Group NEXZ proved their powerful global influence by conquering major Latin American music festivals.
Throughout September, NEXZ toured four citiesβBogota in Colombia, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Buenos Aires in Argentina, and Mexico City in Mexicoβconnecting with South American fans. They kicked off the festival as the opening artist at ‘Rock in Rio,’ which gathered about 100,000 spectators, and left a strong impression with their signature overwhelming performance at the new festival ‘STRAYCITY,’ which mobilized a total of 270,000 attendees. Particularly at ‘Rock in Rio,’ fueled by enthusiastic responses, they performed their latest song ‘SAUCIN” three times and ranked first on YouTubeβs daily charts across 8 Latin American regions immediately after the show.
Reflecting on the heated tour, leader Tomoya shared his overwhelming thoughts: “I was both excited and nervous seeing the massive stage and huge crowd, but they welcomed us with loud cheers and applause, allowing us to perform energetically. It felt amazing and touching when they sang along to ‘SAUCIN’.’ It made me realize that our music has reached the other side of the globe.”
Seita also recalled the vibrant atmosphere: “The local fans’ passion and energy were incredible. I had so much fun performing that I even felt a bit sad when it ended. I am satisfied that we showed the prepared performance without regrets. Moreover, the members studied Spanish and Portuguese hard, and we were proud that they showed such an enthusiastic response. We prepared expressions and dialects specific to each city. It makes me think I should work harder to do even better when we meet next time.”
A meaningful encounter with their direct senior group, Stray Kids, was also mentioned. Yuu expressed his gratitude, saying, “I am truly grateful to Stray Kids sunbaenims for creating this good opportunity. Whenever we crossed paths on-site, they cheered us on and even came to the waiting room to take care of us a lot, warmly telling us good job.” Haru showed his respect, adding, “Seeing their performances live, I realized once again that their level is different. Their energy was so exceptional that I couldn’t stay still while watching them.”
So Geon, who made a strong impression on local fans, shared his joy: “Actually, I was worried about what we would do if nobody knew us. But they called out our names and even recognized us while sightseeing. I am really glad that many people got to know NEXZ through this opportunity.” Hui and Yuki stated with firm determination, “We are still filled with the energy we gained in Latin America. We definitely want to visit again if given the chance, and our desire to hold a world tour, which is our dream, has grown even stronger. We want to make good use of what we learned and gained in our future activities.”
Meanwhile, having successfully wrapped up their South American stages, NEXZ will kick off their first Asian tour, ‘NEXZ 1ST ASIA TOUR ‘SAUCIN’ THE WORLD”,’ in Seoul for two days on October 17 and 18. This Seoul concert proved explosive interest by recording a complete sellout for both shows, prompting the opening of additional seats. Tomoya requested continued support for their future activities, saying, “We are preparing cool performances and stages. Since we are returning after experiencing a big stage, please look forward to a further grown NEXZ. The fans’ love is our biggest driving force, and we hope you will watch NEXZ as we continue to challenge ourselves and grow.”
