Prior to the group's formation, three of its members participated in the survival reality competition series I-Land 2: N/a, which created the girl group Izna. Son Juwon, Yui, and Um Jiwon joined AOMG following their eliminations from the show. In April 2026, AOMG announced that their first girl group had entered its debut phase, revealing the name Keyveatz and opening an official SNS account that featured the three in a 2025 AOMG audition casting film. Days later, the label revealed the five members: Yui (as Newy), Um Jiwon (as Um Jione), Kang Yeseul, Son Juwon (as Son Juone), and Kim Yuna.
The group is positioned as part of AOMG's rebranding project "Make It New," with Bandwagon Asia characterizing the group's "'Messy Girls' ethos" as leaning into "raw, unpolished energy" that prioritizes "attitude and individuality over traditional concepts." They released their pre-debut double single "Key Beats" on April 29, which included the song "Catch My Breath". They later confirmed their appearances at KCON Japan in May. In May 2026, they posted the first episode of their documentary Keyveatz Archive on their YouTube channel, documenting the audition process and their formation.
2026–present: Debut with Oxy_gen
In June 2026, it was announced that the group had completed their pre-debut activities and would debut that month on June 30 with the extended play (EP) Oxy_gen, featuring five songs. The group unveiled their initial concept photos by June 11 in conjunction with their debut teaser launch, followed by a video featuring entertainer Kian84 on June 16. They debuted on June 30, 2026 with the release of Oxy_gen and its title track, "Oxy", which The Korea Times described as "staking a claim in one of K-pop's last open spaces — girlish hip-hop."
