Underdog boy bands take on ambitious survival journey

Contestants of Mnet's "Road to Kingdom: Ace of Ace" pose for a photo during a press conference held in Seoul on Thursday. (CJ ENM)

Seven ambitious boy bands are off to a fierce battle.

The New Six, 8Turn, Oneus, Younite, Cravity, Tempest and the project team The Crew One, which consists of the boy groups ATBO and Just B., are competing on Mnet's survival program "Road to Kingdom: Ace of Ace," starting Thursday night. Taemin of SHINee will host the show.

“We felt the pressure to surpass our performances in Season 1, but we overcame it with even greater passion. Since we believe it’s a K-pop idol's fate to perform live while delivering outstanding performances, we focused on the basics of being singers this time,” said Oneus leader Hwanwoong at a press conference held Thursday morning ahead of the show's premiere Thursday night.

Oneus, which debuted in 2019, is the most senior group among the contestants and has returned to the competition after appearing in Season 1, which aired in 2020.

Cravity's leader Serim shared, “Our name combines the words ‘creativity’ and ‘gravity,’ meaning we will attract everyone with our unique charm. We’ll captivate you with our performances.”

“I feel like I’m hitting my limits. I’m discovering new sides of myself and my members, so please watch as we find our complete color,” said Eunsang from Younite.

Choi Hyo-jin, the show's chief producer, expressed hope that the program will serve as a "bridge" to introduce many artists to global listeners.

Taemin, a senior in the K-pop industry, showed sincere support for the participants. “As someone who has experienced everything these teams are going through, I really wanted to see their efforts and cheer them on,” he said.

Producer Jo Woo-ri, who produced the first season of the program, mentioned that the K-pop landscape has changed a lot in recent years, with the number of artists increasing but fewer opportunities to spotlight them.

“This season includes a new feature where the ‘aces’ from each team compete against each other, allowing viewers to fully appreciate individual talents," Jo said.

Secret voting among contestants showed Cravity as the strongest contender.

Cravity's Serim, in turn, pointed to Oneus as its strongest rival.

Lew, the leader of Tempest, raised expectations, saying, “You’ll witness fierce competition paired with fair play. Though we compete intensely, deep down, we all genuinely support each other.”

"Road to Kingdom: Ace of Ace" will air on Mnet at 9:30 p.m. on Thursdays.

By Lee Jung-youn(jy@heraldcorp.com)