“I’m so excited to show a new side of myself. I’ll show everyone both the fresh energy of a rookie and a cool side,” said Choi Rip-woo.
Kang Woo-jin added, “I’m so happy and grateful to finally make the debut I’ve always dreamed of. I’ll give it my all!”
Flare U is a duo consisting of Choi Rip-woo and Kang Woo-jin, who gained popularity through last year’s Mnet idol survival show ‘Boys Planet 2’. They are signed to FNC Entertainment, the agency home to FT Island, CNBLUE, SF9, P1Harmony, and N.Flying. Among the members, Choi Rip-woo is from Taiwan.
‘Boys Planet 2’ was the program that birthed the 8-member boy group AlphaDrive1. Choi Rip-woo and Kang Woo-jin finished in 10th and 16th place respectively, narrowly missing the final debut lineup.
Returning to the stage as a duo, the pair chose the name Flare U, which signifies “the moment two sparkles meet to form one light.” It also carries the meaning that they shine more clearly together and become complete when they are with their fans.
Kang Woo-jin noted that the biggest strength of a duo is how quick and easy it is to coordinate opinions. He smiled, adding, “At first, I felt some pressure about debuting as a duo, but now that I’m doing it, it’s more fun than I expected.” Choi Rip-woo added, “I also love that we have more parts, which allows us to showcase our individual colors better.”
Choi Rip-woo praised Kang Woo-jin as a “reliable younger brother,” while Kang Woo-jin responded, “I’ve received a lot of help from my hyung, who is like a professional and a real adult while we live and practice together.”
The duo’s debut album, ‘Youth Error’, focuses on “the stories of youth experiencing numerous trials and errors.” The album features six tracks, including the title song ‘WAY 2 U’, as well as ‘Hyper’, ‘Don’t Cry’, ‘MIRACLE’, ‘WOO-HOO’, and ‘Playground’.
The album spans various genres, including drum and bass, pop house, and funk. Han Sung-ho, the CEO and general producer of FNC Entertainment, provided full support by participating in the lyrics and composition of every single track.
Choi Rip-woo expressed his satisfaction, saying, “As soon as I heard the songs, I thought fans would love them.” Kang Woo-jin asked for anticipation, saying, “The choreography is really cute. There’s a story to it, so it’ll be fun to watch.” The two also laughed as they mentioned wanting to film dance challenges with General Producer Han Sung-ho and other company staff.
The full album will be released today at 6 PM across various online music sites. A fan showcase will follow at 8 PM at the same venue as the press showcase.
When asked about their goals, Flare U replied, “We hope we can win a rookie award.” They named the sibling duo AKMU as their role models, stating, “Our goals are similar to theirs, so we want to be like them. We also want to be a team that provides comfort through our music.”
Additionally, they expressed a desire to be known as the “Vitamin Vending Machine,” saying, “We want to be like vitamins, which are essentials in daily life, and give energy to everyone.”
