ALPHA DRIVE ONE’s much-anticipated debut is here!
On January 12, Soompi attended ALPHA DRIVE ONE’s press showcase for the release of their first mini album “EUPHORIA.”
Formed through the survival program “BOYS II PLANET,” ALPHA DRIVE ONE consists of the eight members Leo, Junseo, Arno, Geonwoo, Sangwon, Xinlong, Anxin, and Sanghyeon.
As Arno recently suffered a fracture, it was announced at the beginning of the showcase that he will be unable to participate in the performances. Arno, who walked out in crutches, commented, “It is upsetting that I cannot perform as we practiced so hard. I feel sorry to the members and fans. I will recover quickly to show our performance as eight members.”
When asked about the members’ reactions to their group name, Geonwoo shared, “I liked the meaning of the name as it seemed to express ‘driving toward the top.’ Our members thought that we should live up to the name and truly work to drive to the top.”
Having performed at awards shows like the MAMA Awards before their debut, Leo spoke about the opportunity, “We were very honored to perform on such a big stage before our debut. Thanks to the valuable experience, I think we’ll be able to do better as a strong performance group in the future.”
On what they want to achieve after their debut, Anxin revealed, “It felt like a dream while performing at awards shows recently. We also want to receive a rookie award as it is something that can be received just once, and it would be an honor to experience that moment with our fans.”
When asked how they feel about promoting at the same time as artists such as SEVENTEEN’s DxS, who makes their unit debut today, as well as EXO and BTS who have comebacks ahead, Junseo commented, “We are very honored to promote at the same time as senior artists that we look up to. As a K-pop fan myself, I am happy to promote while listening to good music. We also want to work really hard until we can impress them as junior artists.”
The members were also asked about how it feels to debut after groups like Wanna One and ZEROBASEONE, who were also formed through Mnet survival programs. Sangwon responded, “Wanna One and ZEROBASEONE are senior artists that we really look up to. We always think that we should not taint the path that they have paved and always work to grow with our own color.”
Regarding Leo, Junseo, and Xinlong having previously debuted before and how they feel debuting again, Leo remarked, “As it is a new start for me, I prepared with more earnestness. It feels like I have seven new brothers, so my happiness and joy have been multiplied by seven. It is very valuable as it is a debut that I’ve really wanted, and it is a big turning point for me to have team members now.” Junseo shared, “It is very valuable to take on the challenge of my dream again. My previous activities really helped a lot and are a driving for me.” Xinlong also commented, “My past activities were a very valuable time that I learned a lot from. I will work to impress more with my members as ALPHA DRIVE ONE.
Being complimented on his great improvements since “BOYS II PLANET,” Sanghyeon spoke about how much the group practiced. “We aren’t just saying we ran without stopping since the finale, but we really practiced every single day without a break. There are some days when the members even practiced on our own or took extra lessons when we felt they were necessary.” Geonwoo added, “We didn’t feel tired at all though while thinking of the support from fans who were waiting for us.”
ALPHA DRIVE ONE’s debut mini album “EUPHORIA” will be released on January 12 at 6 p.m. KST along with the music video for the title track “FREAK ALARM.”
Watch the group’s creation on “BOYS II PLANET”:
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Photo Credit: WAKEONE