Collaborating with a South Korean music company that’s worked with no less than BTS and Blackpink, P-Pop group 1st.One is set to make a comeback like no other.
Related: 1st.One Joins SB19 As The Only P-Pop Groups To Top A Billboard Chart
With the unstoppable growth and power of the Pinoy Pop genre comes the evolution of the Filipino music scene. We witness how the advent of P-Pop groups does not only let us discover new and incredibly talented local artists, but consequently, raise the standards of the music industry. It consistently ups the ante in terms of musicality and production quality that tops charts, breaks records, and ultimately, put the country on the world stage of music.
This is precisely what the six-member boy group 1st.One strives to achieve with their fierce comeback where they’re set to release their latest track, Problem Child, accompanied by an extraordinary music video that’s said to be the most expensive ever by a P-Pop group to date. Yes, the hype is on!
BREAKING THE NORM
Even before their official debut in July 2020, 1st.One had already proven their capabilities as a boy group, being hailed as the grand winners of Seoul Music Awards Philippines’ Dance To Your Seoul dance battle in 2019 and the first Filipino boy group to perform at the Seoul Music Awards in January 2020. And so when Ace, Max, Alpha, J, Joker, and Jayson were finally introduced months later with the release of their first-ever track, You Are The One (Ttak Maja Nuh), they brought with them years of training and hardwork. It was quite clear that 1st.One was going to be a new force to be reckoned with in the P-Pop world.
Named after and formed under Seoul-based music label, FirstOne Entertainment, 1st.One went on to prove their worth and mettle as a fresh music act in a very competitive genre, releasing music that blends rousing beats with relatable lyrics as evident in their hits One Dream, OH, Turn Up, and Shout Out.
The latter of which topped the Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs Chart the same time it debuted on the list, making 1st.One only the second Filipino act to top the said chart after SB19. 1st.One also collaborates with both Filipino and Korean artists, so with every musical arrangement or music video, you’ll see how everything is crafted with utmost creativity and passion.
And a year after their last release, 1st.One is set to return with a fiery comeback track, Problem Child. Showcasing their wild side as manifested in the teaser photos, it seems that 1st.One will be going for a different tone and style this time, highlighting their so-called alter-egos. Problem Child tackles the concepts of effecting change in our own ways and “breaking the norm,” wrestling with a defective system that’s rife with inequality and disorder.
“You can think of Robin Hood and Batman as vigilantes, and many more heroes being misdirected as villains by a corrupt system,” shares the group’s rapper and maknae Jayson. Without glorifying bad deeds, Problem Child highlights the willingness to sacrifice oneself to make things right, “Nevertheless, they remain as heroes within themselves still willing to sacrifice continuously even if they are considered the bad ones.”
THE MUSIC VIDEO
Another reason to get excited about 1st.One’s comeback is their latest track’s history-making music video. For one, it is helmed by South Korean music company CHECK, which is responsible for some of the biggest names in the music industry including, among many others, Blackpink, EXO, BTS, and Cha Eunwoo. Not only that, the Problem Child MV is also worth 20 million pesos in budget, making it the highest ever for a P-Pop project.
“It was definitely a blast working with them [CHECK],” says Jayson of the challenging yet fulfilling feat. “I’m very thankful because they gave us a unique experience compared to the past music videos that we have done. We are very grateful that they took care of us so well.”
Meanwhile, 1st.One’s main dancer and main rapper Alpha urges the P-Pop community to not miss out on their comeback that marks the first collab between Filipino and South Korean directors for a music video that fans “haven’t seen before.” With all the extensive planning and preparations, Alpha vows to give everyone “the best MV of all time” and assures For.One that their return is the boy group’s way of getting out of the box and pushing themselves to their limits.
ON FUTURE COLLABS
Regarding future projects, 1st.One’s dream is to take things to greater heights and work with fellow Pinoy Pop artists including Alamat, BGYO, BINI, VXON, KAIA, G22, and PHP. 1st.One Alpha enthuses, “Initially, of course, we’d love to kick things off with our dream collaborations within the P-Pop industry, and that would be with DIONE and SB19. We go way way way back just with these 2 groups. We think it’s going to be an explosion.” A music project featuring 1st.One and some of P-Pop’s greatest acts? Surely, that’s one we should look out for.
1ST.ONE will release Problem Child on January 31, 2023 and can be streamed through Spotify, Apple Music, and other music platforms. Meanwhile, its high-budget music video will be uploaded on 1STONE’s official YouTube channel.
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