From Team B to complete team iKON [iKON’s debut ②]

The debut of YG’s new boy group iKON is standing under a big spotlight of the music scene. Even though iKON has yet to make an official debut, the team has a stronger fandom than any other idol boy group.
The complete team of iKON has proven their talent in three survival auditions before their official debut.

iKON will release their debut single on the 15 this month, to officially launch forward. As many people were paying keen attention to this team even before their official debut, their debut project looks so fancy. Starting from debut single, a half album will be released on the 1 of next month, and the official full-length album will be released on November 2. Notably, on the 3 next month, a showcase almost like a concert will be held to give more fire to the team’s debut. The showcase will also be an opportunity for the complete team iKON to really show what power they have.
Actually, fans have been waiting for a long time for iKON’s official debut. Even after the final confirmation of the team members in cable channel Mnet’s survival audition show “MIX & MATCH”, it took 11 months until iKON’s official debut. However, that long time has given the team members an opportunity to further strengthen their talent and to make a grand debut.

Among iKON’s members, BOBBY, SONG YOON HYEONG, KIM DONG HYUK, KOO JUN HOE, B.I, and KIM JIN HWAN had been trained for a long time and formed a team in “WIN: WHO IS NEXT” show in 2013. At that time, they were team B and competed against team A whose members are now WINNER. Eventually, WIN’s team A won the survival audition and made debut first as idol group WINNER, and team B members had to take some time for catch their breath.

Another survival audition that began one year after the end of “WIN” show was “MIX & MATCH” that gave birth to the complete team of iKON. “WIN” show’s team B members: BOBBY, SONG YOON HYEONG, KIM DONG HYUK, KOO JUN HOE, B.I, and KIM JIN HWAN competed in the survival audition once again, and iKON was finally born with additional member JUNG CHAN WOO. As YG’s head YANG HYUN SUK said at the beginning of “MIX & MATCH”, “I believe that the opinion of the majority is more important. I think K-pop fans will select the right one who can express the color of YG well”, a team that creates a perfect harmony with YG’s music was created.

iKON built a substantial fandom through “WIN”, and further strengthened their already-recognized musical talent in “MIX & MATCH”. The team built recognition and rose as a promising rookie idol group through two survival auditions, and the public seemed to have built significant confidence in iKON.

It has taken some time from “MIX & MATCH” until the official debut. During the time, iKON had an opportunity to further enhance their talent. BOBBY competed in Mnet’s rapper survival audition show “Show Me the Money 3”, one of the hottest TV shows these days, to be the final winner, and B.I was recognized as a good rapper once again in the show, too. As all the contestants of the show were famous rappers and the show itself was a program that drew a wide popularity from the public, B.I and BOBBY got another opportunity to stamp themselves in the mind of the public.

iKON is thought to be a team formed and completed in the process of survival competition and a rookie idol group who has outstanding talent. As the team is already recognized as shown by how they are described, the members are now doing their best to live up to such expectations. They are now putting themselves to the test once again, filling their debut album with songs all written by themselves. B.I has already been boasting his versatile musical talent, taking part in writing the melody and lyrics of WINNER’s debut song “empty”.

iKON who has created a lot of issues in the long process of their survival and who has been recognized for their talent. Music fans are now paying keen attention to what kind of music the team will present to live up to big expectations for them and what achievement they will make after the official debut.

Source: OSEN
Via: YG Life