Mnet’s popular K-pop reality show Road to Kingdom will return with season 2. The new season will see a star-studded lineup of boy group performers, including ONEUS, CRAVITY, and Tempest.
Previously, Mnet‘s Road to Kingdom season 1 aired from April 30 to June 18, 2020. Seven rising K-pop boy groups participated in the first season, including Pentagon, ONF, Golden Child, The Boyz, Verivery, Oneus, and TO1.
The Boyz won the trophy at the end of Road to Kingdom season 1, which qualified them to enter Mnet’s other popular show, Kingdom. The K-pop act competed with high-profile K-pop groups like Stray Kids, BTOB, and Ateez in the Kingdom.
Mnet’s Road to Kingdom season 2 reveals final lineup of performers: ONEUS, CRAVITY & more
Mnet’s forthcoming show Road to Kingdom season 2 has confirmed the performers‘ lineup, which includes ONEUS, a season 1 participant, and more. Following season 1, the sequel to the reality show will also feature seven groups that will fight to win the trophy.
The final lineup for Road to Kingdom season 2 will feature:
- THE NEW SIX
- The Crew One (ATBO and JUST B)
- 8TURN
- ONEUS
- YOUNITE
- CRAVITY
- TEMPEST
The New Six
P Nation’s The New Six is a rookie K-pop group formed from the SBS survival show Loud. The group comprises six members: Taehun, Kyungjun, Hyunsoo, Junhyeok, Hwi, and Sungjun. The new generation boy band debuted on May 17, 2022, with the mini album Way Up.
Since their official debut, the group has released three extended plays: Way Up, Love Never Dies, and Boyhood. Their latest 2023 EP, Boyhood, sold over 55k copies of albums within a week of its release, making the group chart 6th on the Circle Album Chart.
The Crew One
K-pop unit The Crew One is an innovative concept in which members of boy groups ATBO and Just B came together to form a new music act. The group is a collaborative effort of IST Entertainment and Bluedot Entertainment. They announced the reason behind calling the new unit ‘The Crew One’: to symbolize individuals who can unite as a ‘crew’ on a single ship to win against any odds.
The Crew One consists of Geonu, Bain, Jimin, JM, DY, Sangwoo, Junseok, Junmin, Hyunjun, Seunghwan, Yeonkyu, and Wonbin. The unit is yet to make its debut. However, as part of Mnet rules, the K-pop act may release a new EP before joining the Road to Kingdom show.
8TURN
MNH Entertainment’s first boy group, 8TURN, consists of eight members: Myungho, Jaeyun, Minho, Yoonsung, Haemin, Kyungmin, Yungyu, and Seungheon. The group debuted on January 30, 2023, with the EP, 8Turnrise.
Fast-forward to 2024, and the group has already unveiled three extended plays, including Uncharted Drift and Stunning. The music act also saw significant success with its latest EP, Stunning, released on January 9, 2024, which sold over 124k units within a week of its release. The boy band also snagged their first award at the Hanteo Music Awards 2023 as the Blooming Performance Group of the Year.
ONEUS
Road to Kingdom season 1 participant ONEUS will return to the show in season 2. The group is one of the most senior boy bands in the lineup, having debuted in 2019. ONEUS currently has five members: Seoho, Leedo, Keonhee, Hwanwoong, and Xion.
The RBW boy group has seen a steady path of success with their K-pop career. The group snagged number one on the Circle Album Chart with their 2022 release, Malus. Their latest extended play, Pygmalion, sold over 224,298 copies within a week of its release in 2023. Fans are excited to see how the group performs in season 2, as they will have some prior experience.
YOUNITE
K-pop octet YOUNITE will also be part of Road to Kingdom season 2. The group currently features Eunho, Eunsang, Steve, Hyungseok, Woono, DEY, Kyungmun, and Sion. They debuted in the same year as The New Six, 2022, with the album YOUNI-BIRTH.
Since its debut, YOUNITE has released over six extended plays and multiple hit singles. The group has also snagged multiple award show nominations, including Best New Male Artist at the 2022 MAMA.
CRAVITY
K-pop act CRAVITY is another senior group in the upcoming show that debuted in 2020. The group features nine members: Serim, Allen, Jungmo, Woobin, Wonjin, Minhee, Hyeongjun, Taeyoung, and Seongmin.
The group has released over seven extended plays. They unveiled their 2024 comeback EP, Evershine, on February 26, 2024. Within a week of its release, it sold over 352,973 units and ranked second on the Circle Album Chart.
TEMPEST
K-pop act TEMPEST has seven members, including Hanbin, Hyeongseop, Hyuk, Eunchan, Lew, Hwarang, and Taerae. In 2024, the group debuted in Japan with a pre-released single, “Baddest Behavior,” and an EP, Bang.
Apart from their popularity with album sales, the group got some impressive trophies, including the Icon Award at the 2023 Asia Artist Awards and the Emerging Artist Award at the 2024 Hanteo Music Awards.
Meanwhile, Mnet has also revealed the host of Road to Kingdom 2. SHINee Taemin will be the main MC this season. The channel has introduced some changes to the sequel. Unlike season 1, part 2 of Road to Kingdom will focus on bringing the best of the groups together for their ‘K-Pop Boy Group Rising Project.’
