VICTON

K-pop boy band Victon debuted on November 9, 2016. Formed by IST Entertainment, it initially consisted of seven members: Seungwoo, Seungsik, Heochan, Sejun, Hanse, Byungchan, and Subin. Their music, a slick, vibrant blend of dance-pop and hip-hop, was engineered for mass crossover appeal, and their name, an acronym for "Voice to New World," signifies their mission to bring a fresh sound to the world. Their debut EP, Voice to New World, was a showcase for their distinctive sound and marked their entry into the K-pop scene, peaking at number 11 on the Korean Circle Chart. While never attaining the stratospheric heights achieved by big hitters like BTS, they managed to carve out a solid mid-tier career with respectable sales figures, maintaining an almost continuous chart presence with a string of singles and EPs released between 2016 and 2022. Their highest chart placements came with their 2018 debut single "Time of Sorrow" and their 2020 EP Continuous, both of which went to number two. Their debut full-length album, Voice: The Future Is Now, dropped in 2021 and hit number four. Like all K-pop groups, their fandom has a name: Alice (an acronym for "Always We Love the Voice.") Heochan left the group in 2022 after a DUI arrest, and the following year Hanse, Byungchan, and Subin did too, after declining to renew their contracts. The group was then effectively on hiatus as the remaining three members were all doing their compulsory military service, but IST were quick to reassure fans that Victon had not disbanded and would be back. ~ John D. Buchanan, Rovi