Since their post-Boys II Planet debut, ALPHA DRIVE ONE have sold a ton of records and been promoted everywhere MNET can manage. So, why don’t I feel the same surge of interest I usually get from this franchise? For one, the music hasn’t been great (or even good, most of the time). But more than that, I’m struggling to find a unique sound or identity within AD1’s performance. So far, they feel like the most generic definition of a boy group you could imagine.
New title track Born Dire has an intriguing (grammatically strange?) title and attempts to bolster their sound with a bit more energy. Its promo has described the group as “beast boys,” which makes me giggle. In the older days of K-pop, promo like this would have them dressed up in literally wolf ears, but new K-pop is too “cool” for that. Instead, Born Dire finds the guys chant-rapping their way through a cool drum and bass instrumental pitched at high intensity. The idea has tons of potential. I love the flourishes of electric guitar and the overall pace/energy of the track. In another world, Born Dire could be one of those awesome, genre-breaking K-pop epics the industry made its name on.
Of course, this is 2026 and the industry is allergic to melody. In our chant-heavy hellscape, Born Dire is relentlessly fine. Its hooks aren’t annoying even as they repeat often. They just never land with the force or intention Born Dire‘s instrumental promises. We desperately need some kind of melodic centerpiece to bring a sense of dynamics to the arrangement. Otherwise, we’re just spinning our wheels over cool production.
Hooks
7
Production
9
Longevity
8
Bias
8
RATING
8