When The Black Label announced in June 2025 that it would debut a co-ed group produced by Teddy Park, the K-pop industry took notice. Mixed-gender idol groups had all but vanished from the mainstream since KARD's 2017 debut, casualties of an industry increasingly optimized for gender-segregated fandom cultures. Acts like Roo'Ra, Cool, and Koyote had dominated the 1990s and early 2000s, but the landscape had fundamentally shifted.1

The Black Label's approach defied conventional wisdom. "Allday Project was planned 'without bias,' like any other team," the agency stated, emphasizing that creative direction would not be confined by traditional K-pop frameworks. Industry insiders expressed cautious optimism. "These members, regardless of their debut year or gender, have strong individuality. That's what's interesting," an official from a major agency observed. Music critic Lim Hee-yun suggested the group might be targeting audiences who appreciate K-pop performance and music without the singular focus on individual idol worship—a long-term play aimed at global markets where mixed-gender acts face less resistance.1

What distinguished ALLDAY PROJECT from typical rookie debuts was the constellation of established identities assembled under one name. Rather than fresh-faced trainees, Teddy Park had recruited individuals who had already made names for themselves in overlapping creative spheres—a chaebol heiress, a world-class choreographer, an award-winning contemporary dancer, a child rap prodigy, and a survival show standout.2

Annie (Moon Seo-yoon) became K-pop's first "chaebol idol." The eldest daughter of Shinsegae Group President Chung Yoo-kyung and granddaughter of Chairwoman Lee Myung-hee—herself the youngest daughter of Samsung founder Lee Byung-chul—Annie represents the fourth generation of one of South Korea's most powerful business families. A Columbia University student who had been training under Teddy Park since 2024, her path to idol debut had been the subject of persistent rumors, which Shinsegae initially deflected by stating the matter was "the work of an individual not involved in the management of the group."3

Bailey (Bailey Drew Sok) arrived with perhaps the most formidable pre-debut résumé. The Korean-American from Placentia, California, had been dancing since age two and choreographing professionally by fourteen. At just fifteen, she co-created the choreography for Red Velvet's "Psycho" alongside Mina Myoung—her first K-pop assignment. The list of credits expanded rapidly: Taemin's "Idea," SHINee's "Don't Call Me," aespa's "Savage" and "Spicy," Kai's "Peaches," Taeyang's "Shoong!" featuring Lisa, and the dance break for Lisa's "Money." She was one of four dancers selected to choreograph K/DA's "Pop/Stars" for League of Legends and had served as a backup dancer for Janet Jackson.4

Woochan (Jo Woo-chan) had been a household name since childhood. At just twelve years old, he became the youngest contestant in Show Me the Money 6 history, reaching the semi-finals and earning the nickname "Lil Dok2." His collaborative tracks from the competition—including "1/N" with Dynamic Duo and "VVIP" featuring Sik-K and Gaeko—charted during the show's run. A former Cube Entertainment trainee who later joined Big Hit Music's ill-fated Trainee A project before its cancellation, Woochan had logged nine years in the trainee system before landing at The Black Label.5

Tarzzan (Lee Chae-won) brought a different pedigree—one rooted in the competitive dance world. A Busan Arts High School graduate studying contemporary dance at Korea National University of Arts, he had claimed gold at the 49th and 50th Dong-A International Contemporary Dance Competitions, becoming the first Korean male dancer to win consecutively. International victories followed at the 2021 Tanz Olympia Asia Grand Prix, the 2022 Berlin International Dance Festival, and the 2022 Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition in New York. Signed to YG KPlus, he debuted as a model at 2022 Seoul Fashion Week and appeared in music videos for (G)I-DLE's "I Do" and NewJeans' "Supernatural" before idol life.6

Youngseo (Lee Young-seo), at nineteen the group's maknae, carried both promise and a public narrative of resilience. A former trainee at SM Entertainment, ADOR, and Source Music—where she trained alongside future NewJeans members—she gained widespread recognition as a contestant on JTBC's R U Next? in 2023, finishing second and securing a spot in the original six-member lineup of ILLIT. On January 5, 2024, Belift Lab announced that she and the agency had "come to a mutual agreement to terminate the exclusive contract," with ILLIT proceeding as a five-member group. The reasons remained undisclosed, but when she resurfaced at The Black Label, fans who had followed her journey rallied once more.7

On June 16, 2025—a week before the official debut—The Black Label released the music video for "Famous." Within sixteen hours, the clip had surpassed 2.5 million YouTube views and secured the number one spot on YouTube Korea's Trending chart, overtaking aespa's "Dirty Work (Performance)" and Plave's "Hide and Seek." The video's slick cyberpunk visuals—featuring spinning accelerating toward the center to express rising, untouchable energy—resonated globally, reaching number four on YouTube's US Trending chart and number five in Brazil.8

The single album "Famous" dropped on June 23, featuring double title tracks "Famous" and "Wicked." Within four days, "Famous" claimed the number one position on Melon's Top 100—the fastest any fifth-generation debut song had achieved this milestone. By June 28, it had topped the Melon Daily chart, and by July 7, it held the number one spot on the Melon Weekly chart. The song entered the Billboard Global 200 at number 94, marking the first chart entry for a co-ed K-pop group on the global ranking.9

Just ten days after debut, ALLDAY PROJECT secured their first music show trophy on Mnet's M Countdown. "We honestly didn't expect to win today, so we had no expectations," the members shared during their acceptance speech. "We'd like to thank our DAY ONE fans for their unwavering love and support. We're also grateful to the staff at The Black Label for always being there for us."10

ALLDAY PROJECT's rapid ascent prompted a reassessment of assumptions about mixed-gender groups in modern K-pop. Where conventional wisdom held that co-ed formats struggled with fandom formation—split along gendered lines by parasocial dynamics—the quintet appeared to be sidestepping those limitations entirely. Annie, in particular, rapidly gained female fans, with her "chaebol third-gen" background proving to be an unexpected selling point rather than a liability.11

Social media buzzed with clips of member interactions, particularly between Tarzzan and Annie, as well as the co-ed choreography that pushed boundaries rarely seen in K-pop staging. Industry watchers credited the group's early success to a combination of top-tier production, tight performances, and an edgy, androgynous concept that felt fresh in a saturated market. With members already seasoned in rap, dance, and performance, their stage presence set them apart from typical rookie acts.12

On November 17, 2025, ALLDAY PROJECT pre-released "One More Time" ahead of their debut extended play. The track climbed domestic and international charts within hours, building anticipation for their first full project. On December 8, the self-titled EP "ALLDAY PROJECT" arrived, featuring the lead single "Look at Me" and showcasing the individual colors of each member through unit and solo tracks—"Where You At" by Annie and Woochan, "Hot" by Tarzzan and Bailey, and "Medusa" by Tarzzan.13

The year-end award season confirmed their breakthrough status. At the 2025 Asia Artist Awards on December 6, ALLDAY PROJECT claimed the New Wave Award, Rookie of the Year, and Best Artist Award. At the 2025 Melon Music Awards on December 20, Woochan accepted the Rookie of the Year trophy with visible emotion: "I would like to thank our CEO, Teddy hyung, Vince hyung, the visual team, the planning team, and all staff at The Black Label who helped us stand on this stage. Starting with this award, we will work even harder and continue to grow as ALLDAY PROJECT." Tarzzan added a personal note: "Our parents came to watch us today."14

As 2025 draws to a close, ALLDAY PROJECT has proven that co-ed groups can compete at the highest levels of K-pop, challenging an industry structure that had written off the format as commercially unviable. Whether they represent an anomaly or the beginning of a broader shift remains to be seen. What is certain is that Teddy Park's gamble—assembling five artists whose paths had already been defined in separate spheres—has yielded something K-pop hadn't seen in nearly a decade: a mixed-gender act capable of dominating both charts and conversations.