[Showcase] Journey Through Time and Space With 1VERSE!

Meet the group opening up portals to a multiverse of talents.

Many new groups tend to be reserved in their first official meeting with press and fans at their debut. 1VERSE, however, breaks that mould. When given the opportunity to introduce themselves, the members immediately show off their personalities. Hyuk, the group’s eldest, introduces himself as “the rapper, and tiger of the group”, the big smile on his face betraying the ferocity of the big cat. Nathan lets us all know he’s “that guy from Arkansas”. The next member to give his introduction is Aito, “the group’s maknae from Japan”. He is followed by Seok who introduces himself with his MBTI, “C U T E”. Last but not least, is arguably the most recognizable member, Kenny. “I’m the group’s personality hire, and the scouter,” he adds the last part with a giggle, receiving cheers and applause from his members.

Formerly known as SB Boyz, from Singing Beetle Company, July 18th marked the debut date for 1VERSE. For fans of variety show content featuring Korean artists exploring multiple cultures, members Hyuk and Seok may look familiar. For those who love to engage with artists in more relaxed spaces like the comment section of posts, you’ll definitely know Kenny, Nathan and their “son” Aito.

Having prepared their debut for almost two years, 1VERSE (pronounced: ‘universe’) released a pre-release single titled Multiverse prior to lighting up the stage of their showcase with their debut EP, The 1ST VERSE. The EP title, according to the members, is named to reflect the group’s identity, their first chapter and what they hope to achieve in the future. 1VERSE, as explained by member Kenny, is more than just a name. As the member in charge of a significant portion of the group’s direction, he explains that it means, “alone we are verses, together we make a song. We make our own 1VERSE (universe)”. Aito reveals that the group has prepared the song Multiverse for over a year and changed parts multiple times, which is only understandable seeing as member Nathan was only added to the lineup at a later stage. Despite this, even he considers the song the group’s theme song.

The group has had fans across the world intrigued for their debut not just for their larger than life personalities, but also for having members from different countries, notably, Seok and Hyuk hailing from North Korea. The other three members also come from diverse backgrounds, some having met before joining Singing Beetle company. Kenny, a Chinese-American artist, met with Aito, who is Japanese-Korean, as trainees at a previous company. Nathan, the group’s final addition of Lao-Thai descent, comes all the way from Arkansas in the United States.

The MC, Chris Johnson who is also from the States, asks Nathan about growing up in the US and what there is to do in Arkansas. “Well there’s Walmart, and mountains,” he laughs. “There’s also my family and my friends… I would say I’m the most exciting part of Arkansas but I’m here [in South Korea] now.” Walmart seems to be Nathan’s favourite place to mention about his hometown as it comes up frequently in his interviews. While there’s a lightheartedness to this tidbit about himself, it’s clear that this moment holds a lot more weight for him than we may know.

The journey to debut for all five members has been hard won, but judging from the performance they put on, not an ounce of their dedication to the art, or their fans has waned. From the first moment that the stage lights shone on their faces, their excitement and anticipation was visible, palpable even across the screen. The whole show is full of nuggets that show just how long and hard this walk was for the members. 

Their debut showcase kicked off with a performance of the group’s first original group release, Multiverse, opening the door for fans to finally get to know 1VERSE as a musical artist. The track was created by Hyuk in collaboration with some of the industry’s most notable producers such as dr.ahn, Secret Weapon, Shorelle, and Justin Starling, who have worked with the likes of Twice, BTS, and many of KPop’s biggest stars. Part of what makes this group so enticing, is their dedication to being part of every step of the creative process.

While the music video and behind the scenes footage for Multiverse has been available since its release, we were able to learn a lot more about how the song came together from the members themselves. Aito, the group’s youngest and main dancer, came up with the choreo along with Michael Le who has worked with the likes of Jason Derulo, Enhypen and more. The choreo, which features the hand sign for 1VERSE, is an exciting and inviting piece of art. Aito himself tells the audience that he wanted to do more than just make a dance, he wanted to embody the multiverse through this piece by showing different stars from different universes coming together from different portals to become the team they are. While watching the members on stage, that sincerity was entirely impossible to miss. 

Kenny, who also takes part in writing the group’s lyrics and composition with Hyuk, speaks about the process of making this moment happen. In particular, he speaks about how rare it is for new (or rookie) groups to have a hand in production from the beginning of their career. In a pre-debut interview with Clint Edwards from FOX 13 Seattle said, “For my group, especially, everyone was very much involved with the direction and the artistic path that we took… I think that for me as a songwriter, I grew from this experience and I want my growth to be validated”. 

These words were echoed by Seok ahead of a group rendition of member Hyuk’s solo song titled “Ordinary Person”. Hyuk, who is the group’s main rapper, released an EP by the same title as an introduction to himself and his skills. He describes the song as a sort of desperate plea. The lyrics are an outlet for his worries about becoming a decent human being who learns how to love and show up honestly in a world that’s rather unfamiliar, a call-back to his long journey to the stage.

Nathan, speaks to this long journey when answering a press question about how the members are impacted by their different upbringings and cultural backgrounds. “Obviously [it can] lead to some misunderstandings but we carry our experiences with us and share it with each other and the team.” He asserts that each member puts their heart into everything and their different cultures have led them to be more open-minded in how they engage not only with fans, but with each other. This type of thoughtfulness translates in the way that the members carry themselves, despite their goofy presentation, they treat every moment in front of the camera and beyond with an earnest sense of humility.

While the song is a solo track, the members resonate with its meaning and hold space for Hyuk to speak about his experience and the significance the track holds for him. Loosely translating his response to being asked about what the song is about, he shares that the song is telling his story of living an ordinary humane life. He wanted someone to teach him how to be an ordinary person. He found a community in joining the company and training. His members are teaching him how to live, they’ve given him a home and he’s happy and proud to be able to share this with them. What makes this moment even more special is that the first live performance of the song is a rendition featuring all five members that ends in something that resembles a wonky star with Hyuk at its fore. 

It seems that all of the members have relied greatly on the support of their 5starz (pronounced ‘stars’), the official fandom name, to keep going. This is only further proven by the fan-project shown on screen during a short break that allowed the members to change for the next performance. With the predebut single playing in the background, fans from across the world showed their love by holding up placards that read “1VERSE’s love is so big that it reached…” and the country they’re from. It’s not a surprise when predebut groups, especially with members who have been in the public sphere before (Kenny was a trainee on the survival show Asia Super Young), have a substantial fanbase at debut. 5tarz wrote in from countries as far as Mexico, and the Czech Republic. This video, to me, is testament to the bond between the group and the people who have supported them since before 1VERSE even had a name or a solid lineup.

When asked when they knew they had a winning chance at debut, Hyuk pointed to their support as a driving force. “I had no confidence and didn’t know where to start. I used to say ‘I can’t do this’ during our trainee days. With our 5tarz I can do anything.” Seok mirrors this sentiment himself elsewhere in the broadcast where he explains what kept him going. “

Shattered, the group’s debut song, was the final performance of the night, following a screening of the official music video. Shattered is an intense rock song also cocreated by the members and an experienced production team. A stark contrast to the lighter, more hopeful Multiverse, Shattered is a vehicle for the group’s raw storytelling skills, highlighting themes of loss and confusion in the destruction of the world that once was familiar. 

Another shocker of the show, every member sang live for the entirety of the show. Seok laughs as he tells us about how hard it was to record the song. His favourite line, which also happens to be the hardest to sing, and arguably the crux of all the emotion in the song is “Who’s going to save us now?”. The music video for the song perfectly captures its essence too.

The scenes show glitchy, vivid colours, kind of like a shattered mirror and more snippets of powerful choreo. The intensity Kenny described in his Clint Edwards interview shows up immediately. The video itself follows up almost immediately from Multiverse. Going from a carefree, luscious outdoor environment, the group finds themself in a universe inundated by technology and its blunders. With some of this gear seemingly changing who they are entirely, it looks to the audience like they’re saying their way home has been completely obscured by all these signs and signals that are coming from everyone and everywhere. We’re left with a major question, knowing they’re “feeling lost, not good enough” with “shattered hearts”, where are they going next?

The group’s leader of creativity, Kenny, doesn’t let us wonder for long. He makes it well known to us and to the company’s art director that he already has a thirty-five slide powerpoint presentation ready to discuss future concepts. It seems in the world of music and art, there is no rest for the desirous.

Speaking of desires, the members are very clear on their intention to reach their goals and more. Aito is working hard to one day perform on stages like Coachella and MAMA (Mnet Asian Music Awards) hopefully with decorated seniors such as Taemin of SHINEE who he looks up to.  

1VERSE’s first EP, which features an English and Korean version of their debut, is not only an infectious musical project, but the physical album holds true to the members’ playful nature. With two versions, the album comes with multiple inclusions apart from the poster, of which, the Fan badge and the CD itself pique the most interest. As told by Kenny, the group has been releasing digital badges for fans to collect as a token of appreciation. Now that they have finally debuted, they have included a physical badge which can be attached to personal effects, but can also be scanned for digital access to the album through bstage. 

The second notable inclusion of the album is the CDthat has been scaled down and made with significantly less plastic for sustainability purposes. Nathan mentions that he’s heartbroken to have to tear the package open because it’s so beautiful, it reminds him of the figurines the members were gifted by Aito’s family. While this may not seem relevant to many, it bears noting that the mass production of multiple versions, and repackages, of K-pop albums in recent years is a cause for concern amongst climate justice activists. Between this, and the frequent travel to attend Hallyu related events, it matters that fans, and artists like 1VERSE are becoming more conscious of the way they engage in fandom spaces and the effect that that has on our environment. 

Before the end of the showcase, Hyuk gave a final word of thanks, not leaving out a single person, “To our fans who’ve been there since the beginning, to our family, friends, visual and creative staff, everyone who has supported us in our lives and at the company thank you so much for making this album possible.” 

While watching this entire event unfold, there were multiple points where it felt like the members were childhood friends finally making their debut. The atmosphere in the fandom space online, as well as in the room on the day of the showcase radiated positivity. It was an absolute honour to be part of the audience of a group that shows such intentionality in their artistry. With the constant influx of groups debuting and leaving the industry, one can only wish every hopeful trainee the best. All nerves aside, on this day, the faces of Seok, Hyuk, Nathan, Aito and Kenny spoke more of their pride and excitement to be on the stage than they did themselves.

In a time where so much of a group’s persona is shaped by what’s trending or what can be manufactured through AI, what a relief it is to know that there are people who revel in every aspect of their craft. 1VERSE wants to be a beacon of hope, an example of what it means to stand tall in your truth and share your story with confidence. Seok’s words probably speak most to this. “I received a lot of strength from listening to music, so I wanted to become someone to comfort other people with music.” Less than a week into their official debut, it is evident from the comments of their videos to the way the members have continued to show gratitude to their supporters. What a pleasure it is to witness the galaxies collide, what a pleasure it is to be part of this 1VERSE. 

You can check out ‘The 1ST VERSE’ now, on all streaming platforms and follow them across the social media platforms listed below to follow the rest of their journey.

Instagram: @official1verse

X: @1VERSE_official

TikTok: @1verse_official

Youtube: @1verse_official

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/1verse/1823857338

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4F9V7425qp8GwTYw3Nq1xS