KPOP's rising ultra-large rookie boy group 'ALPHA DRIVE ONE(알파드라이브원, ALD1, 알디원)' that is sprinting toward the top is drawing increasing attention.
ALPHA DRIVE ONE, born through Mnet's Boys 2 Planet on the 25th of last month, is a boy group composed of eight members: Kim Gun-woo, Kim Jun-seo, Lee Rio, Lee Sang-won, Jang Ziahao, Jung Sang-hyun, Cho Woan-shin, and Heo Xinlong (listed in Korean alphabetical order). Rated as a "complete formation" combining skill and visuals, each piece of content released sequentially has met with hot responses, raising expectations for the group's "one-team" chemistry.
The highlight stages of the competition where ALPHA DRIVE ONE's members stood out and each member's unique charms have been steadily circulated on social media and online communities, prompting many to become fans even before debut. Let's explore the eight members' eight distinctive charms.
▲Kim Gun-woo, shining youthful energy
Kim Gun-woo was selected as the center of Planet K for the signal song "OLLA (HOLA SOLAR)", drawing attention as an all-rounder with model-like tall visuals, stable vocals and outstanding dance skills. With refreshing youthful visuals and stage presence, he left an impression with noticeable leadership and performance in the "rock (樂)" stage. Kim Gun-woo showed growth in every performance, leading fans' support.
▲Kim Jun-seo, gentle charisma
Kim Jun-seo, the oldest member of ALPHA DRIVE ONE, received much love for his passion for the stage and stable skills. He showed a surprising charm with a contrast between a pure, deer-like visual and sexy performances, and offstage he wins fans' hearts with natural hosting sense and warm communication. Attention is focused on what new sides he will show in the future.
▲Lee Rio, a "must-have member" acknowledged by fans
Lee Rio is a multi-talented artist who handles vocals, rap, songwriting, composing and producing. He approached the program determined to find comrades to realize the dream of debuting together and has never fallen out of the TOP 8. Especially, Lee Rio successfully handled the killing part on the "queenka" stage, leaving an impact with a flashy performance using the guitar. With stable vocals and a unique timbre that command presence on stage, he is recognized as "an essential member for the group," and expectations are high for his musical growth and activities.
▲Lee Sang-won, a legendary all-rounder center from start to finish
Lee Sang-won maintained the "unchallenged No. 1" with unwavering performance skill and visuals as a versatile character, receiving explosive support from fans since his first appearance. His legendary "Whiplash" and "Chains" stages, along with his fancams and stage videos, are recording overwhelming view counts. The contrast between his charismatic performances and shy personality is another charm. Added to this are stylish fashion choices and reading preferences, which further captivate fans.
▲Jang Ziahao, overwhelming presence as a dance powerhouse
Jang Ziahao drew attention with overwhelming dance skills from his first appearance on Boys 2 Planet. He is a talented performer who took on the killing parts of major stages, showing growth with every performance while exuding charisma. Especially on the "Chains" stage, his flexible yet powerful dance lines elicited cheers from the audience, and on the final competition song "Brat Attitude" he took the killing part and perfectly dominated the stage, leaving a strong presence.
▲Jung Sang-hyun, overflowing maknae charm, the "rapping cat"
ALPHA DRIVE ONE's youngest member Jung Sang-hyun attracted attention by introducing himself as the "rapping cat" with fresh boyish visuals and unexpectedly solid rap skills. On the "queenka" and "Sugar HIGH" stages he captivated with confident energy and showed rapid growth, and as the beloved youngest member of the older members, his future activities are highly anticipated.
▲Cho Woan-shin, the epitome of a trendy vocal color
Cho Woan-shin stamped his presence early as the center of Planet C for the signal song "HOLA SOLAR." He received praise for delicate emotional lines and excellent lyrical interpretation on the "Sigh" stage. Called "the epitome of an idol" for his cute visuals and solid skills, Cho Woan-shin has captured many global fans' hearts with his trendy tone and stable live performances, making audiences keenly watch his future stages.
▲Heo Xinlong, a stage craftsman who left the "umbrella line,"
Heo Xinlong left a strong impression with his deep low voice and dance skills. His graceful dance lines and explosive power drew attention, and reactions such as "I fell for him even more after seeing him live" followed, while the fancam of "The first meeting didn't go as planned" spread by word of mouth. In addition, his line to a youngest contestant while looking after him — "I've been rained on before, so I should put an umbrella over you" — has been remembered as his warm "umbrella line," highlighting his gentle character.
ALPHA DRIVE ONE's global official fan club Earlybird received a hot response immediately after its release, and active participation from fans around the world in the official fan club name contest is drawing attention toward the new stories that the eight members and global fans will write together.
Also, ALPHA DRIVE ONE proved their global influence by surpassing 1 million Instagram followers and 50 million cumulative short clip views about a week after their formation, prompting industry love calls to be expected already.
Meanwhile, ALPHA DRIVE ONE stands for ▲ALPHA (aiming for the top) ▲DRIVE (passion and drive) ▲ONE (one team), and carries a strong ambition to deliver "K-pop catharsis" on stage.<
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