Every time I visit Tower Records, I make a point of buying one CD from a group or artist I’ve never listened to (or heard of) before. It’s my personal tradition—a little “spin the wheel” moment for my playlist. Sometimes I hit platinum (Nissy x SKY-HI ｢Stormy｣) and I’m jamming for days. Sometimes I slip and hit the linoleum with massive regret ( 超特急 ｢Just like 超特急｣).

It’s Sound Roulette. That’s the fun of it.

This time, the pick was Alpha Drive One (알파드라이브원)—a South Korean boy group formed through Mnet’s reality competition series Boys II Planet.  Ranging in age from 18 to 24, ALD1 consists of eight members: Leo (리오), Junseo (준서), Arno (아르노), Geonwoo (건우), Sangwon (상원), Xinlong (씬롱), Anxin (안신), and Sanghyeon (상현).

It was an easy choice since the release date of their 1st mini-album Euphoria happened to line up perfectly with my visit. Advertisements were everywhere, and fans were swarming the shelves—many clearly buying multiple copies of the EP since most were already sold out. 

While I usually avoid member-specific editions (because my collector brain cannot be trusted), the only copy still available was Sanghyeon’s version.

So I bought it.

For context (and to be 100% transparent), when it comes to K-pop, I’ll be the first to admit my tastes are VERY specific. There are three groups I STAN with absolute loyalty: Girls’ Generation, Super Junior, and ZEROBASEONE. Beyond that, I dabble — CIX, ENHYPEN, and a few Stray Kids tracks (｢GENIE｣ is in constant rotation) — but I’m not exactly out here collecting new biases like their Pokémon cards (or STARTO idols)…

…at least not until Saja Boys drops their debut album.

Still, I can’t deny ALD1’s appeal. They’re young. They’re hot. They’re talented. And most importantly: their music is genuinely good. The more I played Euphoria while researching the group, the more I caught myself unconsciously bopping along.

Pre-release single ｢Formula｣, dropped on 3 December 2025, is a solid introduction—confident, polished, and undeniably catchy. But if I’m being honest, in comparison with the full six-track EP, it’s probably the weakest song.

And I mean that as a compliment.

Because Euphoria doesn’t have a single bad track—it’s just that the rest of the EP is even stronger than the debut.

Tracks like ｢Freak Alarm｣, ｢Raw Flame｣, and ｢Chains｣ are dangerously addictive: catchy, slick, and undeniably sexy—showcasing ALD1 as idols fully aware of their power, and not shy about using it on the prowl.

Then there’s ｢Never Been 2 Heaven｣, a bright pop rush that hits the sweet spot between sugar and spice—fun, upbeat, and instantly replayable. That energy carries into closer ｢Cinnamon Shake｣, which works as a perfect sonic book-end to ｢Formula｣ which makes the entire EP feel loop-ready… which is exactly what happened.

Multiple times.

It’ll take a few more releases before ALD1 can earn a permanent place alongside my holy trinity of GG, SJ, and ZB1—I’ve been fooled before (I’m looking at you, OnlyOneOf)—but this is undeniably a strong start. If Euphoria is the foundation, ALD1 is building something with real potential.

Physical copies are available wherever K-pop albums are sold, and for digital listeners I recommend QoBuz, which offers 16-bit/44.1 kHz stereo options (including lossless formats) which are equal to CD-quality sound.

I’m sure there will be more ALD1 soon so… 

Stay Tuned.