RIIZE on the Freedom, Confidence & Forward Motion Behind II
Categoria: Musica
The group reflects on growth, global stages and the emotional pop identity that continues to shape its sound.
Por Billboard | 17/06/2026
“Rise & Realize” was RIIZE ’s founding promise — the idea that growth and self-discovery move in tandem. With its second mini album, II , the six-member SM Entertainment group pushes that motto into a more active tense: “Rise to Realize,” as SUNGCHAN would describe during an interview with Billboard Korea . It is an idea that you do not find yourself first and then move forward. You move, and the moving is how you begin to understand who you are. Related RIIZE Talks How They’ve Evolved As a Group & More | KCON LA 2025 Little Mix's Perrie Edwards Posts Stunning Photos of Wedding To Soccer Star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in Portugal Howie D Embraces His Puerto Rican Roots in 'Coqui': 'I've Held Myself Back, But Now is the Time' Since debuting in September 2023 with “Get a Guitar,” RIIZE — comprised of SHOTARO, EUNSEOK, SUNGCHAN, WONBIN, SOHEE and ANTON — has built that idea into one of K-pop’s more closely watched rising groups. The group has earned multiple Rookie of the Year honors, and its debut full-length, ODYSSEY , a third consecutive million-seller at home, reached No. 4 on Billboard ‘s World Albums and No. 9 on Top Album Sales in 2025. After November’s “Fame,” its reach kept widening onstage, with appearances at Tecate Emblema, Austin City Limits and, in March, Lollapalooza South America, where RIIZE became the first K-pop boy group to appear at the festival. Released via SM Entertainment and RCA Records, II gives that momentum a clearer international frame. But the ambition has been visible from the start: to build a group whose music can travel without losing the emotional candor at its core. Across six tracks, RIIZE on II moves through rock-edged urgency, bass house, R&B, hip-hop, funk and bright pop while staying close to the “emotional pop” identity that has defined its work. In an interview with Billboard Korea , the members reflect on what has stayed constant since the beginning, freedom they chase on title track “Do Your Dance” and what success on a wider stage means when they are still, in their own words, figuring it out as they go. RIIZE is a name built on the idea of ascent. Four years in, does that word still capture where you stand, or has it quietly come to mean something else? SUNGCHAN: I think the word “rise” in our name still describes us really well today. Since our debut, we’ve been telling a story of growth and achievement through the idea of “Rise and Realize,” and with each new chapter, we’ve been able to experience the meaning of that message for ourselves. If there’s one thing that’s changed, it’s that with II , we wanted to take that idea a step further. This album introduces a new direction, “Rise to Realize,” which is about discovering who you are by continuing to move forward and embracing new experiences along the way. WONBIN: I also think that message still holds true for us today. The difference is that now, it’s not just ab