X1 (band)
| Company type | Boy group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2019 |
| Founder | CJ ENM |
| Defunct | 2020-01-06 |
| Headquarters | South Korea , South Korea |
Area served | South Korea, international |
Key people | Kim Yo-han, Kim Woo-seok, Han Seung-woo (leader), Song Hyeong-jun, Cho Seung-youn, Son Dong-pyo, Lee Han-gyul, Nam Do-hyon, Cha Jun-ho, Kang Min-hee, Lee Eun-sang |
| Products | Music (albums, singles) |
| Owner | CJ ENM |
| Parent | Swing Entertainment, Stone Music Entertainment |
X1 (; ) was a South Korean boy group created by CJ ENM through the Mnet reality competition series Produce X 101. The ensemble comprised eleven members: Kim Yo-han, Kim Woo-seok, Han Seung-woo, Song Hyeong-jun, Cho Seung-youn, Son Dong-pyo, Lee Han-gyul, Nam Do-hyon, Cha Jun-ho, Kang Min-hee, and Lee Eun-sang. Their official debut took place on August 27, 2019, with the single "Flash" under the label Swing Entertainment, and management responsibilities were shared with Stone Music Entertainment.
Though initially contracted for a five-year term, the group's activities ceased amid the Mnet vote manipulation investigation. Following unsuccessful talks among the agencies representing the members concerning their continuation, X1 officially disbanded on January 6, 2020.
Pre-debut: Produce X 101
X1 originated from the survival reality show Produce X 101, broadcast on Mnet from May 3 to July 19, 2019. From an initial pool of 101 trainees, ten finalists were chosen during the final week, with an additional member—the "rank X"—selected based on cumulative votes. The final lineup was revealed during the live finale held on July 19, 2019.
Several members brought previous industry experience: Cho Seung-youn debuted as part of Uniq in 2014 and pursued a solo career under the stage names Luizy and later WOODZ; he has also worked as a music producer for other artists. Kim Woo-seok began his career with Up10tion in 2015 and served as host for SBS MTV's The Show in 2016. Han Seung-woo debuted with Victon in 2016. Lee Han-gyul had earlier debuted with the ballad group IM and competed on KBS2's The Unit. Nam Do-hyon participated in MBC's Under Nineteen. Kang Min-hee appeared in Mad Clown and Ailee's music video "Thirst" (2018), while Son Dong-pyo was active as a member of the dance crew Artbeat.
The group's contract was originally designed for five years—divided into an exclusive period of two and a half years followed by two and a half years allowing non-exclusive activities—permitting members to promote alongside their original agencies after the exclusive phase concluded.
2019: Debut and vote manipulation investigation
The final episode of Produce X 101 resulted in eleven finalists forming X1, to debut under Swing Entertainment, a subsidiary of Stone Music Entertainment that previously managed Wanna One. However, after civil lawsuits emerged against Mnet alleging vote manipulation, multiple brands withdrew or suspended endorsements linked to X1. Additionally, some member agencies delayed signing contracts pending resolution of these allegations. Despite this turmoil, X1 proceeded with their scheduled debut.
Prior to their official launch, the reality series X1 Flash aired starting August 22, 2019 on Mnet, documenting members' preparations and daily routines. On August 1, their debut album titled Emergency: Quantum Leap was announced, featuring the lead single "Flash," composed by Score, Megatone, and Onestar. The group’s debut stage occurred on August 27 at Gocheok Sky Dome. On September 3, X1 secured their first music show trophy on SBS MTV's The Show, eventually accumulating a total of eleven wins for "Flash," including victories on M Countdown.
On November 5, producer Ahn Joon-young confessed to manipulating vote results in Produce X 101. As a consequence, X1's public appearances were canceled and promotional activities suspended. By December 30, CJ ENM declared that discussions with members and their agencies regarding the group’s future were ongoing.
2020: Group Dissolution
On January 6, 2020, representatives from CJ ENM, Swing Entertainment, and the agencies managing the members convened to determine the future of X1. A confidential vote was conducted, requiring unanimous approval to proceed; four agencies supported continuation, four opposed, and one vote was invalidated. Although the members sought to participate in the meeting, their request was declined. Within a span of two hours, the decision to disband was finalized and officially announced on the same day.
Following the disbandment, CJ ENM proposed releasing a farewell single and accompanying final music video; however, these suggestions were declined by several agencies.
Former Members
- Kim Yo-han ()
- Kim Woo-seok ()
- Han Seung-woo () – leader
- Song Hyeong-jun ()
- Cho Seung-youn ()
- Son Dong-pyo ()
- Lee Han-gyul ()
- Nam Do-hyon ()
- Cha Jun-ho ()
- Kang Min-hee ()
- Lee Eun-sang ()
Notable Accomplishments
Prior to their official debut, X1 secured positions on Billboard's Social 50 and Emerging Artists charts at numbers six and eleven, respectively.
The release of Emergency: Quantum Leap achieved over 500,000 physical sales within its initial week, setting a new South Korean record for first-week debut album sales and surpassing Kang Daniel's previous benchmark with Color on Me.
On July 26, 2020, the music video for "Flash" exceeded 100 million views on YouTube, becoming the fastest debut boy group video to reach this milestone in just 334 days.
Extended plays
| Title | Album details | Highest chart rankings | Sales figures | Certifications | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR |
JPN |
JPN Hot. |
FRA Dig. |
US World | ||||
| Emergency: Quantum Leap |
|
1 | 4 | 10 | 76 | 9 |
|
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart rankings | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR |
KOR Hot |
JPN Hot |
US World | |||
| "Flash" | 2019 | 26 | 3 | 25 | 15 | Emergency: Quantum Leap |
Additional Charted Tracks
| Song Title | Release Year | Highest Chart Positions | Album Name | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR |
KOR Hot | |||
| "Like Always" (Template:Korean) | 2019 | 69 | 15 | Emergency: Quantum Leap |
| "U Got It" (X1 version) | 84 | 16 | ||
| "I'm Here for You" (Template:Korean) | 91 | 18 | ||
| "Move" (Template:Korean) (X1 version) | 90 | 19 | ||
| "Stand Up" (intro) | 106 | 25 | ||
Television Appearances
| Year | Broadcasting Network | Show Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Mnet | Produce X 101 |
| X1 Flash |
Music Videos
| Song Title | Release Year | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Flash" | 2019 | Rigend Film |
V Live Awards
| Year | Nominee | Award Category | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | X1 | Global Rookie Top 5 | Won |
Melon Music Awards
| Year | Nominee | Award Category | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | X1 | Best New Artist Award | Nominated |
Mnet Asian Music Awards
| Year | Nominee | Award Category | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | X1 | Artist of the Year | Nominated |
| Best New Male Artist | Nominated | ||
| Worldwide Fans' Choice Top 10 | Won | ||
| Worldwide Icon of the Year | Nominated |
Gaon Chart Music Awards
| Year | Nominee | Award Category | Work Nominated For | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | X1 | Song of the Month (August) | "Flash" | Nominated |
| Album of the Quarter (Q3) | Emergency: Quantum Leap | Nominated |
Seoul Music Awards
| Year | Nominee | Award Category | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | X1 | New Artist Award | Nominated |
|- New Artist Award Nominated |- Popularity Award Nominated |- K-wave Award Nominated |}