s — particularly when it comes to its synth soundscape and shuffling percussion. I’m not sure how far that nostalgia will carry All My Poetry, but for now the song is refreshing in its own way.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
at first I didn’t know how to feel about an R&B track being the debut song by a k-pop group but the whole song won me over in the end. the production, vocal performances and melodies are really nice. haven’t listened to their album yet, but I heard To The Woods the other day and I liked that one as well.
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I’m pretty sure one of the members was also a bae173 member that debuted
anyways the song is fine. I like the rap a lot
7.75 (8, 8, 8, 7)/10 for me
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Well, at least we don’t have to close our ears as well! ￣_(ツ)_/￣
Jokes aside, it’s a weird choice for a debut. It can easily pass off as a closing B-side of an album rather than an ear-catching (in all ways) debut. You don’t really see a chill, mid-tempo R&B song as a debut nowadays, so it’s a bold choice as weird as it seems. As for the song itself, it’s alright. The production’s decent, nothing special, and the melodies are slight, but pretty serviceable. I kinda wish for a high note or a stronger hook (especially at the end), but the outro is a nice touch and hey, you rarely see groups debut with a song around/above 3:30! Overall, it’s a decent start, hoping the guys get stronger material for their comebacks!
8 (8, 8, 8, 8) for me.
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Just listened from start to finish, and IMO the other tracks are also good and gel as an album. I find it good that they’re already carving a particular identity for themselves this early on and to be honest, I appreciate them daring to debut with a more chill R&B song (and actually executing it well) considering it’s the kind of track that is more likely to be relegated as a B-side
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I actually like this. The melody is lovely and their vocals are clear and emotive. Sure it is not a groundbreaking or totally original sound, but it doesn’t matter when it’s so beautifully executed. I’ll surely keep an eye on them in the future.
The melody in that third repetition of “then I loop back” is addictive.
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I forgot: the song is around 3:50 minutes 😱🤯💯💯💥💣💣🫦🫦🤰
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it’s only 3:35 actually. but very good sign.
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I heard “To The Woods” before the album dropped and I like it considerably more than this one, but both tracks are good. In general they seem to have good A&R, their tracks are well-produced. Things are looking good for them, and I’m happy since I followed Project 7 and I’m attached to a few of the members.
Also I have to note that some of the instrumentation on this track reminds me of Balatro LOL
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Song is solid.
8,8,8,8 = 8
Simply name dropping Balatro however, lost me a few hours I didn’t intend to lose. ;p
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Lee Haein (who was behind KISS OF LIFE) is their executive producer. she did a great job with KIOF and I think she’s doing good so far with CYE.
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It’s funny because the big question at the end of Project 7 was “Who’s gonna sing?” since everyone is inexperienced or a nonvocalist/rapper. I guess the answer is, like the line in the song, “Does it matter?” This is pretty insubstantial but easy on the ears. As a side note, very happy to see Ma Jingxiang, my 1-pick since Boys Planet, finally debut.
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This is a 9 to me. This is a debut that will age very well with time especially given how only a few male groups post-pandemic have done such a good job at Pop/R&B, let alone debut with an R&B song. The melodies on this one is very strong and despite the beatings we had to endure in just the last few years with pots and pans, we can at least look at back this.
CYE has impressed me with the improvement of their vocals because the mixing and vocal engineering with this track is just smooth and clear. 2025 continues to pump banger after banger. I wish this continues.
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I agree with everything you wrote. I liked every song of the album, and even though none blew me away, they all “gel” very well. Liked the vocals and softer raps. Looking forward to their journey!
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Well SHINee debuted with “Replay” and it worked out fine for them. … … once they then delivered Ring a ding a ding adingggyyyggyyyggy followed by excellent Bside “JoJo”.
Good start, let’s see where they go next.
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i actually think its a beautiful debut song! Aside from all the noisy shouty stuff i usually like(and which is usually the go-to for rookie bg to make them sound “cool” and “unique), this was truly a refreshing change! I just hope they keep this as a consistent concept rather than changing the vibe every comeback (a trend that seems to be taking over the newer groups these days sadly..)
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I love that they are promoting this as the title track… Didn’t know anything about this group and now they’ve got my attention. The production and vocal arrangement are lovely.
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This goes down easy, like ice cream on a hot summer day. I think I’m going to be listening to CYE a lot.
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A perfect example that simplicity is good sometimes. I can’t stop listening to this. The album intro is one of the best in a while. Looking forward to seeing how their discography develops.
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