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| Photo Cr. Singing Beetle: 1VERSE from L to R (Kenny, Seok, Hyuk, Nathan, and Aito) |
On July 18, the highly anticpated boy group 1VERSE (pronounced universe) made their debut under the label Singling Beetle with their debut single album titled "The 1st Verse", includes three heart-pounding tracks shaped by the 1VERSE members themselves alongside renowned hitmaking producers: separate Korean and English versions of the explosive title song ‘Shattered’, and the group’s electric and uplifting pre-debut single ‘Multiverse’.
1VERSE features five extraordinarily talented artists from Korea, the United States, and Japan: HYUK, SEOK, NATHAN, KENNY, and AITO. The group is making history as the first to have two North Korean defectors in a K-pop idol group. NATHAN and KENNY come from the US, and AITO from Japan.
1VERSE’s pre-debut single, ‘Multiverse’, opens the album as an uplifting, heartfelt tribute to their rapidly growing and already passionate fanbase, known as 5TARZ (pronounced ‘stars’). ‘Multiverse’ is the first original track ever recorded by 1VERSE as a full group with all five members. At midnight before the official album launch, 1VERSE performed ‘Multiverse’ live for the first time at a showcase event for fans, family, and media at Ilchi Art Hall in Seoul.
'Multiverse' Music Video
‘Multiverse’ was created by 1VERSE member HYUK in collaboration with acclaimed producers dr.ahn, Secret Weapon, Shorelle, and Justin Starling, whose work with BTS, TWICE, SEVENTEEN, and NCT has made them household names. The choreography was led by member AITO.
In stark contrast to the uplifting ‘Multiverse’, 1VERSE’s debut single, ‘Shattered’, gives fans an explosive and gritty soundscape that shows off the group’s authentic, raw storytelling. 1VERSE members KENNY and HYUK took part in both writing and composition, working with hitmakers Adrian McKinnon, LAS, dr.ahn, and Secret Weapon. Choreography was co-created by Michael Le (Jason Derulo, Big Sean, ENHYPEN) and 1VERSE member AITO.
'Shattered' Music Video
Ahead of their eagerly awaited debut, KpopWise sat down with rising K-pop group 1VERSE for an exclusive interview. The five-member group opened up about their extensive preparation process and the emotional journey leading to this milestone moment. They also shared heartfelt gratitude for the unwavering support they've received from their dedicated fanbase. From behind-the-scenes stories to future dreams, the members answered the burning questions that fans have been curious about.
How does it finally feel to debut after so much hard work?
Hyuk: To start with the excitement, there’s this sense that after all the effort, sweat, and tears I’ve put in, I’ll finally be able to show it to our fans. But as for fears, there’s a little worry: What if our fans are disappointed after hearing our music or seeing our performances? That’s a small fear I have.
Nathan: Yeah, for me, it feels really surreal. It feels like just yesterday that I came to Korea to train to become an idol. And now, it’s like—oh, we’re just a day away from my dream coming true. Honestly, it feels great.
Aito: For me, there’s only about a week left until debut, and it finally hit me that we’ll be performing on stage for our fans. I’m so grateful to the people who supported me—my family, friends—and I want to thank them.
Kenny: We delayed it for quite some time, right? We didn't want to make it quick. At some point in our careers, we were like "just debut" and we'll grow after that. But we thought we had to be more than ready to show you guys the perfect gift for the debut. We don't want to have a slight disappointment for someone who has been watching us for so long. There are a lot of complex emotions, but we hope that it does it justice by delaying it until now.
Seok: I've been preparing for two and a half years, depending on your perspective, that is a short or long time, but up until the multiverse teaser came out, I was feeling kind of so-so about it. But once I found out that we will be performing our showcase on stage for the first time, I think I'm going to have to try not to cry. All the hard work we put into it makes it very touching that we are finally able to do this.
What is your most fond memory while preparing for your debut?
Aito: I think the most precious memory for me is the time we had filming our debut music video.
Nathan: During the debut preparation, the company surprised us with a day at the amusement park called Everland. This is around the time I first came to Korea, so I was fairly new. I think because of that day, I became close to the guys very quickly, and we really bonded. Ever since then, we've been able to do our practices much more easily because of how close we are.
Kenny: What’s funny is—never mind, I won’t spoil too much because we’ll release a video about it—but there was a hilarious moment when we went through a haunted Halloween maze. Some reactions were priceless. For me, a fond memory was at the sushi buffet—everyone was shocked at how much and how quickly I ate. They were like, “Whoa, Kenny, this isn’t normal!” And then Michelle saw me stacking plates at the next buffet too and was like, “This is definitely not normal!” I learned I’m not normal.
Hyuk: For me, all the moments we’ve shared as five members preparing for our debut are precious. We’ve had clashes, eaten together, gone out—all those little things shaped who we are now. It’s hard to pick just one best memory because all of those moments gathered together make us who we are now.
Seok: After practice, we’d often go eat together, and those times were so special. Also, when the company took us to Everland or other outings, those group moments really stuck with me. Oh, and since we’re talking about the horror maze—can I share? I was the most scared and ran out after like a minute. That was funny too.
What are some funny stories from making the album?
Hyuk: There are so many! Personally and as a team, we struggled a lot because we were deeply involved in creating the album. As the main dancer, AITO worked a lot on the choreography, while Kenny, Nathan, and I also contributed to writing the songs. Especially for the rap parts—I had to write lyrics and flows, and when we showed them to our CEO… well, let’s just say it was a process. It didn't get okayed in one go, I had to keep revising it. That was quite an experience, but I learned a lot!
Nathan: We practiced dance late into the night a lot. Even when tired, we'd have random bursts of energy and act crazy like impersonating each other. At one point, I did so well at it that I made Hyuk and Seok cry from laughing.
Seok: For the music video shoot, I was super nervous—it was my first time. I worried about doing well and keeping the mood light, but surprisingly, we all supported each other, and the staff cheered us on. It was so fun that afterward, I actually wanted to do it again!
Aito: Nathan joined last but turned out to be the comedian. During practice, he’d mimic everyone’s singing styles perfectly—it was so funny. He’s like a parrot!
Kenny: Here’s a niche story: While working on lyrics, I jokingly threw in, “Who’s going to save us now?” and it ended up in the final song. Later, Hyuk asked me to write an English rap part, and I was so tired of the song by then that I just wrote, “I really want to go.” And he loved it. I was like Oh, great!" So, now it’s in there!
What do you want to be known for as you grow in the industry?
Hyuk: I think if I just keep walking the path, I think our fans will feel something from that.
Nathan: As a group, I hope we’re relatable. We write music about our own stories to tell fans the message, “We’re just like you—you’re not alone.” I want people to hear our name and feel that connection.
Kenny: I don’t know yet—I’ll see how our first album goes and adjust based on feedback we're given.
Aito: But I want fans to think we’re cool on stage and think we're the coolest people ever, but fun in our daily life.
Seok: Whether we succeed or not, I hope people see us as just normal people who happen to make music.
Who fits the concept best, and what future concepts do you want to try?
Nathan: We all do, but I want to give props to Kenny for his facial expressions. For future concepts, Aito keeps talking about a sexy concept—it’d be interesting since it’s different from now.
Kenny: Our goal for all of the concepts is that everyone fits in. For the music that we do, we hope that everyone's color is in the concept. If it doesn't fit everyone, then it is a concept we won't do. Therefore, we will NOT do a sexy concept.
Aito: I think that the person who fits the concept the most right now is our team 1VERSE. While I DO want to do a sexy concept. I guess I'll save it for when I do my solo debut.
Kenny: I agree.
Hyuk: I agree, we all did our research and practiced a lot. 1VERSE as a whole will fit this concept.
Seok: I think it's hard to decide if there are specific members who fit the concepts the best. There are two songs, 'Multiverse' and 'Shattered' -- 'Multiverse' being the brighter song, while 'Shattered' is darker with intense vocal moments and complicated facial expressions. 1VERSE as a whole fits those concepts very well.
Hyuk: As for future concepts, I think we will adjust our concepts to fit the genre of music that we do.
Where do you want to tour?
Aito: Japan! I know I'm Japanese, but there are a lot of regions that I’ve never been to, so I would love to visit them on tour with our group.
Nathan: Germany, because I know that we have a lot of fans from Germany. One of our most popular videos was trying German snacks. Unfortunately, I was not part of that because I wasn't here yet. I want to go there and try the local food.
Seok: Since Aito chose Japan, I choose Brazil! I’ve loved football since I was a kid—Ronaldo, Neymar, now Vinícius Jr. I want to see how they play and meet fans there.
Kenny: I went to Canada once, but I've never tried poutine. So I would like to go back to Canada to try the poutine, but also tour to meet the fans. I've also been very obsessed with Marmite, so I want to go to the UK— and meet the fans too!
Hyuk: Anywhere with our fans, but Switzerland has been a dream. I watched some videos—the air, mountains, scenery… I’d love to do a concert there.
If you could say one thing to yourself from 5 years ago, what would it be?
Nathan: Little bro, you did it. Don't give up! Stick to your passion! Don't doubt yourself!
Aito: Study English hard!
Kenny: You should invest your money into the 401K.
Hyuk: Keep walking the path you are walking right now.
Seok: I’d say, ‘Don’t lose confidence no matter what. Don't give up.
How does it feel having so much support from your fans even before debut?
Nathan: Having our fans actually helps lift the pressure off our shoulders. They are so supportive, and I truly believe we have the best fans in the world. We're always grateful for that. I see some edits and they're so funny!
Aito: There's been a lot of people supporting us since around a year ago, it's very exciting knowing we're finally going to debut.
Seok: There have been many people supporting us since we got started on social media such as TikTok, and thanks to those people we've been able to come this far. It's not just fans but it's also staff and other people around us as well. Now that we are able to debut, I hope to be able to pay them back for the support and to keep going on this path.
Kenny: The idea of coming from "negative zero" is something that I always talk about. We come from a very disadvantaged place because the market is so saturated. Why would someone give their attention attention to us, that is just starting out. So the fact that were able to gain so much fans, we will always be grateful. That’s why we want to share our first song with everyone —because we really want to say "Love you in our universe," and yes, it's in a song now.
Hyuk: Our very first 5TARZ—honestly, I can’t help but feel thankful. Even on tough days, seeing their warm messages keeps us going. That’s why I work hard—to get closer to them and never forget their love. We always try to communicate with fans, even with just asking how was your day? We hope it can help brighten their day a little bit.
The fans want to create 5TARZ Selca Day. What day should they post selfies each month?
After a short deliberation between the 4th ('Multiverse' release date) and the18th (debut date)
Okay! We’re doing 5TARZ Selfie Day every month on the 18th!
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Son muy talentos, porfavor apoyenlos mucho!!! 💙💙💙
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