When the teaser for ALPHA DRIVE ONE’s first mini album “EUPHORIA” dropped, it felt less like a simple debut notice and more like a starting gun. On January 12, 2026 at 6 p.m. KST, the eight-member project group born from Mnet’s survival show “BOYS II PLANET” will finally step onto the starting line as an official K-pop act under WAKEONE.
For fans who’ve been voting, streaming, and crying over them since the finale, this announcement isn’t just “another rookie debut” — it’s the payoff to months of global participation that stacked up tens of millions of votes and turned ALD1 into one of 2026’s most-watched rookies before they’ve even dropped an album.
Who Is ALPHA DRIVE ONE?
ALPHA DRIVE ONE (ALD1) is an eight-member, multinational boy group formed through “BOYS II PLANET,” the second season of Mnet’s “Boys Planet.” The final lineup consists of Junseo, Arno (Zhang Jia Hao), Leo, Geonwoo, Sangwon, Xinlong, Anxin, and Sanghyeon, selected during the live finale on September 25, 2025.
They’re positioned as a global project group under WAKEONE, with a contract structure that sees them promoting as ALD1 for five years, plus the possibility of an additional “+1” year dedicated to one more album and tour under CJ ENM while allowing individual activities.
The group name carries a very classic survival-show ambition:
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ALPHA – aiming for the very top
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DRIVE – passion, speed, and forward momentum
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ONE – eight members functioning as a single team
Both WAKEONE and Korean press have framed this as a promise to deliver “K-pop catharsis” on stage — that emotional rush you get when a performance goes from good to unforgettable.
Their official greeting sums it up neatly:
“ONE DESTINY, DRIVE TO THE TOP! Hello, we are ALPHA DRIVE ONE!”
From “BOYS II PLANET” Finalists to Mega-Rookie Contenders
“BOYS II PLANET” started with 160 contestants and ended with eight finalists standing on a glowing staircase, revealed one by one in the order of global voting.
Some key points from their survival show journey:
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Massive global participation – reports from Korean media highlight over 26 million votes counted in the final, reflecting how international the fanbase already is.
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5:3 lineup balance – the final group mixes five Korean and three Chinese members, which Korean and international outlets have noted as a deliberate choice to emphasize both domestic stability and Chinese-language market reach.
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Pre-experienced trainees – several members, like LEO (leader), already come with discographies and prior group/pre-debut experience, making ALD1 feel less like total rookies and more like a curated “all-star” lineup.
The moment the name ALPHA DRIVE ONE was revealed during the finale, social media metrics went wild: X (Twitter) trends, instant SNS account launches, and a flood of “new group to stan” posts across languages.
Building the Runway: Pre-Debut Momentum
1. Official Profiles, Visual Identity, and the “Super Rookie” Narrative
In October 2025, ALPHA DRIVE ONE released their first official profile photos: clean styling, black jackets, blue denim, and relaxed but confident poses. The idea was clear — no heavy concept yet, just eight visuals presented as one cohesive team.
Coverage in Korean sports and entertainment outlets immediately leaned into the “super rookie” narrative, pointing out how:
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Their Instagram followers passed 1 million within about a week
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TikTok and X grew at a similarly fast pace
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Short practice-room clips were pulling tens of millions of views in just days
From the very beginning, ALD1 was marketed as a large-scale global rookie whose fandom already behaves more like that of a mid-tier group than a pre-debut team.
2. ALLYZ – A Fandom Born From Fans’ Choices
On November 1, the members went live on Instagram to reveal two crucial things:
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LEO would serve as group leader
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The official fandom name would be “ALLYZ” (앨리즈)
“ALLYZ” has been explained in multiple ways, but the core message is consistent:
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It echoes “always” – as in always staying by ALD1’s side
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It symbolizes the group’s unbreakable team spirit with fans, who literally voted them into existence through “BOYS II PLANET”
Korean and international news sites called the announcement a “social media takeover,” as the fandom name quickly trended and sparked discussion about styling, logos, and how it would be chanted at future concerts.
3. Reality Content: ONE DREAM FOREVER and ALPHA DRIVE ONE, Let’s Go
WAKEONE has also been careful to give fans pre-debut storytelling:
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“ONE DREAM FOREVER” – their first original series, showcasing the members’ chemistry and introducing their identity as “one team running toward a single dream.”
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“ALPHA DRIVE ONE, Let’s Go” – a reality show announced by Mnet that follows the group’s “driving log” from preparing for their first major stage at the 2025 MAMA Awards to the days just before debut. It even includes segments in their private van (nicknamed the “Alpaca”) to capture candid conversations and nerves.
This content strategy means that by the time “EUPHORIA” drops, many fans will already feel like they know the members as people, not just performers.
“FORMULA” – The Pre-Debut Test Drive
Before the debut mini album arrives, ALPHA DRIVE ONE is already testing the waters with “FORMULA,” a pre-release single.
Some key details:
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Release date: December 3, 2025
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First performed: at the 2025 MAMA Awards as part of ALD1’s high-profile stage, giving them a massive global audience even before official debut.
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Album connection: “FORMULA” is confirmed as part of the “EUPHORIA” mini album tracklist, effectively serving as track 1 or a flagship prelude for the EP.
Stylistically, reports describe “FORMULA” as EDM-infused dance-pop, fitted with a high-energy chorus and performance-heavy choreography — the type of track made to test if ALD1 can deliver that “K-pop catharsis” they’ve been promising.
The fact that “FORMULA” is being treated as a pre-debut rather than the debut title track suggests that WAKEONE is confident they have even bigger material waiting on “EUPHORIA.”
“EUPHORIA”: What We Know About the Debut Mini Album
While a full tracklist hasn’t been unveiled publicly yet, several core details about “EUPHORIA” are confirmed:
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Debut date: January 12, 2026
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Time: 6 p.m. KST
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Format: 1st mini album, physical and digital
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Label: WAKEONE / CJ ENM
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Confirmed song: “FORMULA” (pre-release single, included on the EP)
The promotional copy from retailers and press heavily emphasizes:
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ALD1 as a “major new global rookie” arriving in 2026
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The “EUPHORIA” concept as a burst of excitement and release after a long journey — echoing the emotional payoff for both the members and ALLYZ who have been waiting since the audition call.
Album product details hint at how WAKEONE is building a story-driven, collectible debut:
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A thick photobook focused on their first era visuals
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Multiple random photocards, postcards, and even a “tracking journal” — a booklet concept that ties into the “drive” theme, as if fans are logging each step of ALD1’s journey
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A staff pass-style insert and folded posters, playing into the idea of ALLYZ joining the crew behind this big “drive” rather than just watching it.
The teaser poster released on December 2 leans into these motifs visually, with sleek graphic elements and the debut date prominently displayed, signaling that this is not just a casual drop but the official starting line of a long-term project.
Why “EUPHORIA” Feels Bigger Than a Typical Debut
1. A Project Group With a Clear Time Limit
Because ALPHA DRIVE ONE is a time-limited project group, every release feels more urgent. The 5+1-year contract structure means:
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Fans know there is a fixed window to experience ALD1 as a full group
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The debut album is not just “the beginning,” but also the starting chapter of a finite story
Dispatch and other outlets have framed this as a “6-dition” model: five intense group years plus one flexible year for wrap-up activities like a final album and tour.
That built-in countdown can actually heighten emotional investment, similar to previous survival show groups whose limited contracts made each comeback feel precious.
2. A Truly Global Identity from Day One
ALD1’s structure — mixing Korean and Chinese members, an Australian-Korean leader (Leo), and a fandom that mobilized votes from 200+ regions — positions them as a global group by design, not by later expansion.
Their pre-debut social numbers, international media coverage, and features in English-language outlets like Forbes all point to a strategy that treats overseas markets as core, not secondary.
3. A Carefully Laid Storyline
By the time “EUPHORIA” arrives, this is the path fans will have followed:
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Boys II Planet – discovering the trainees and voting them into a final eight
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Name reveal & SNS launch – ALPHA DRIVE ONE becomes a real group
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Profile photos & reality content – getting to know each member’s personality
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Fandom name ALLYZ + leader announcement – fans officially become part of the team story
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MAMA stage + “FORMULA” pre-release – a high-stakes performance trial
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Reality show about the debut journey – behind the scenes of the pressure and excitement
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“EUPHORIA” – the actual debut mini album that ties all of this into one first chapter
It’s a layered rollout that feels more like a K-drama season than a simple debut schedule. Each step has its own emotional beat, so when that debut stage finally happens in January, ALLYZ won’t just be seeing a song for the first time — they’ll be watching the climax of a story they helped write.
Final Thoughts: A Debut Aimed Straight at “K-Pop Catharsis”
“EUPHORIA” is positioned as more than just ALPHA DRIVE ONE’s first mini album. It’s:
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The official payoff to a year-long survival-show narrative
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The opening move of a multi-year, limited-time project
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A statement that ALD1 intends to deliver high-energy performances and emotional peaks that match the meaning of their name
With ALLYZ already organizing, “FORMULA” revving up hype, and a reality show documenting each mile along the way, ALPHA DRIVE ONE’s January 12 debut feels less like a tentative first step and more like flooring the accelerator.
For fans watching the 2026 rookie race, “EUPHORIA” isn’t just another debut to log on a calendar — it’s the moment when eight boys who’ve been driving in circles on the survival-show track finally merge onto the main K-pop highway.
