An extension of Mnet‘s boy group competition program ‘Road to Kingdom: Ace to Ace’ (Road to Kingdom 2) will be held on the K-pop stage.

Cravity, Oneus, and 8TON, who appeared on the program that ended last month and increased the size of their fandoms, are drawing attention by releasing new songs all at once in a bid to solidify their positions as ‘rising stars’. Although ‘Road to Kingdom 2’ had a disappointing ending due to lower buzz compared to Season 1 and the cancellation of a joint concert, it has regained its meaning as a ‘boy group re-examination project’ through the active follow-up activities of the participating groups.

Having firmly established themselves as the ‘next-generation K-pop runners’ by winning the final round of the program, CRAVITY released their new single ‘Find the Orbit’ on the 5th and began full-scale promotions. They released their 7th mini-album ‘Evershine’ in February, and this is their first new album in 10 months. This single contains three tracks, including the title track ‘Now or Never’, ‘Secret’, ‘Horizon’.

Having earned the nickname ‘Perforvity’ (a portmanteau of performance and CRAVITY) for their dynamic performances on ‘Road to Kingdom 2’, they plan to show off their performance capabilities to the fullest through this new song. The refreshing yet sharp performance has become a hot topic and has even given the green light for box office success. ‘Now or Never’ topped Bugs’ real-time popularity chart immediately after its release.

ONEUS and 8TON released new singles side by side on the 9th. ONEUS, who proved their ‘skill’ with outstanding results in the Ace Battle of ‘Road to Kingdom 2’, presented ‘Rupert‘s Tears’. Member Seoho participated in writing the lyrics, and included their inner feelings that soften in front of fans. They will release a special album in January 2025 and hold a world tour finale in February.

Despite being the youngest group in ‘Road to Kingdom 2’, Eighton showed off a creative stage and beat their seniors to take third place. On the same day, they released ‘If It’s Going to Be Like This, Then In The Next Life’. They usually show off their charismatic side on stage, but with their new song, they are getting a good response from their fandom by showing off their unexpected charm while drawing an honest love story of the MZ generation.



Reporter Yoo Ji-hye yjh0304@donga.com