Boy groups from audition shows stage back-to-back comebacks in May

K-pop boy group ZEROBASEONE, now a five-member act following a March reorganization / Captured from Instagram

May is shaping up to be a significant month for K-pop boy groups whose origins trace back to survival shows. Three acts are returning within weeks of each other, each navigating a different kind of transition as they look to establish or redefine their place in the market.

Leading the charge is ZEROBASEONE, which debuted through Season 1 of Mnet's survival audition show "Boys Planet" and has since reorganized as a five-member group. Originally a nine-member act, the team wrapped up its original formation following a concert at KSPO Dome on March 15, before reconstituting with members Sung Han-bin, Kim Ji-woong, Kim Tae-rae, Matthew Seok and Park Gun-wook.

The group will release its sixth mini-album, "Ascend-," on May 18, featuring seven tracks including the title song "TOP 5," B-sides "Intro.," "V for Vision," "Customize," "Exotic," "Changes" and "Zero to Hundred." With six consecutive million-selling albums to its name, the question now is whether the slimmed-down lineup can sustain that momentum.

K-pop boy band AND2BLE, formed by four former ZEROBASEONE members and EVNNE's Yoo Seung-eon, ahead of their May 26 redebut / Captured from Instagram

In a notable coincidence, May 26 will see four former ZEROBASEONE members — Zhang Hao, Ricky, Kim Gyu-vin and Han Yu-jin — join forces with EVNNE's Yoo Seung-eon to redebut under the new name AND2BLE.

The group's debut album, "Sequence 01: Curiosity," is described by agency YH Entertainment as an "opening chapter to the group's journey ahead," capturing the members' feelings as they step into an "unfamiliar world."

On the same day, eight-piece boy band ALPHA DRIVE ONE, which emerged from Mnet's "Boys II Planet," will release a prologue single, "No School Tomorrow," marking the group's first comeback since its January debut. Agency WAKEONE said the single captures the romance of early summer and the energy of breaking free from daily routine, and will showcase the group's expanded musical range and performance.

K-pop boy band ALPHA DRIVE ONE, which set a record for having the second-highest debut first-week sales in K-pop history, returns with new music in May. Captured from Instagram

The group also has a packed schedule ahead, with a fan concert tour titled "STAR ROAD" set for June and a second mini-album slated for August.

The comeback comes amid an ongoing absence from member Kim Gun-woo, who suspended activities in April after inappropriate remarks he made during a predebut content shoot surfaced online. The group has been promoting as a seven-member act in the meantime.

ALPHA DRIVE ONE’s debut album, "Euphoria," sold more than 1.44 million copies in its first week, ranking second in all-time first-week debut sales among K-pop groups. The group also secured its first music show win just 10 days after debuting with the title track "Freak Alarm."