FLARE U embraces imperfection, growth on debut EP ‘YOUTH ERROR’
Korean music survival programs are something that goes hand in hand with the growing number of groups debuting every year.
Dozens of K-pop trainees from different companies, big and small, join the program to compete in different stages with the hope of debuting as an official K-pop idol.
"Boys Planet" is one of the latest series of programs debuting groups like ZEROBASEONE on the first season, and ALPHA DRIVE ONE on the second.
For the trainees that don’t make the final debut lineup, they go back to their companies to continue their dreams, but for some, they don’t have to wait long.
One contestant, Chuei Li Yu, made his solo debut with the single album "SWEET DREAM" in December 2025, and soon after that he would be paired with another member of the show, Kang Woojin.
The two would become FNC Entertainment’s newest K-pop duo, FLARE U.
"Since LI YU had already made his solo debut, he had much more experience, while I didn't really have many opportunities to meet the fans apart from fan meetings. So when I first heard that the two of us would be debuting together, I was honestly surprised and a little scared. But because we're really close and basically best friends, I thought, ‘Let's do our best together," Woojin tells FOX 13 Seattle.
The two became popular contestants on Boys Ⅱ Planet, showing their fun and bright personalities; personalities that would lead to the concept they presented to fans on May 13 of this year with their debut EP, "YOUTH ERROR."
"During the show, we made a lot of mistakes, showing things we weren’t satisfied with, but I really think it’s okay to not be perfect. I think that's really more natural because we are all human beings […] and the message that we want to send as artists is that, because we are imperfect, we are more beautiful, and we make mistakes," Li Yu explains.
While they may not have finished the show on top, they took the experience to prepare them for their eventual debut as FLARE U.
"We had already been exposed to the public through the program, rather than just being trainees. So I think we were able to build the kind of experience and skills needed on stage," says LI YU.
WOOJIN adds, "I also think it helps a lot. Especially when performing on music shows. I thought, ‘oh, I did something similar on Boys Ⅱ Planet,’ so I felt very familiar and more comfortable than I expected."
Their six-track EP "YOUTH ERROR" builds upon their Boys Ⅱ Planet experience, showing fans more of the bright side they fell in love with during the show’s stages, and giving the members an outlet to talk about the mistakes in their youth and the growth those mistakes helped them accomplish.
"Our title track is about the excitement of running towards someone you like without hesitation. The reason I wanted this song to be our title track was because I was thinking about our fans. Our fans had been waiting for us to debut as a team for a long time, so I really wanted them to hear lyrics like, ‘I'm on my WAY 2 U," WOOJIN says.
Debuting with a bright concept isn’t common these days in the industry, with groups leaning more towards a more mature or hip-hop-driven style, but the duo agrees it’s a style they do well, while Woojin says he would like to explore styles that match the sound of their song "Hyper," an electronic, high-tempo track.
Debut for Li Yu and Woojin was a dream they shared, but also something they were worried about, but fans across the world have been showing support for the two with album streams and over 5.5 million views on their "WAY 2 U" music video.
"Before the debut, I was really worried about it, but after the album was released our fans really loved it and really supported us. I'm very touched," LI YU says.
With only a month since debut, they’ve wrapped up the promotion period for "YOUTH ERROR," and fans are already looking forward to what is new for them, and the duo says they couldn’t have done it without them.
"When you listen to our music or performances, I hope you can let go of your stress, exhaustion and difficulties built up in your daily lives and just simply enjoy the moment," LI YU says.
While WOOJIN concludes, "We also hope people can see how sincere we are to our fans and our music. We always stand on stage with a grateful heart, and we hope our fans know that. We're thankful to them, and we love our fans a lot, and we can walk this path together and prosper."
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