K-pop boy group AND2BLE just reset the commercial bar for new acts. The quintet’s debut EP Sequence 01: Curiosity sold over 731,000 copies in its first week according to Hanteo Chart data.
Managed by YH Entertainment, the group held their official launch event at Blue Square in central Seoul on May 26. They quickly secured a double crown on Korean music broadcasts. Their EDM-based lead single, “Curious,” took first place on SBS Life’s The Show and MBC M’s Show! Champion just eight days post-debut.
The five artists are not entirely new to the industry. All five members originally gained prominence as contestants on the 2023 Mnet survival reality series Boys Planet. Four of the members—Zhang Hao, Ricky, Kim Gyu-vin, and Han Yu-jin—previously promoted in the highly successful project group ZEROBASEONE. Yoo Seung-eon promoted with the spin-off group EVNNE.
The four ZEROBASEONE members officially departed their original project group following their final concert on March 15. The exit forced ZEROBASEONE to restructure as a five-member act, and they recently made their first comeback with the EP Ascend-. The new release sets up an immediate chart rivalry between the newly formed AND2BLE and their former bandmates.
The lead track “Curious” features direct lyrical contributions from Zhang and Ricky. The members’ shared history dates back to 2023, marking a rare instance where top trainees from a single survival show successfully spun off from their temporary project groups to form a permanent act under a single agency.