NUEVA wins first terrestrial music show #1 on Music Bank, 1 year 5 months after debut

NUEVA (누에라) picked up their first terrestrial music broadcast trophy on August 7, topping KBS2's Music Bank with .exe (이엑스이), the title track of their fourth mini-album — roughly one year and five months after debut.

Two days earlier, the seven-member group had already claimed first place on MBC M and MBC Every1's Show Champion on August 5. Back-to-back wins across both shows.

.exe builds around a hyper synth-based melody and carries a message about confessing feelings to someone you like without hesitation. The four-track mini-album also includes "Locked In," "What the Fun," and "Life in Color."

Accepting the trophy, the group said: "We debuted at KBS and we are very grateful to receive a good award at KBS." They also thanked their fandom: "We are grateful to the Novas who have always been with us in difficult, sad, and joyful times."

NUEVA — members Gihyeon, Junpyo, Hyeonjun, Yuseop, Rin, Pan, and Miraku — was formed through the KBS2 audition program Make Mate One and officially debuted on February 26 of last year with their first mini-album Chapter: New Is Now. The KBS connection made this win a full-circle moment.

Ahead of the Music Bank broadcast, the group held a busking event at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and appeared on web entertainment show Idol Human Theater and KBS's Superman Is Back — Dream Friend.

The fourth mini-album .exe is available on online music platforms.