RIIZE at 3: Tokyo Dome, 420K Fans, and Six Members Who Refuse to Settle

Three years ago on September 4, 2023, RIIZE dropped anchor with their debut single Get A Guitar. What followed was anything but a slow build: a completed world tour across 21 cities with 420,000 fans in attendance, a place in Tokyo Dome as the fastest K-pop boy group to reach that stage, and a fourth million-selling record with their second mini-album II released in June. The title track Do Your Dance also entered the Mediabase Top 40 Radio Chart in the United States for three consecutive weeks.

On their third anniversary, the six members looked back through written statements released via SM Entertainment, and what came through wasn't a recitation of achievements. It was a clearer sense of direction.

What the past year gave each of them

Sohee, the group's vocal anchor, offered the most quietly striking reflection. "I realized I love and adore performing even more than I thought I did," she said, adding that she wants to reach bigger venues by the time the fourth anniversary arrives. It reads less like a press release line and more like something she actually worked out for herself over the course of long concert nights.

Eunseok noted a shift in how he experiences the stage itself: "I feel like I've gained more composure when I perform. Beyond just executing what's planned, I've learned to enjoy the moment and focus within it." That kind of ease, the ability to stay present rather than just precise, tends to separate good performers from genuinely memorable ones.

Wonbin pointed to crisis management as a skill he'd sharpened, describing himself as more capable of reading and adjusting the energy in the room. Sungchan connected his current self directly to the people around him: "I exist as I am now because both the members and BRIIZE were with me through the good moments and the hard ones." He also noted that he'd found a version of himself willing to try new things rather than defaulting to what felt safe.

Shotaro credited BRIIZE, the group's official fan club, with steadying him when doubt crept in, saying fans had given him confidence "when I sometimes hesitated." Eunseok echoed that sentiment almost word for word. Anton, the youngest member, framed his outlook in the most philosophical terms: "I believe in fate, but this life only comes once, so instead of just following it quietly, I want to live without regrets through my own choices."

The stages that stayed with them

When asked for the performances that meant the most, Tokyo Dome came up repeatedly. Shotaro, Eunseok, and Wonbin all singled it out. Wonbin called it "the place that made a dream I only imagined into reality" and added a promise: "Let's meet again somewhere even bigger."

Sungchan's standout was the Seoul finale of their first world tour, the closing night carrying the particular weight of having traveled so far and then coming home. Sohee pointed to the Lollapalooza shows across three South American countries, performances she described as ones where she poured everything she had into the stage. For Anton, it was the New York dates, in the city where he spent part of his childhood, that felt like a turning point.

Beyond the headline venues, the members also took a moment to acknowledge each other. Shotaro spoke warmly about Sohee's steadiness as a pillar of the team. Eunseok praised Anton's quiet diligence. Sungchan leaned on Shotaro's consistent positive energy, while Wonbin admired Eunseok's reliability. Sohee highlighted Sungchan's wit, and Anton credited Wonbin's genuine drive, both on stage and off, with pushing him to grow.

What comes next

Each member sketched a next chapter rather than a resting point. Shotaro wants to be more involved in creating performances. Sungchan is aiming for a visible leap in his skills. Wonbin wants to express himself more honestly. Eunseok and Sohee are both looking toward stages that are larger in scale and deeper in engagement. Anton, true to form, is focused on carving his own path.

The three words each member chose to define what BRIIZE means to them round out the picture: "love, hope, forever" from Eunseok; "gratitude, happiness, together" from Sungchan; "waiting, existence, strength" from Wonbin; "reason, driving force, companion" from Sohee; and "journey, inspiration, goal" from Anton. Anton also said he hopes RIIZE can be "a presence that steps just outside reality for a moment and helps make everyday life a little happier."

Three years in, RIIZE are a group that clearly knows the difference between arriving somewhere and deciding where to go next.