Wanna One to make debut after brutal survivor competition

Wanna One / Courtesy of Instagram

By Ko Dong-hwan

Eleven survivors of the controversial TV competition show “Produce 101: Season 2” on Mnet released a track list of their debut album on Monday.

Ahead of their debut on Aug. 7, Wanna One released seven tracks for the album “1X1=1,” including “Burn It Up,” “Energetic,” and “To Be One.”

The album’s title refers to the band and its fans together making up the best K-pop group.

The Mnet show that aired from April to June was criticized for promoting Korea’s underlying social norm of “preference for appearance” ― also known as “lookism.”

The male contestants, who were ranked by viewers’ votes and dropped out accordingly, did all they could to attract fans, many of whom lampooned and voted out “ugly” ones.

Winners of the show’s first season became members of girl band I.O.I.

Wanna One, managed by YMC Entertainment, will release the album along with the group’s debut performance, known as “premier show-con,” at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul.