The A.C.E of Hearts
Feeling lucky? This week’s group highlight is focused on a group who is a diamond in the K-Pop industry, with talent in spades, a whole lot of heart, and a huge fan club. It’s the addictive A.C.E!
A.C.E is a boy group under BEAT Interactive who debuted May 23, 2017 with the single “Cactus.” The group has five members: Donghun, Jun, Wow, Jason, and Chan. Their name, A.C.E, is an acronym which stands for Adventure Calling Emotions.
The group made one comeback with the song “Callin’” before the members participated in popular idol survival television programs The Unit and MIXNINE. Three of the members of A.C.E are set to debut in the groups that formed on both shows. Jason and Donghun will debut with MIXNINE’s boy group and Chan is already well underway with his debut in The Unit’s boy group UNB. Last week, UNB held their first performance on Immortal Song 2 and will debut on April 7 with two title tracks.
In March, A.C.E began an overseas fanmeeting tour called A.C.E Global Fan-Con 2018 - Sweet Fantasy, which stopped in Japan, Brazil, and then finally Seoul this Saturday. The group will reunite as five members again in May for their Canadian Sweet Fantasy tour dates.
With three members set to debut in massively popular groups that relied heavily on fan participation for their creation, the members of A.C.E are set to become huge, superstar idols. It unfortunately means that A.C.E will be split apart for a period of time. Until then, here is why A.C.E is a group that’s worth the wait.
Pre-Debut Covers - “Playing With Fire”
Prior to their debut, A.C.E already gained a reputation for themselves as artists by posting song and dance covers of popular K-Pop songs on their YouTube channel. The dance performances were often recorded in practice rooms and during the group’s frequent busking events in Hongdae in Seoul. Their most popular singing video is their cover of BLACKPINK’s “Playing With Fire,” which has accumulated over 2.2 million views.
Watching their pre-debut performances gives a glimpse into how passionate A.C.E is about what they do. No matter where they are, tucked into a studio or performing on a bustling city street, they are unafraid to take on any song and make it their own. They are a group with a lot of versatility, and their music has only scratched the surface.
The Debut - “Cactus”
The group’s first single, “Cactus,” is an unforgettable debut track. Unlike its prickly name, “Cactus” is a thrill-ride of a song, with a powerful, vocal-driven chorus that breaks down into an exhilarating EDM dance break. Part of the charm of the promotions for “Cactus” was that the members wore short shorts, a style choice that garnered the attention of many K-Pop fans, and the song rapidly grew in popularity.
The song’s music video currently holds over 3 million views on YouTube and even features choreography created by Lia Kim and Koosung Jung of the popular 1MILLION Dance Studio. Where short shorts might have caught a curious viewer’s attention, the song’s hard-hitting backbeat, solid vocals, and strong choreography were more than enough to convert those viewers into fans.
In September, A.C.E also released a secondary version of “Cactus” which is performed entirely in English. Which begs the question: is there anything A.C.E can’t do?
The Future - “5tar (Incompletion)”
A.C.E’s most recent release is the bittersweet “5TAR (Incompletion),” a softer, British-rock ballad that is miles away from their past two releases. It was released as a digital single on March 15 and was written as a special song for A.C.E’s fans, called Choice. Both Jun and Donghun participated in writing the song’s lyrics, which focus on thanking fans who have loved and supported the group even before their official debut.
As three members gear up to leave temporarily, “5TAR” is an understandably sad song. The title is especially poignant and suggests that A.C.E is only a star when all five are together, otherwise it is incomplete. Unfortunately, due to his debut in UNB, Chan was unable to participate in the song but did share the song’s lyrics on Instagram. We are excited for the debuts of Chan, Donghun, and Jason in their respective groups, and we are equally excited to see them return as A.C.E when they are finished. We can’t wait to see what genres the group will take on next.