Reminiscing X1: ONE ITs’ greatest TOTGA
January 6th is just a normal day for other people; but not totally for ONE ITs. Memories come in waves for the fans who used to support X1 as a group as today marks the third year of the group’s disbandment.
X1 is a group worth remembering, and we will reminisce the memories that the eleven boys and their fans shared and celebrated together.
ONE ITs, the official fandom name of X1, already showed their support for the boys during Produce X 101 aired in 2019. Throughout the show, the viewers also referred to as “national producers”, showed their support to the aspiring trainees who shared the same dream: to debut.
With all the gathered support and proven talents for the industry, the final eleven-member lineup debuted.
Han Seungwoo, Cho Seungyoun, Kim Wooseok, Kim Yohan, Kim Hangyul, Cha Junho, Son Dongpyo, Kang Minhee, Lee Eunsang, Song Hyeongjun, and Nam Dohyon completed the debut group. The boys made their debut on August 26, 2019. Their debut album ‘Emergency: Quantum Leap’ introduced ‘Flash’ as the title track. They also met their fans (One-It) for the first time with their Premier Show-Con in Gocheok SkyDome.
Despite being rookies at that time, X1 proved their impact on the industry. They were also considered one of the promising boy groups of the 4th generation of K-POP.
The music video for their song of Flash was the fastest boy group debut song to gain 100 million views on YouTube at that time. Following the amazing hit on the streaming platforms, they also received their first Korean music show win 5 days after their official debut. This made them one of the fastest K-POP groups to do so.
In addition to the mentioned achievements, X1 also made great numbers in album sales. One of the group’s record-breaking achievements was selling more than 500,000 copies of their first mini-album, “Quantum Leap.” Also in 2019, they became the first K-pop rookie group to achieve the No.5 spot for a best-selling group. They joined BTS, EXO, SEVENTEEN, and many other notable male groups in this achievement. They are also the best-selling rookie group in 2019 and the best-selling artists in the same year.
Other than the achievements and trophies that X1 bagged, ONE ITs also treasure a loving memory of the group.
Every time a member’s birthday was approaching, a birthday vlog was anticipated to be uploaded on their official YouTube channel. The simple vlogs with cakes, birthday surprises, and the showcase of the members’ bond. Those made ONE ITs feel that they were also included in the celebration. This also goes for all the content that connected X1 to their fans.
Fans also appreciated all the interactions such as fan meetings and various fan services. The random Instagram lives and VLIVES also left ONE ITs great memories to look back to. Even the members’ posts of their selcas and group photos were also treasured by fans.
However, despite proving how promising their group was and having huge popularity, their journey as a group came to an end.
Of course, fans knew that groups from survival reality shows are not permanent, but X1’s contract of 5 years became 5 months. The sudden announcement of disbandment surprised the community and left the fans in grief. The fact that ONE ITs initiated projects and protests to keep the group together showed that the attachment they had made with the K-POP group was everlasting.
Still, the disbandment decision was finalized and X1 members had to take different paths to continue chasing their dreams. All of the boys still chose to pursue their dream of becoming a singer. Their fans, who love them as a group and individually, still show their support.
