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Awkward Boy Syndrome (어색한 소년 증후군) are a multinational dream pop band formed in Seoul and currently signed under 24D Arts. The band originally consisted of five former members of different survival show project boy groups: Xavier Luna (Echo) and Charlie Kwon (Charlie) of Solviz; Choi Changwook (Oscar) of ix-cite; Lee Jiyong (Kylo) of IMMORPHIA, and Kim Jungwon (Romeo) of SOLUNEX; former Find Your DREAM contestant Nicolás Ahn (Sierra) joined the band in early November. The band made their debut with the extended play (EP) Clear Skies Over Westwood on May 6, 2024, with spawned the domestic number-one single "Midnight Escapism". They were nominated for Best New Artist at the 2024 Hangang Artistry Awards.
Name[]
"Awkward Boy Syndrome" was devised by Kylo in a Discord server discussion between the staff and members. The name was derived from all members' shared experiences of having shy, hyper-conscious, and slightly inept personalities growing up. With such vulnerable and imperfect sides of themselves integrated into the branding, the group aims to deliver authentic and true-to-heart lyricism and music that will connect with the hearts of listeners especially with themes such as self-discovery, confronting emotions, and day-to-day experiences in a playful and chill manner that aligns with the youthfulness of the word "boy", which they apply ironically to poke fun at their average age.
Career[]
2024: Debut as Awkward Boy Syndrome[]
On May 6, 2024, Awkward Boy Syndrome released their debut extended play (EP) Clear Skies Over Westwood, led by dual title tracks "Kilterless" and "Midnight Escapism". The band alternately promoted both tracks on music programs for one week, in addition to promotions in radio stations and other live events.
On August 30, 2024, Awkward Boy Syndrome collaborated with Japanese band FUSION to release the single "Trigger Happy Havoc (The Poet, The Prince, & The Psychic)", which was also used as an official soundtrack for horror film Disturbia (Demo). On October 21, 2024, the group officially returned with their comeback single album Uhm..., spawning the double A-side singles "Forevista" and "That Ain't My Name!". The album sold over 500,000 copies by the end of the year, being their first record to be certified 2x Platinum in South Korea.
In November 1, 2024, it was revealed that Awkward Boy Syndrome had been nominated for Best Band and Best New Artist at the 2024 Hangang Artistry Awards. Their single "Midnight Escapism" received nods in the Song of the Year and Best Metal/Rock Recording categories, while the Clear Skies Over Westwood EP was nominated for Best Metal/Rock Album. On November 6, 2024, it was revealed that Nicolás Ahn, former Find Your DREAM and Revolutionize member, will join the band. He will be the band's new frontman and will be sharing the lead vocalist position with Echo.
On December 2, 2024, the band released their first cover extended play (EP) Do You Even Know What a Classic Is?, which features dream pop remakes of B-sides by their former groups ix-cite, Solviz, IMMORPHIA, and SOLUNEX, alongside a cover of INFIN81's 2022 single "For Never After" featuring singer-songwriter Heera. In December 15, it was announced that Awkward Boy Syndrome will have their first solo concert in February 2025.
Members[]
To match Charlie, 4/5 of the members voluntarily adopted words from the NATO phonetic alphabet to build performer personas separate from their personal lives.
| Stage Name | Full Name | Positions | Emojis | Nicknames | Side interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Echo (에코) | Xavier Luna | Keyboardist, Backing Vocalist | 🍳 | "The Shy Intern" | Composing, the supernatural, occultism, visual design, geography, fantasy worldbuilding |
| Oscar (오스카) | Choi Changwook | Bassist | 🕸️ | "The Daredevil" | Go-kart racing, trainspotting, arcade games, A24 movies |
| Sierra (시에라) | Nicolás Ahn | Lead Vocalist, Face of the Group | 🌲 | "The Mysterious Kid" | Urban exploration, carpentry, collecting rocks, travel photography |
| Charlie (찰리) | Charlie Kwon | Lead Guitarist, Rapper | 🍞 | "The Goofy Squirrel" | Making cocktails, hyperpop, volleyball |
| Kylo (카일로) | Lee Jiyong | Rhythm Guitarist | 🍫 | "The K-pop Historian" | Girl groups, video games, building PC setups, battlebots |
| Romeo (로미오) | Kim Jungwon | Drummer | 🌲 | "The Ailurophile" | Cats, crocheting sweaters, gardening, calligraphy |
Artistry[]
The group's concept lends itself to a bold atmospheric, surrealist, and urbanist aesthetic that many journalists have noted is notably reminiscent of the cinematography of popular film directors such as Christopher Doyle, Wong Kar-wai, Sofia Coppola, and French New Wave cinema.
Charlie stated in a pre-debut interview that it is "honestly hard to identify one united influence as they have individually different music tastes that contribute to their overall sound landscape". However, the members prominently identified albums that are collective favorites of theirs, such as Sheena Ringo's Muzai Moratorium (1999), Cocteau Twins' Heaven or Las Vegas (1990), Caroline Polachek's Pang (2019), SZA's Ctrl (2016), Kate Bush's The Dreaming (1982), Jannabi's Monkey Hotel (2016), and Slowdive's Souvlaki (1992). They also name boy groups 6topia and R3THR0 as other idols in the industry that they genuinely admire.
Discography[]
2024
| Uhm... 1st Single Album | |
|---|---|
  Sales: 567,443 |
Tracklist:
Release date: October 21, 2024 |
Concerts and other live performances[]
Other live performances[]
| Date | Concert |
|---|---|
| June 23, 2024 | Asian Pop Festival |
| August 4, 2024 | 2024 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival |
| August 10, 2024 | 2024 Jeonju Ultimate Festival |
| August 17, 2024 | 2024 COOLAHPALOOZA Alternative Music Festival |
| October 4, 2024 | 2024 Busan Rock Festival |
Awards and nominations[]
| Ceremony | Year | Award | Recipient | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hangang Artistry Awards | 2024 | Song of the Year | "Midnight Escapism" | Nominated |
| Best New Artist | Awkward Boy Syndrome | Nominated | ||
| Best Band | Awkward Boy Syndrome | Nominated | ||
| Best Metal/Rock Recording | "Midnight Escapism" | Won | ||
| Best Metal/Rock Album | Clear Skies Over Westwood | Nominated | ||
| HKRT | 2024 | Artist of the Year | Awkward Boy Syndrome | Nominated |
| Song of the Year | "Midnight Escapism" | Nominated | ||
| Best Male Group | Awkward Boy Syndrome | Won | ||
| Seoul Music Performance Awards | 2024 | Best New Male Group Award | Awkward Boy Syndrome | Won |
| Best Male Group Vocal Performance | "Midnight Escapism" | Won | ||
| Hottest Trend Award | Awkward Boy Syndrome | Nominated | ||
| Seoul General Arts (SGA) | 2024 | Fan Choice Rookie | Awkward Boy Syndrome | Won |
SNS[]
- Official Website: https://awkwardboysyndrome.kr
- YouTube: Awkward Boy Syndrome (어색한 소년 증후군)
- Twitter: @abyss_4b
- Instagram: @abyss_official
- TikTok: @abyss_4b
- Facebook: official.abyss
- Weibo: AwkwardBoySyndrome
Spotify bio[]
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4,452,460 monthly listeners (July 2024)
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