New boy band Ampers&One determined to 'march forward'

Boy band Ampers&One debuts with their first single "Ampersand One," after members endured tough audition programs.

Ampers&One, FNC Entertainment's new seven-member boy band, performs during its debut showcase at the Blue Square in Yongsan District, central Seoul. [FNC ENTERTAINMENT]

Members of rookie boy band Ampers&One have been wholeheartedly wishing for a debut and now the band is marching forward, even when the journey ahead may be tough.

Ampers&One is FNC Entertainment’s next-generation seven-member boy band — comprised of Jiho, Kamden, Maciah, Brian, Kyrell, Seungmo and Siyun — that debuted Wednesday with its first single “Ampersand One.”

“I think trainee days are naturally a time because your future is uncertain,” member Jiho said during the boy band’s debut press showcase held Wednesday at the Blue Square Mastercard Hall in Yongsan District, central Seoul.

“I’ve even promised my parents that I would reconsider my career path if I can’t [make a debut] by the age of 20,” Jiho added.

The debut was ever so precious for the members, as more than half of them had already tried their best to debut through different audition programs. Kamden and Jiho joined MBC’s 2021 boy band audition program “The Wild Idol” and Mnet’s 2023 boy band audition program “Boys Planet,” Siyun joined YG Entertainment’s boy band audition program “YG Treasure Box” (2018) which aired on JTBC2. Brian, too, joined “Boys Planet.”

“I really thought ‘Boys Planet’ was my last chance, and I seriously reconsidered [my idol career] when I received my final score [that failed to place me in the final band]. So I’m glad to make my debut as Ampers&One,” Jiho said.

“During my trainee days, I saw many fellow trainees making their debut and I was very envious of them, [which makes me] very thankful to debut as a member of Ampers&One,” Siyun said.

Ampers&One, FNC Entertainment's new seven-member boy band, performs during its debut showcase at the Blue Square in Yongsan District, central Seoul. [FNC ENTERTAINMENT]

Kamden — better known by his Korean name Na Kamden among fans — and Brian too, added that going through “Boys Planet” was what made them want to make a debut more dearly.

“I really didn’t expect myself to reach the finals [of ‘Boys Planet’],” said Kamden, who came 17th on the show. “All the challenges I went through on the show became a lesson for myself. I was thankful for the fans who supported me and as I went through ‘Boys Planet’ I wanted to make a debut and be successful in the future as a singer.”

Ampers&One, FNC Entertainment's new seven-member boy band, performs during its debut showcase at the Blue Square in Yongsan District, central Seoul. [FNC ENTERTAINMENT]

The boy band’s name and its debut single “Ampersand One,” which had many fans wondering about its hidden message, means that “many different small one’s gathering together, achieving its dreams and coming together to be [ something bigger],” according to the boy band’s agency FNC Entertainment.

“I was curious about why we have an [ampersand] in our band name […] and once I learned what it meant, I was very satisfied; I’m really glad to have a name that represents us,” Jiho said.

“I very much like our band name as it’s not common and has meaning,” Seungmo added.

Ampers&One, FNC Entertainment's new seven-member boy band, poses for the camera during its debut showcase at the Blue Square in Yongsan District, central Seoul. [FNC ENTERTAINMENT]

The debut single contains three tracks: lead track “On And On,” a pop dance score, “Sweet & Sour,” a song talking about confessing your love and “Sheesh,” a track that expresses the lovely thoughts of falling in love.

“Our debut album is our starting point and one that shows our first steps,” Jiho explained. “It means that we, individual members, are coming together as one team to march forward.”

“And the lead track is about our ambition to move forward, even if we might tumble in the process.”

Ampers&One, FNC Entertainment's new seven-member boy band, poses for the camera during its debut showcase at the Blue Square in Yongsan District, central Seoul. [FNC ENTERTAINMENT]

The band’s debut lead track is even more meaningful to Kamden, who participated in writing the lyrics for the song.

“I'm glad and excited to get the opportunity to write lyrics for our debut track,” Kamden said.

“I once sat outside the recording room to guide the members [in the lyrics], and our producer told me to sit on his producer’s chair to guide the members […] It really made me feel like I was an actual producer […] and I would love to experience it again in the future,” he said, adding that he wanted to write more songs in a variety of genres in the future.

“I think our strength is in that we are relatable; we bring stories that anyone can relate to,” Siyun said.

“We’ve just made our debut so our biggest goal would be to win the Rookie of the Year award, and as our long-term plan, I hope people can think of Ampers&One when they think of the genre of K-pop,” Jiho said.

To find out more about AMPERS&ONE, visit Celeb Confirmed!

Ampers&One, FNC Entertainment's new seven-member boy band, poses for the camera during its debut showcase at the Blue Square in Yongsan District, central Seoul. [FNC ENTERTAINMENT]

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]