K-pop boy group ATBO make their debut with EP ‘The Beginning: 開花’

July 27, 2022

K-pop boy group ATBO made their debut today with their aptly named EP “The Beginning: 開花” and the music video of their title track “Monochrome.”

Aside from “Monochrome,” the album contains five other songs: “7ibe (Vibe),” “Graffiti,” “High Five,” “Wow” and “Run.” Member Junseok wrote the raps for every track except for “Run,” and member Hyunjun helped with the lyrics for “Graffiti,” “High Five” and “Wow.”

IST Entertainment’s seven-member group, which consists of Oh Junseok, Ryu Junmin, Bae Hyunjun, Seok Rakwon, Jeong Seunghwan, Kim Yeonkyu and Won Bin, was formed with the final lineup of the survival audition show “The Origin – A, B, Or What?” in May.

ATBO stands for “At the Beginning of Originality,” and the Chinese characters in their EP’s title roughly translate to “blooming flower.” The group reportedly decided on the name ATBO due to controversy surrounding their original intended name, ABO, which fans were quick to point out is a highly offensive slur toward Aboriginal Australians.

In addition to ATBO’s debut, IST Entertainment has had an eventful year. The entertainment company’s most veteran group, Apink, dropped their comeback album “Horn” in February and parted ways with member Naeun in April following her decision to pursue a career in acting. Apink’s younger sister group Weeekly also lost a member, with Jiyoon permanently leaving the group to focus on her mental health. ATBO’s older brother groups Victon and The Boyz both released albums this year, and The Boyz are slated to perform at KCON LA 2022 this August alongside other groups such as Ateez, Enhypen, Itzy, Lightsum, Loona, P1Harmony, StayC, Stray Kids and “Queendom” Season 2 winner WJSN.

Featured Image via IST Entertainment

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