Janus 야누스
Left to right: (top) Hanbin, Yeosang, Wooyoung, Hyunjin, San (bottom) Romeo and I.M
Background information
Origin	Seoul, South Korea
Genres	K-pop
Years active	2021–present
Labels	Diamond Soul Factory
Associated acts	DIA, Royal Flush, LeDeux, pixie, CARAT XY, aurora, Seohyun, Tiffany Young, Crown Jewels
Korean name	야누스
Romanization	ya-nu-seu

This article contains Korean text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Hangul and hanja.

Janus (Korean: 야누스, RR: yanuseu) is a South Korean boy group, represented by the label Diamond Soul Factory. The group is comprised of Hanbin, I.M, Hyunjin, San, Romeo, Yeosang, and Wooyoung. Their official debut was at midnight on September 19, 2021, with the release of their first EP, with title songs 'A' and 'Bang Bang Bang'. Their official fandom name is Flare and their official color is burnt orange. They are the brother-group to DIA, announced and debuted on the same day.

You can see Janus' member profiles here.

Pre-debut

Prior to debuting with Janus, some members had already been active in the entertainment industry. We have seen Hanbin in the survival show 24CARAT, albeit eliminated after the first episode. Aside from 24CARAT, some members participated in the pre-debut project of CARAT XY, releasing tracks such as Black on Black, Timeless... and Bloom Bloom. 
Hyunjin joined Janus 8 months after their debut, on June 11th, 2022, having little to no public career, but being present in the underground rap scene throughout New York and South Korea.
Wooyoung, and Yeosang officially joined in February 2024, after taking different parts in back dancing supports on live stages. 

Career

September 2021: Debut EP

On September 11, 2021, DSF started teasing the debut of their first official groups over social media. It was announced as a "double debut" and the teasers were released in duos - each member of Janus with a corresponding member of DIA. After multiple photo teasers and a video teaser each - at midnight between September 19 and 20 the official releases dropped on all streaming platforms.

A was written and produced by the creative duo HYJACK - Jackson Wang and Henry Lau. For their debut EP, the group opted to show a brighter and more colorful image. 'A' has a fresh, young-love kind of vibe. It's a lighthearted and fun song. The MV vibe is something like a slice-of-life setting, very casual, where the members chase and try to impress a girl. The choreography was also made by Jackson Wang, to close the creative circle into one polished piece.
Another familiar face we see in the MV is DIA's Natty- acting as the lead female role, the object of all boys' adoration, the proclaimed "A". It was confirmed that the video was shot in Malaysia.

Bang Bang Bang is the second single from the EP - a rap-heavy track with music and production done by Henry Lau again. The choreography was once again created by Jackson Wang, solidifying this formula as the winning strategy in Janus releases. Before its official release, staff from the company claimed that it was "the most powerful music you have ever heard before." Bang Bang Bang's verses feature a dance beat that was described as '90s inspired", reminiscent of Diplo. The song shifts into a "trap-heavy breakdown" in the chorus, and culminates into chants of "Let the bass drum go". The rhythm throughout the whole track gives Bang Bang Bang a chaotic environment. The chorus features the hook "Like you've been shot, bang bang bang", which was noted for symbolizing the group's debut as "coming with A Bang."

January 2022: Comeback with "War"

On December 17, 2021, DSF started teasing Janus' (and DIA's) comeback, via posting a teaser of every respective member every day.
It was revealed that this comeback will be preceded by a pre-release track, called "Hands up". Finally, on December 29th, 2021, The pre-release track was posted along with a music video, featuring the boys sailing a yacht in the first scenes, then later driving up to a nightclub in fancy cars and subsequently partying all night.
The futuristic costuming in the MV was commissioned by the Jung sisters, who implemented LED lights in some of the boys' jackets, making them light up in the nightclub scenes.
The MV was shot in Singapore, once again bringing Janus to shoot in an exotic country location.

“Hands Up” has an ecstatic dance beat and playful synths that work well with the song. The track screams “party” while the members exuberate entertainment in every line. The track starts off the album on a good note with its club concept, which is also depicted in the music video.

On January 19th the mini-album "War" dropped on all streaming services. 
The title track by the same name "Hands Up" war version brings the six-member act back to the aggressive electro-hip-hop styling they explored in their earlier release. With a propulsive, assertive chorus chant of “Go, Hands Up!” guiding the song from its intro, it is a layered battle cry for believing in and finding yourself. With each verse delivered over tempo-shifting electronica quirks and thick bass, the single offers up a matured return of the powerful Janus that was introduced through the likes of their earlier single Bang Bang Bang.
The video features the members as rebels in a run-down city leading a crowd of people to stand up for themselves as the song suggests. The choreography for it was made by none other than fellow DIA member Yeji.

June 2022: Comeback with "The Honor", Yibo's departure, new member Hyunjin and Fair Game Tour

On June 6, 2022, DSF started teasing Janus' comeback, by posting a teaser of every respective member every day.
It was revealed that this comeback will be preceded by a pre-release track, called "Be Mine".
On June 11, "Be Mine" was released during the teasing period and was promoted on music shows, securing 2 wins and one tie with aurora's "First" on Inkigayo. This release marked the addition of Hyunjin to the band's lineup, replacing Chinese-born member Yibo.

On June 17th, the album "The Honor" was released on all streaming services, as well as physically as a CD. 
It contained 11 songs, with the title track being "I'll Be Your Man". It is described as an emotional dance track with trap elements that talk about not being able to forget a past love and praying to be with her again. A music video for the title track was released on the same day, featuring DIA's Nene.

The B-side promoted along with the title track was called "Fool" and was written and produced by member Romeo. The piano melodies and building harmonies of “Fool” recall the sentimentality of its author. It takes a much darker, literal interpretation of the song’s lyrics. Singing forlornly about the mistakes they made in a relationship (“I know it’s all my fault/ Baby I was a fool”), the video shows the four youngest members in a variety of eerie settings, including a church pulpit and appearing to kill the object of their affection.

Armed with their full discography, Janus, together with DIA, set out on their first tour - the Fair Game Tour - which saw locations such as Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, North America, and more. The tour kicked off on July 29th, 2022 with a grand concert in Seoul, where the two senior groups were supported by all current DSF acts - aurora, CARAT X and CARAT Y.

October 2022: First Japanese Album "АWAKE"

On October 2nd, 2022, DSF released Janus' first full Japanese album, 'AWAKE', with Japanese versions of iconic tracks such as 'Be Mine' and 'Bang Bang Bang'. This corresponded to their arrival in Osaka, Japan, for their Fair Game Tour with sibling group DIA. The album release hit Japan first before being released to Korean fans and was a treasured treat for fans who went to the concert and heard the songs live.

This release was also the first where Janus and DIA did not share their trademark same-name-title track, which threw fans a bit out of the loop, seeing as it is not on brand for them to do so. DSF officials never commented on this.
 

November 2022: Comeback with "VILLAIN", Baekhyun's departure and San's enlistment 

As Janus (and DIA) were wrapping up their world tour "Fair Game" - their official channels started teasing an upcoming comeback. The set date as per the teasers was November 30 - the date of their Seoul encore concert.
On November 30, 2022, the EP "VILLAIN" was released and the title track "Monster" was first performed live during the encore of Fair Game in Seoul.

Written and composed by Kenzie, LDN Noise, and member Hyunjin, "Monster" is described as a "dark and intense" medium-tempo dance song with lyrics about a man's "excessive fixation on his lover".

The music videos for all songs were released one hour after the song itself. Apart from Janus' performances of the song "Monster" in various settings, the video also depicts the members as rebels who were eventually captured but ultimately released from a prisoner transport vehicle by Hyunjin, disguised as the driver.

"VILLAIN" topped both South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart and the Billboard World Digital Songs chart, becoming Janus' first number one on the latter. The EP won first place 3 times in total on South Korean weekly music TV shows.

This release marked the departure of member Baekhyun, as it was announced that his exclusive contract with DSF had expired and "VILLAIN" would be his last release with the group. Following that announcement, member San also revealed that he would be fulfilling his obligatory military duty as an active member of the army after the end of the promotion cycle.

June 2023: Comeback with "SUNRISE" - start of 4-part project

In May, 2023, company insiders revealed to Soompi that the two sibling groups were gearing up for a grandiose four-part comeback project later in the same month. The upcoming albums were said to be a thread of EPs, all connected into one project of 4 parts, each showcasing a member's colors and curated to fit the featured member. DSF also confirmed that each member of the groups has actively taken part in creating their designated EP, making this 4-part project one of the most personal and genuine releases lately.
On June 8th, 2023, the first EP of the project - SUNRISE - was released on all streaming services. It focused on and was curated by leader and main rapper Hanbin. SUNRISE marks the beginning of a new series in the Janus discography, after their successful full album and following tour and their Japanese debut, released in said tour. Several songs on the tracklist feature writing credits from various Janus members. Musically the EP incorporates various genres such as pop, rock, punk, alternative, and disco.

The title track "0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You)" was co-written and produced by then-trainee Moon Sua, while member Romeo joined her for the music composition, and DIA's Yeji and aurora's Lisa boasted credits for the choreography.

Writing for Billboard, Heran Mamo said that "the project highlights the hybrid pop-rock romantic title track". Teen Vogue's Sara Delgado wrote that "Janus go to extremes and, as a result, their tracks are stronger than ever before." 

It was certified Triple Platinum by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA). Janus entered top-10 on the US Billboard 200 with SUNRISE, which debuted at number five on the chart.

July 2023: Comeback with "ECLIPSE" and unit promotions

Only a month after their previous comeback with "SUNRISE", Janus continued to ride the wave of success with the second installment of their 4-part project, the mini-album "ECLIPSE". Following the concept, this mini-album features members Hyunjin and Romeo as a duo, the title track featuring only them, and they have created the whole mini-album, leaving their mark in music, lyrics, and choreography all across. 

Serving as the lead single for their second mini-album ECLIPSE (2023), "Something" was written by well-known producer Yoo Young-jin. "Something" was released by Diamond Soul Factory on July 9, 2023. Noted for being a major musical departure from Janus' earlier songs, "Something" is a song that incorporates swing performance styles with modern dance-pop. The song deals with a narcissistic male protagonist who brags about his popularity and his endless number of female admirers.

On talk shows and interviews, the duo - Hyunjin and Romeo - have said that "Something" is a new musical experiment for their team. The song pursues a 1950s American big band concept, a genre that they have never explored before. Primarily known for their "dark and intense" music, Hyunjin and Romeo were initially worried that the laid-back sounds of "Something" would garner mixed responses from fans and critics.

The mini-album has received general acclaim from music critics. They praised the song's raw big band sound and expressed that "Something" is one of the first K-pop idol songs to use brass instruments.

"ECLIPSE" debuted at number four on the Gaon Singles Chart.

The video features a big band ensemble with Hyunjin and Romeo dancing in two different studio settings – a brightly lit opera house set and an alleyway. The outfits worn in the video include flowery and pinstriped cutaway tailcoats, wide-legged trousers, and other roaring twenties-driven pieces. Inspired by the project's period setting, they added microphones to their choreography and used them as ropes. The duo had described the dance as "extremely difficult; defying the laws of gravity". The highly interactive dance choreography features both male and female dancers.

The upbeat, alternative R&B second track was once again performed by the duo of Romeo and Hyunjin; "Red Lights" features a "wild" feeling created by "violent" string sounds and electric guitar, giving it a "ripened y charm". Its lyrics use the theme of continuing to love someone despite having concerns and suffering and talk about an unhealthy obsession with work.

"FEVER", "gaslighing", "Mercy" and "PLAYBOY" feature all 5 currently active members of the group, as opposed to only the featured duo in this mini-album. Out of them "FEVER" is the only one with an MV. In the intro to the video, the boys are depicted dressed in princely garbs, running from some unknown power. By the end of the intro, the unknown power has grabbed one of the running boys and the song starts. It's a dark concept, straying away from the jazzy vibe of the title track, but firmly setting the tone for the whole mini-album all across.
 

August 2023: Comebacks with "SUNSET" and "MIDNIGHT SUN"

Janus continued to ride the wave of success with the third installment of their 4-part project, the EP "SUNSET". Following the concept, this EP features member I.M.

The title track and main single of this EP “Crush” was composed by 153CreatorsClub, JJ Evans (153/Joombas), and EVRYWHR. With the MV for their title track now out, the group's representatives have announced that no more of the tracks of the EP will receive MVs, but they promised many other surprizes.

With the EP Janus proves that their music is not scared to embrace its inherent goofiness, and the new single Crush (우당탕) is an anthem to that tone.
Crush grooves on an upbeat, funky instrumental. Crush (and Janus in general) doesn’t take itself too seriously. The chorus has an exaggerated – almost comical – delivery that accentuates the group’s youth and feels in keeping with the boisterous production. A taunting guitar loop compliments this mischievous sound. The entire thing ends just where you’d expect it to: a rousing, chant-along finale.

Crush, alongside Bad Dream, was promoted on most of the music shows, with Crush showcasing the more "goofy" boisterous side of Janus, and Bad Dream digging into the darker side of their usual artistry.

Later the same month, exactly at midnight between August 30th and 31st, Janus released their fourth and final installment of the series, an EP named "MIDNIGHT SUN", featuring the dancing gem Kai. The title track was "SAVAGE", Kai's solo song was the alluring "Rover", and the other two B-sides off the EP - "INSIDE OUT" and "REALLY REALLY" also received MVs and were promoted on music shows.
Due to complications with Romeo's vocal chords - only Hanbin, I.M, Kai and Hyunjin participated in the recording and promotion of REALLY REALLY, and for live stages where Romeo could not attend, he was substituted by trainee Jung Wooyoung.   

February 2024: Compilation album "SUPERNOVA", Kai enlisting and new members Yeosang and Wooyoung.

In late January 2024, DSF began teasing the new release with a series of teaser pictures and videos. The agency announced that the full-length album would consist of 12 tracks in total, with 9 of them being the most successful tracks from the 4 previous EPs, and 3 whole new tracks - the title tracks "Come Back Home", "Bite Me" and "Given-Taken". Described by member Romeo as having an "unconventional" sound, the album has a vampire theme and references the previous 4 EPs of both Janus and DIA, heavily mentioning eclipses, blue moons, and other celestial events that gave name to "DIANUS" EPs. Newly joined member Wooyoung commented, "There are many connections between the lore in previous EPs and this album, so paying attention to these aspects will make the listening experience more fun".

This release also marked the return of Janus as a 6-piece group, with senior member Kai enlisting in the military after the promotions of the previous EP, and two new members joining the lineup - Yeosang and Wooyoung had previously been seen on stage with Janus, covering certain spots of missing on hiatus, and fans were thrilled to see them as official members now.

The lead single "Come Back Home" was announced that it would not be promoted on music shows. This is not an unseen tactic for other musical companies as well, strategically gatekeeping a certain track from live promotions in order to make it more coveted for concerts and other fan content.
Come Back Home's music was penned by none other than member Romeo himself. The track explores the emotions and longing for someone who has left their life. The lyrics convey a sense of fear and vulnerability, as the narrator feels incomplete and young without the presence of their loved one. The line "blame oneself" suggests that they may hold themselves responsible for the person's departure. The MV for “Come Back Home” is complete with terrifying monsters, a child in distress, six well-dressed “monarchs,” and an abandoned moonlight forest. On its own, the MV is a horror-esque monster story of intrigue and danger — but when paired with the narration in the 4 EPs released so far, it becomes even more apocalyptic in scope.

The second lead track - Bite Me - received generally positive reviews from critics. Tássia Assis from NME gave the album four out of five stars, writing that "musically, this might be Janus' most cohesive work so far." They named "Bite Me" the "glittery centerpiece, a monstrous mix of teen vampire lore and late nineties/early noughties boy-band appeal." Bite Me was also penned by a group member - this time a "usual suspect" in the face of leader and songwriter Hanbin.

Lastly, the single "Given-Taken", which was also composed and produced by leader Hanbin, was announced to be promoted on music shows. The choreography of the live performances had been trusted to labelmate Jay.M. The single debuted at number one on the Gaon Album Chart and on the Hanteo Chart, and entered the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart at number two.
 

August 2024: Mini-album "Le Poéme", San's return.

"Le Poéme" is the 3rd mini-album of Janus, released on August 28th, 2024, and consisting of 8 songs, with heavy accreditation to the members of the group themselves, other DSF producers, idols, and staff. It was a double-title release - with "Fire" and "Venom" serving as the mini-album's title tracks. As usual, it was released together with their sibling-group DIA's "Le Destin" after a long period of releasing teaser pictures and videos over the span of 2 weeks.
Some of the tracks were "unveiled" via teaser videos during the teasing period, and received MVs of their own to promote the release. The mini-album also featured two unit tracks - CHEERS and Mad City - featuring San, Romeo and Wooyoung on the former, and Hanbin, I.M and Yeosang on the other.
This mini-album marks the official return of member San from his obligatory military service, and the group returning to its original 7-member lineup.

 Because of a controversy with one of the members, promotions for the album were briefly postponed. After that, the mini-album was promoted with a long promotion period on music shows as well as other participation by the group in variety shows and abroad. 
The music video for "Fire," the lead single from the album, was released on the same day as the album drop. It featured the members dancing and partying in an abandoned place in flames. The video was produced and directed by Lumpens and GDW. TV channel Fuse stated that "The cut feels like an upgraded version of CRUSH," a standout single from "SUNSET". The accompanying music video also sees the guys whipping out their most intense choreography to date". Janus also released a choreography video of "Fire" ahead of their promotion on music programs. The dance was choreographed by Keone Madrid. Curiously, "Fire" is the only track on the mini-album to have no credits to the name of any member or DSF artist. This is also one of the rare Janus releases where leader Hanbin does not take the main role in creating a large number of the songs in the tracklist. Instead, this time the responsibility for many of the songs is accredited to in-house producer Shin Ryujin, and the member participation is split somewhat equally between Hanbin, Wooyoung, and Romeo. Wooyoung's credits are often seen in the choreography category, often along with labelmates Lix of LeDeux and Lisa. Another interesting and rare appearance is made by the CEO of DSF Tiffany Young, who is credited for producing one of the singles "MANIAC" alongside Hanbin and Gin (LeDeux). 
"Fire" became the fastest Janus music video to reach one million views at the time in just 6 hours. This feat is accredited to the long-awaited return of member San. The video hit 10 million views in 75 hours. This helped the group rise to number 15 in the artist category on YouTube Music Global Top 100. Janus topped the Billboard World Digital Songs with the singles "Fire," "VENOM" and "MANIAC" lining up the top three ranks of the chart, which had never before been achieved by a K-pop act. "Le Poéme" achieved an 'all-kill' on the South Korean music charts (simultaneous #1's on all charts) and received three number-one trophies on music programs while performing on M! Countdown, Music Bank, and Inkigayo.
Le Poéme also charted on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 107, the second K-pop act to do so. It debuted at number 2 on Billboard World Albums and number 10 on Billboard Top Heatseekers. It was reported to have sold over 300,000 copies in pre-sales after less than a week. According to the Hanteo Chart, 100,000 copies of the album were sold within the first three days of release, and 164,868 copies were sold within the first week. The album topped Gaon Weekly Chart for two consecutive weeks. It also topped the Gaon Monthly Chart with just over 310,000 albums sold and became the fourth best-selling album on the yearly Gaon Album Chart of 2024.
 

Awards and achievements

Janus' accolades for 2022 include nine nominations - for "Best Collaboration/Feature", "MV of the Year", "Best Vocal (group)", "Best Dance Performance (male group)", "Best Male Group", "Worldwide Fans' Choice", "Album of the Year", "Song of the Year" and "Artist of the Year".
Out of those nominations, Janus won one award - "MV of the Year" for Monster.

Separately, different members of the group received their own nominations and awards, as follows:
Hanbin was nominated for "Best Collaboration" for the song Some, alongside fellow member Romeo and DIA's Solar.
Hyunjin was also nominated for "Best Collaboration" for the song hanriver&beer, along with aurora's Miso. Hyunjin and Miso won the award in this category.
Romeo was nominated for "Style Icon of the Year", as well as for "Best Collaboration" for Some with Hanbin and Solar.

In the 2023 Waterbomb Summer Festival Awards, Janus participated on Day 2 with the songs "0x1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)", "Playboy", and "Hands Up (party ver.)", with member Hanbin having a solo stage of his own, with the songs "illa, illa" and "BTBT".
Janus was nominated in the following categories: "Global Icon", "Hot Global Artist", "Netizens Choice", "Best Male Video", "Best Collaboration", "Album of the Summer", "Song of the Summer" and "Artist of the Summer". Member Hanbin, Hyunjin and Romeo were also nominated in the "Best Songwriter" category for their efforts in various songs, such as "Red Lights", "0x1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)" and "Playboy".
Janus won a trophy in the "Netizens Choice" category, and their collaboration with Coldplay won them the award in the category "Best Collaboration".

At the 2024 Lunar Festival Awards, Janus and certain members were nominated in various categories, and won awards in the following ones: Fans Choice Award, Global Icon, and the daesang for Album of The Year for ECLIPSE.  This marked Janus' first ever daesang award in their career.
Members of Janus participated in several special stages of the Lunar Festival - Romeo was a co-host of the show along with Jay.M and actress Ahn Yunjin, and performed a captivating opening dance number to an unreleased song and then returned to the stage with fellow member Wooyoung and labelmates Loren, V, and June of Royal Flush, to perform an homage to rock classics Queen and their song "Don't Stop Me Now".
Later members Hanbin, Yeosang, and I.M were joined on stage by labelmates Mingyu (Royal Flush), Gin, and Lix (LeDeux) to perform a dance cover of Shinhwa's 'Hey, Come on!". 
Meanwhile, Hyunjin collaborated with DIA's Yeji on a dance cover of two songs.
Janus also performed a solo stage of their own - Hyunjin and Romeo performed a part of their track Red Lights as an intro, followed by their comeback track COME BACK HOME.

Group image of Janus, outside an event venue.

Members

Discography