Before joining the team, many of the group’s members had given up on their dream of becoming an idol. Now promoting their third album, the members look back on the long road to debuting as WAKER.

IF THERE IS ONE INSPIRING factor about WAKER, it is that the group’s six members are getting a second chance at being an idol. At a time when corporations dominate K-pop, it is a rare achievement for a group like WAKER, which comes from a small company, to continue making music and building a fanbase. But that is exactly what WAKER is doing.

“I think we met at a time that was important enough to change everything in my life,” SEBUM, the maknae, explained in an interview with the group from Seoul. “And I see this as a chance to reach our dreams and goals together.”

“I feel lucky that I could meet such good members,” KWON HYEOP, a vocalist and rapper, added.

In January, the group released their third album, In Elixir: Spellbound, led by the title track, “LiKE THAT”, a high-energy pop song that hits hard, featuring intense choreography and a stacked production.

But the album is also full of stand-out b-sides like “Lucid Dream”, a song that many members count as a favorite, the hip-hop heavy “10 outta 10”, and a peppy burst of “Sugar Crush”. Elsewhere, the nostalgic ballad “Dawn Star” also highlights the group’s talented vocal line with a production that sounds like second-generation K-pop.

The final track of the album is “Dreaming Talk”, a three-part series that concludes each WAKER album. The tracks, which are simply the members talking and cracking jokes among themselves, offer fans a fly-on-the-wall perspective on their friendship. I was struck by this because it felt like the most genuine aspect of understanding WAKER.

Initially, the members were dismissive when I asked about the significance of “Dreaming Talk”.

“They’re pretty meaningless conversations, honestly, but I think talking is what connects the members,” IJUN told me. “It’s how we blend our rhythm together.” SAEBYEOL admitted, “If you’re hearing it for the first time, you might think, 'Why would they put something like this on an album?” But we started including it because we wanted it to become a piece of memory for our fans.”

KWON HYUP, a vocalist and rapper who originally suggested the idea, was more circumspect about the meaning of “Dreaming Talk”. “When we’re all together, we’re honestly just like regular guys. We joke around and mess with each other,” he reflected. “I don’t know exactly how that comes across to fans, but I think as we’ve released more albums, people enjoy hearing how we’re getting closer over time.”

IJUN and SEBUM

A COMMON STORY AMONGST each member, no matter their age or where they are from, was a fear that they may never succeed. Several members have competed on reality competition shows; many were in groups that disbanded or pre-debut projects that failed to move into full idol groups. As the disappointments mounted over time, many of the members told me, their dreams began to diminish.

SEBUM, the maknae from Anyang, considers himself the “energy booster” of the group. He tries, as he explained to me, to instill a “positive mindset” in the members. But for a long time, even with his optimism, his debut felt near-impossible. “As someone who has dreamed of debuting for a long time, it didn’t feel real when it finally happened,” he said. “It also made me think a lot more about the kind of idol I want to become going forward—like my direction and identity.”

WAKER’s leader and oldest member, KOHYEON, has the most experience prior to joining the team. In some ways, I see KOHYEON as representative of the heart of WKAER: he embodies the idea that if you work hard and keep pushing forward, you will succeed. KOHYEON’s leadership style came into focus early: He grew up in Wonju, where he led a dance team and a band. “We even won awards,” he told me proudly.

KOHYEON's first experience in K-pop came in 2017, when he joined a small group called 14U, which disbanded two years later. In 2020, he returned to Ten-X, only for the group to disband a year later. The same year that KOHYEON’s second attempt to be an idol fell through, he debuted as a soloist. “HYEON inspires me with his perseverance," SEBUM told me at one point. It takes grit to be knocked down as much as KOHYEON was and keep moving forward.

Debuting in 2023 as the leader of WAKER was an emotional time for KOHYEON, a culmination of hard work and perseverance. It was a turbulent time, and he worried if he could handle trying again. ”But the moment I met the members, I felt this unexplainable confidence — like I just knew we could do well,” he explained. “It made me think, ‘We can really make this work.’”

“Re-debuting made me feel grateful for everything. I’m really thankful to our CEO for giving me another chance, and I’m thankful to my members too,” he continued. But he still felt the need to push himself, to prove he deserved to be an idol and had what it takes to make it. “I just thought, ‘I have to work even harder this time.’ I’ve had a lot of experience, and I’ve definitely learned a lot – but I still feel like there’s so much more I can improve [as a performer].”

KOHYEON’s experiences echo SAEBYEOL’s, a 24-year-old vocalist who grew up in Gwangju, a city near the countryside. “I still remember the beautiful scenery,” he told me. SAEBYEOL’s path to WAKER was also one of false starts. He trained at Source Music and competed on Produce 101 in 2019, but was eliminated on the fifth episode. For a while, he returned to a normal life.

“Honestly, it didn’t feel real when I debuted,” he admitted. “I had basically given up on the dream and was living my life, and then I suddenly ended up debuting. I was happy, but I think I was also really scared.”

LEO, a vocalist and dancer, comes from Jamsil, Seoul. Some of his favorite memories,he told me, were going to Lotte World with his mother and grandmother. At home, he’d listen to K-pop. “I grew up watching BIGBANG, and I always thought, 'One day, I want to become an artist as cool as them,” he said. He, too, competed on a competition show – Fantasy Boys – and trained for five years before debuting. On debut day, LEO said, “I remember thinking, ‘I’m finally debuting – the moment I’ve always dreamed of.’ I wanted to step out into the world and chase my dreams in an even bigger, cooler way.” IJUN, who hails from Naju, Jeollanam-do, recalled a similar feeling, as if his debut affirmed something he always knew: “That I was meant to be in entertainment. This is what I’m supposed to be doing.”

SAEBYEOL and LEO

KWON HYEOP, who holds two positions in the group, grew up in Gumi. “It’s not a huge city, so when I went downtown as a kid, I’d sometimes see people busking, and it felt kind of exciting just seeing other kids my age hanging around,” he remembered. “Seoul was totally different. It was bigger than just ‘downtown’. It felt like everything was tall buildings and endless people. I was shocked the first time I came.”

Perhaps because the journey to debut was so long, KWON HYEOP felt a pressure to do things right and to do his best. After moving to Seoul, KWON HYEOP joined Maroo Entertainment, competed on Produce 101, and did his best to stand out amongst other trainees. By the time he signed to Howling Entertainment, KWON HYEOP had accepted that he might never become an idol. “I’d been living a regular life for a long time, and anytime the thought of, ‘What if I’d debuted then?’ popped up [in my head], I’d just keep it to myself and move on.”

KWON HYEOP was given a position as a rapper, but he maintained with a laugh that he was never formally trained as one. “I ended up joining as both a rapper and vocalist,” he added.

Later, after joining the team, KWON HYEOP would recognize SAEBYEOL from Produce 101. He, too, had competed in an earlier season and had failed to make it into a group. “I remember thinking it was kind of cool and amazing,” SAEBYEOL said when he realized that they had already come so close to crossing paths.

It’s small moments like these, of missed connections and overlapping histories, that make WAKER a unique group. Like many veteran idols, the members of WAKER have all been in the system for nearly a decade, but they are just now beginning to realize their potential. “I think the reason we were able to stand on stage again is that fans kept watching over us,” KWON HYEOP explained.

RECORDING FOR IN ELIXIR: SPELLBOUND began in September 2025. “We’ve been working really since then,” KOHYEON said.

The group felt some pressure to prove themselves. As the schedules began to pile in, the members realized how pivotal this comeback could be. “I remember we had to prepare early and stay ahead of everything,” SAEBYEOL said. But they also felt excitement. They would be one of their first opportunities to perform on music shows – a major accomplishment for the group. “For our first and second albums, we didn’t get to promote much on music shows, so I always felt a little disappointed,” SAEBYEOL said. The opportunity to appear on variety shows is a hallmark achievement for K-pop groups. “This time, it really felt like we did a proper promotion cycle—and that made me really happy.”

“LiKE THAT” is, arguably, a song made for live performances. It is the best way to show the group’s charms and what makes them stand out. “It felt refreshing to finally perform this song after a long wait,” IJUN told me.

LEO approached the comeback with the mindset of challenging himself. “I try not to ever get too comfortable with where I am,” he said. “I watch other artists and think, ‘I want to become even better and cooler than I am now,’ and that motivates me to keep pushing during promotions.” He continued, “Since we came back with a really addictive song this time, I wanted to show it on as many programs as possible. We were able to perform it a lot, and that made it really fun and exciting.”

“Debuting as an idol and getting to perform on variety shows was one of the things I wanted to do most,” SEBUM said. “Actually doing it made me think again, “‘Wow… I really am an idol.’”

For KOHYEON, the music show performances were an important, full-circle moment. After three debuts, he would finally be able to perform on a major publicity cycle. “I don’t take any opportunity for granted, and I’m always grateful,” he said. “So I go into everything with the mindset that I’m going to work as hard as I can.”

When I asked how he felt about having a second opportunity to achieve their dreams together, IJUN responded firmly. There was a time, he said, when he wanted this dream to come true so badly, even though it felt so far away. In those times, the idea of being an idol felt so far away. “I want to keep making our dreams a reality,” he said.

KWON HYEOP and KOHYEON

KOHYEON is moved by the support they’ve received from SL1PPER, the group’s fanbase. “I look at them, and that helps me hold on, stay strong, and keep going,” he said. “And I promote with one thought in mind: I need to keep growing and moving upward.”

WAKER’s members are keenly aware that they are lucky to be in this position. Many idols from smaller agencies have had to leave behind their dreams of success. Their perseverance, as SEBUM observed, is what keeps them moving forward.

But SAEBYEOL had a deeper perspective on what makes this group special,

“To be honest, it might not even be just a second chance for some of us—it could be more than that,” he said with a laugh, “We’ve all been through a lot and had hard times, so I think we understand each other really well.”

He thought about how far the members have come; how many obstacles they’ve overcome. The odds were stacked against them, but they pushed through. “If we can, I want us to stay together for a long, long time,” he said, then added, “maybe even forever.”

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