ALLDAY PROJECT: The Mixed-Gender Group Shaking Up K-pop After an Eight-Year Absence

ALLDAY PROJECT is a five-member mixed-gender group comprising Annie, Tarzan, Bailey, Uchan and Youngseo. They debuted on 23rd June 2025 under The Black Label — the Seoul-based label better known for producing girl group MIA0 — making them the imprint's first mixed-gender act. More broadly, they are the first formally constituted mixed-gender idol group to debut in the Korean pop industry since KARD in 2018, a gap of eight years. As K-pop entered its third generation of idol acts, the genre effectively split into two distinct lanes — boy groups and girl groups — leaving mixed-gender acts almost entirely absent from the market. The mere announcement of ALLDAY PROJECT's debut was enough to generate widespread industry attention.

A rapid ascent

The group wasted little time dismantling the received wisdom that mixed-gender acts cannot succeed in K-pop. Their debut single, "FAMOUS", reached number one on Melon's Top 100 chart — South Korea's dominant streaming platform — within three days of release. Eight days after launch, it entered Billboard's Global 200 chart at number 94, before climbing sharply to 43rd place in its second week. The result amounted to the emergence of a new axis in a market that had, for practical purposes, been divided exclusively between boy groups and girl groups. One popular music critic noted that the group's live performances offered audiences a uniquely varied experience: scenes featuring the male members carried the energy of a boy group, while those fronted by the female members felt distinctly like a girl group showcase — multiple sensibilities compressed into a single set.

The backgrounds of individual members also stoked public curiosity ahead of and after the debut. Bailey had already made a name for herself as a professional choreographer before joining the group. Youngseo had reportedly been in contention as a candidate for girl group ILLIT before its own debut. Member Annie drew particular attention upon being identified as the eldest daughter of Chung Yoo-kyung, chairwoman of Shinsegae Group, one of South Korea's largest retail conglomerates. In December last year, the group expanded their catalogue with the release of their debut EP, simply titled *ALLDAY PROJECT*, marking a step up from singles activity to full album-scale promotion.

Brand deals and expanding reach

Beyond music, ALLDAY PROJECT has moved quickly to establish itself across a variety of commercial sectors. In December last year, the group was appointed as the advertising model for i-ONE, the mobile banking app of IBK Industrial Bank of Korea, a campaign specifically targeted at Generation Z customers. On 10th March this year, they released "I Don't Bargain", a collaboration single produced to mark the ninth anniversary of the battle-royale video game PUBG: Battlegrounds. In April, they partnered with Blue Diamond Growers on a campaign for its sugar-free Almond Breeze coffee product. Most recently, on 26th June, the group performed at the halftime show of the 2026 PUBG Nations Cup grand final, held at Jangchung Arena in Seoul, opening their set with the PUBG collaboration track.

The pattern of these engagements suggests ALLDAY PROJECT is positioning itself not merely as a chart act but as a group with broad commercial appeal across industries. Notably, the portfolio spans gaming, financial services and food — sectors that K-pop idol acts have not traditionally pursued with much frequency.

The challenge ahead

The central task now facing ALLDAY PROJECT is converting the symbolic significance of their arrival — heralded as the revival of the mixed-gender format — into durable, sustained commercial success. An opening run of this quality from the first mixed-gender idol group in eight years is, by any measure, exceptional. Yet sceptics within the industry continue to question whether the format can sustain long-term momentum, given its chequered history in Korean pop.

For The Black Label, the stakes extend beyond the group itself. ALLDAY PROJECT is the second act created directly by the label's founder and producer Teddy, following girl group MIYA0, meaning the group's trajectory will likely shape the label's strategic direction. The question that observers will be watching most closely is whether the current dual strategy of music releases and brand partnerships can keep the group generating both commercial heat and chart results — not just in the opening months, but consistently over time.