K-pop rookie Kep1er off to flying start with debut album 'First Impact'

Members of K-pop girl group Kep1er pose during an online press event Monday. Courtesy of Wake One Entertainment, Swing Entertainment

By Dong Sun-hwa

Numerous people say they have grown weary of audition programs. But the power of these shows still seems potent, as evidenced by the popularity of Kep1er, a new project girl group created through Mnet's latest talent search show, “Girls Planet 999.” The nine-piece act, which made its debut Monday, got off to a flying start, with its debut album, “First Impact,” racking up 200,000 pre-orders ― a rare high for any K-pop group.

“Girls Planet 999” was not a big hit in Korea in terms of viewership, as most of its episodes scored less than a 1 percent rating, according to Nielsen Korea. The program, however, succeeded in attracting viewers abroad, making waves on global platforms such as YouTube.

This gave the nine winners ― Yujin, Mashiro, Xiaoting, Chaehyun, Dayeon, Hikaru, Huening Bahiyyih, Youngeun and Yeseo ― a solid fan base from the beginning of their career, giving them the upper hand over other rookie singers. As of Tuesday morning, Kep1er's official YouTube channel has garnered more than 1 million subscribers.

“While we were appearing on Girls Planet 999, we could not realize our popularity, as there was no live audience due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Chaehyun said during an online media conference Monday, which took place a few hours ahead of the release of “First Impact.” “But now, I can't put into words how happy I am to see so many people giving us love and support.”

“First Impact” is fronted by the lead single, “Wa Da Da,” an upbeat dance track of the big room house genre, peppered with an addictive refrain.

“The song highlights Kep1er's energetic and lovely charm,” Yujin, who also is a member of K-pop girl group CLC, explained. “We strived to show Kep1er's unique edge and color in this album… I hope people view us as a group full of confidence and brightness.”

Kep1er's group name is a combination of the word “kep” and number “1,” which reveals its determination to fulfil its dream of becoming the No. 1 K-pop group.

Initially, the group was set to debut in December, but it postponed this plan after one of its staff members tested positive for COVID-19. A few days later, two other Kep1er members ― Mashiro and Xiaoting ― were also reported to have been infected with the virus.

Asked how they felt about the postponement, Mashiro said that she tried to think about it in a positive way.

“The delay actually gave us more time to prepare for our debut,” she said.

Kep1er ended the session by talking about what they want to achieve in the days ahead.

“I hope the music video of our debut track will surpass 30 million views,” Yeseo said.

“Our role model is Girls' Generation,” Youngeun added. “Each member has her distinctive character, but when they unite as a team, they still look so cool.”