No one would have expected a K-pop group born from an idol audition program to develop such a clearly defined musical identity. Yet that is exactly the story of CLOSE YOUR EYES, formed through the Korean survival show Project 7, which aired in the second half of 2024. The seven boys selected in December 2024 wasted no time. On April 2, 2025 — just a few months later — they made their debut with ETERNALT, an eight-track mini album that immediately caught the attention of both critics and K-pop fandoms.

Beyond their distinctive name, CLOSE YOUR EYES quickly stood out for the poetic language that defined their music. Led by the title track “All My Poetry” songs such as “Subtitled” (full title in Korean is “In This Film That Holds You, My Lyrics Become the Subtitles”) and “Upside Down” (full title is “The Day Apples Fell Into the Sky” in Korean) filled their debut album with lyrical imagery, carried by the members’ convincing and emotive vocals.

CLOSE YOUR EYES presented a clear artistic direction — one shaped notably by two female creators. Creative director LEE HAEIN (b. 1994), a former trainee from the shows Produce 101 and Idol School and the producer behind KISS OF LIFE, led the group’s overarching vision. Singer-songwriter ADORA (b. 1997), formerly of Big Hit Music and known for her work on BTS’ “Spring Day” and TXT’s “Our Summer,” was also deeply involved in the group’s formation.

The act’s album ETERNALT ranked No. 13 on Billboard’s Best K-Pop Albums of 2025 list, while follow-up releases Snowy Summer (July) and blackout (November) further solidified the group’s identity in both music and performance. In particular, blackout surpassed 570,000 copies sold in its first week, the highest figure among boy groups debuting in 2025, exceeding Cortis’ 400,000. Beyond records and headlines, however, it is the seven members at the core who define the group.

“With every album, we’re given opportunities to participate in the process. Because we understand what we’re doing ourselves, we’re able to show who we truly are,” says JANG YEOJUN, who contributed to the choreography of the debut track’s chorus. After finishing 30th on Boys Planet in 2023, MA JINGXIANG persevered and ultimately debuted in first place, anchoring the group on stage. Leader JEON MINWOOK, who previously debuted with BAE173, revealed a newfound stability in his vocals, expanding the group’s sonic range. KIM SUNGMIN, SONG SEUNGHO and SEO GYEONGBAE — with little or no trainee experience — continue to grow like blank canvases, shaping their own tones and colors. KENSHIN, who ranked high throughout Project 7, stands out with exceptional dance skills and bright, incomparable energy.

CLOSE YOUR EYES makes it clear how joyful it can be when youthful energy meets beautiful melodies and carefully written lyrics. As the final K-pop rookie breakout of 2025, the group will hold their first solo concert, “Beyond Your Eyes,” this January — an invitation to witness the energy of seven rising artists up close.

Some sneakers feel like moments. Others feel like milestones. The Chase B x Jordan CJ1 T-Rexx somehow manages to be both.

Travis Scott and Jordan Brand have spent the past few years redefining what a modern signature sneaker rollout looks like, new silhouettes, non-retro energy, culture-first storytelling. With the CJ1 T-Rexx, that momentum officially expands beyond Travis himself, landing with his longtime collaborator, fellow Houston native, and creative partner, Chase B.

And that matters.

For Chase, “being the first person to show up next to his name on a Jordan collaboration means everything. I grew up as an athlete, a fan of Michael Jordan, a fan of sneakers, and a fan of design, all of those worlds coming together in this moment is really special.”

Chase B isn’t just “another DJ.” He’s a tastemaker who came up spinning records at Howard University, sharpened his instincts in New York City’s nightlife scene, and eventually became the sonic backbone of Travis Scott’s live shows. From producing genre-blending records to co-founding Cactus Jack Records, Chase has always lived at the intersection of sound, energy, and experience. This sneaker reflects that same ethos.

“Mentally, the biggest thing for me was always the storytelling behind it, my art — my influences, and especially my big brother, long live DJ Clark Kent,” he explains. “That influence is deeply embedded in this. The MF DOOM inspiration is more design-driven, but the meaning goes much deeper once you put the shoe on.”

Visually, the CJ1 T-Rexx keeps things grounded but intentional. A black-based mesh upper sets the foundation, paired with grey overlays and the Travis Scott signature reverse Swoosh on the lateral side. It’s understated at first glance, but the details do the heavy lifting. 

The neon green outsole doesn’t just pop, it glows in the dark, literally carrying Chase B’s and Travis Scott’s names beneath your feet. It’s one of those elements you don’t fully appreciate until you’re standing in low light and everything suddenly comes alive.

That glow isn’t just aesthetic. Chase explained that as a DJ, “it’s about looking down and seeing that positive light, that positive energy. As a DJ, so much of what you do happens at night. You might walk into a club at two in the morning to start a set, or step onto a festival stage at one in the morning. Everything happens in the dark.”

So much of his world exists in darkness, clubs, festivals, late-night sets. The glow-in-the-dark finish becomes symbolic. Chase’s idea was “giving yourself that battery, that positive light, that energy, to really glow in the dark. As a DJ, that’s really the only requirement. You walk into these rooms, all the attention is on you, the lights come up, and that’s what these shoes represent.”

A reminder to bring your own light into the room. Unlike most glow sneakers that rely on sail or off-white bases, “with these, the green actually glows in the dark… You might step into the wrong shadow and suddenly everything just lights up.”

Then there are the quiet flexes. The 3M piping on the strap that only hits at the right angle. “Don’t overlook the 3M on the piping on the strap,” he says. “You really have to catch it at the right angle to notice it, but that’s honestly my favorite part of the shoe. I love looking down and taking photos with the flash on, that’s when it really hits.” Then there’s the ostrich-inspired detailing, nodding to the legendary MF DOOM x Nike SB Dunk: “It’s the small tweaks, the subtle things you can make your own, that matter the most.”

But where this release truly separates itself is the packaging. Chase looked at the shoes and thought, “This is amazing, but what can I add to make it even more mine?” That’s when he started thinking about the box. “I asked around in Portland and wondered, has anyone ever done a glow-in-the-dark box? For real, has it been done? If I found out yes, I didn’t want to be second. So, I asked some more, and they were like, ‘I don’t think anyone had done it yet.’”

Chase B made the packaging part of the story. Not an afterthought. Not a collector’s gimmick. A first-of-its-kind glow-in-the-dark shoe box that feels like his signature moment, similar to how the reverse Swoosh defines Travis or the orange tab defined Virgil. It’s rare to see packaging carry this much weight, but here it feels earned. It extends the idea that the experience doesn’t start when you lace them up, it starts when you open the box. This ended up being his “favorite part of the whole process.”

The timing couldn’t be more intentional.

The CJ1 T-Rexx officially released on December 19 for $200 via Nike SNKRS and select retailers. That same day, Chase B dropped “Satellite,” the lead single from his upcoming album Be Very Afraid, featuring Don Toliver and SoFaygo. He also released a collaborative hat with Lids. New song. New sneaker. New gear. One cohesive moment across music, fashion, and culture.

“Satellite” serves as both an introduction and a mission statement, it “really sets the tone for the entire album.” Electronic textures colliding with high-energy rage rap, designed to be felt live, not just streamed. Just like the sneaker, it’s about energy, movement and atmosphere. 

“That record is super important to me,” he explains. “It’s going to be crazy, and I can’t wait for people to really hear it, experience it at festivals, and feel it live at shows. It’s the song that introduces the world to the energy of the project.”

For Chase, “Satellites,” “stands out because it feels different from what’s out there right now. It’s high-energy, it’s bold, and it sets the foundation for everything that follows on the album… Getting that record to the people was essential.”

There’s also history baked into this release. This is the first time the Jumpman Jack silhouette officially transitions into its new name: the CJ1 T-Rexx. Chase himself confirmed it. “This one actually is the first shoe that switches over from the Jumpman Jack to the T-Rex, that’s why T-Rexx is on the box. Either one is cool to me, but I feel like Jordan would rather y’all call it the T-Rexx.”

And at the core of this shoe is friendship. Chase and Travis are both Houston natives who built something global together. This sneaker reflects that shared foundation and the city that raised them.

“Jordans in Houston are a whole thing,” he relates. “Going back to Jordan 11s and just being outside Sharpstown, or outside the First Colony, or the Galleria, me and Travis were always heavily involved in all that with the OG pairs of Jordans. That was our whole thing, having the fours with the Nike Air on the back, or threes with the Nike Air on the back. That friendship really gets represented in this shoe.”

From growing up chasing Jordan releases to bonding over OG’s, the shared foundation between Chase and Travis is deeply embedded here: “It just means a lot for both of us, and it’s crazy to see people so excited about it. Not just for the hype, but to really be part of this moment with me and him. It’s super exciting, and I’m glad everybody is feeling the shoe so heavy.”

So where does that leave us?

For me, the Chase B x Jordan CJ1 T-Rexx is a Flex. Not because it’s rare, not because it glows, but because it feels intentional and personal. From the sneaker’s soles to the box, the Chase B x Jordan CJ1 T-Rexx is focused on experience, how it feels to wear, to move, to perform, to exist in it.

Now it’s your call: Flex, Trade or Fade?

Flex: You love it and would wear it.

Trade: You’d buy it to resell for some cash or trade to get shoes you really want.

Fade: You don’t like it at all.

A Brooklyn federal judge on Friday (Dec. 19) overturned the murder convictions of one of the two alleged killers of Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay, ruling the government’s decades-delayed case against him was “impermissibly speculative.”

Nearly two years after a jury found Karl Jordan, Jr. guilty on two federal murder counts for the rap icon’s long-unsolved slaying, Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall granted Jordan’s motion for acquittal — an extraordinary move that sets aside the jury’s verdict.

In doing so, the judge said there was “simply no evidence” for Jordan’s alleged motive: payback over a botched cocaine deal.

“After a review of the trial record, the court finds that the government’s theories of Jordan’s drug-related motive to kill Mizell or drug offense-related motive to use a firearm are impermissibly speculative and just conjecture,” the judge wrote. “Jordan has met the heavy burden [under federal rules] to be granted a judgment of acquittal.”

The judge refused, however, to grant a similar reprieve to Ronald Washington, Jay’s other alleged killer, who was convicted alongside Jordan last year. In Washington’s case, the judge said prosecutors had shown jurors enough evidence to support the guilty verdict.

“A reasonable jury could conclude Washington sought to murder Mizell in reprisal for Mizell’s failure to ensure Washington’s promised involvement in the Baltimore deal, as well as to send a message to other co-conspirators,” Judge DeArcy Hall wrote in her ruling.

In a statement to Billboard, Jordan’s attorney Michael Hueston said, “On behalf of Mr. Jordan and his family, today’s decision brings a measure of solace as they approach the holiday season.”

Unlike a traditional not-guilty verdict, Jordan’s acquittal can be appealed by federal prosecutors; he’s also still facing a separate trial on a slew of drug-related charges that were split from the murder counts. A spokesman for the prosecution declined to comment.

Washington’s lawyer, meanwhile, vowed to challenge the ruling against her client, telling Billboard that she was “looking forward to the appeal.”

Run-DMC — Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell, Joseph “Rev. Run” Simmons and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels — is widely credited as one of the most influential acts in hip-hop history. The trio’s 1985 release, King of Rock, was hip-hop’s first platinum album, and the group’s 1986 cover of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Jay’s shocking killing, on Oct. 30, 2002, had long been one of hip-hop’s famous cold cases, joining the unsolved murders of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. Though witnesses were in the room when the murder happened and police generated a number of leads, no charges were filed until August 2020, when prosecutors finally unveiled the case against Washington and Jordan.

Over a three-week trial in early 2024, the feds told jurors that Jay had turned to the drug trade as Run-DMC’s popularity had waned. They argued that Washington, a childhood friend, and Jordan, Jay’s godson and neighbor, had helped Jay sell the drugs, but eventually plotted his murder after he allegedly cut them out of a major deal.

After hearing from more than 30 witnesses, jurors convicted both men on two counts: murder while engaged in narcotics trafficking and firearm-related murder. At the time, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said Washington and Jordan had “finally been held accountable for their cold-blooded crime driven by greed and revenge.”

But in her ruling on Friday, Judge DeArcy Hall said the government had not proven key elements of those specific crimes when it came to Jordan — specifically, a connection between the alleged drug plot and the 2002 killing.

“The record in this case is bereft of such an ‘obvious link,’ or any link, between the failed Baltimore deal and Jordan’s decision to participate in Mizell’s murder two months later,” the judge wrote. “There is simply no evidence of a personal dispute between Jordan and Mizell, or any suggestion that Jordan felt slighted by his role in the conspiracy.”

Jay Bryant, a third man allegedly involved in Jay’s killing, who prosecutors charged in 2023, is scheduled to go to trial in May. During the 2024 trial, attorneys for both Jordan and Washington argued that Bryant was the true alleged shooter.