K-pop group Cravity in a promotional photo for the single album 'Find the Orbit.' Photos from Cravity's X accountDebuting in the fiercely competitive K-pop industry is an achievement in itself, but it’s only the beginning. For most artists, it marks the start of a challenging journey that involves building a loyal fan base, sustaining popularity, and continually evolving as performers.

The members of the boy group Cravity understand these struggles all too well, which is why they take every chance to grow and prove their potential, such as their participation in the K-pop competition series “Road to Kingdom: Ace of Ace” earlier this year.

“I guess we saw it as an opportunity, just like [the message of] our [latest] title song ‘Now or Never,’ I think this is like a ray of light, a chance for us to be able to expose ourselves to a wider audience. So we just decided to take this opportunity with no hesitation,” Allen said in a recent interview with ABS-CBN News, explaining his group’s decision to join the program.

“When we first decided to join, I was worried about whether we could do well. But as we prepared and performed, I found the process incredibly fun and fulfilling,” vocalist Woobin added.

Airing on Korean music channel Mnet from September to November, “Road to Kingdom: Ace of Ace” saw Cravity go up against six other boy groups in a series of challenges that tested their abilities to deliver stunning stage performances, whether by reimagining their own songs or putting a fresh spin on tracks by other K-pop artists.

“While there were challenging stages and tough times, the valuable experiences we gained and the growth we achieved made it all worthwhile,” Minhee recalled.

“Every moment feels like a wonderful memory. Plus, knowing that Luvity can enjoy these performances for a long time makes it even more rewarding,” said the youngest member Seongmin, referring to the group’s fan base.

In the end, Cravity, which boasts around 831,000 YouTube subscribers and 290,000 monthly listeners on Spotify as of writing, emerged as the show’s winning team. Beyond acknowledging their own hard work, the group also expressed heartfelt gratitude to their fans for supporting them throughout the show.

“We know our fans, Luvity, throughout the entire show, they were super supportive of us. They just wanted the best for us and we really felt that ourselves, so we’re really happy about that,” Allen said. “We’re just so grateful to be able to come out with such good results at the end of the show and we hope and want to repay the love that we received.”

Not wanting to lose the momentum from their victory, Cravity — which also includes Serim, Jungmo, Wonjin, Hyeongjun, and Taeyoung — quickly began repaying their fans with new music. Less than a month after the show’s conclusion, on Dec. 5, the group released “Find the Orbit,” a three-track single album that expresses their determination for continued growth.

Taeyoung shared that the group had started working on the release while “Road to Kingdom” was still ongoing. “It was really [a lot of] hard work but we really enjoyed it because we were doing great in the survival show, too, and we really had a lot of energy for our fans,” he said.

The lead single, “Now or Never,” builds on the pop-rock style that the group embraced in “Love or Die,” released in February.

“The main message we hope listeners can take away is to not hesitate and to seize every opportunity as they come. The time is now. If it’s not now then it’s never, so seize the day,” Allen said of “Now or Never.”

READ: Cravity hopes ‘feel good’ music reaches more people

In addition to “Now or Never,” the album includes “Secret,” a dreamy disco-pop track centered on a shared secret between two individuals. The closing song, “Horizon,” is co-produced by Woobin — who also collaborated with Serim and Allen on the lyrics — and takes inspiration from the group's experience on “Road to Kingdom.”

‘Meaningful year’

The past year marked major milestones for Cravity, including their victory on “Road to Kingdom” and their first-ever win on a public broadcast music show in March.

Looking back on 2024, Wonjin said, “This year, both Cravity and our fans Luvity experienced many things that don’t happen easily. It was such a meaningful year that it has fueled our energy and determination for next year.”

“These achievements and experiences have helped us grow. I hope everyone looks forward to seeing an even more evolved version of Cravity in the future,” said Serim, the group’s leader.

As a new year approaches, Hyeongjun hopes the group will go on a world tour again. “The memories of traveling across the U.S. and meeting fans worldwide are incredibly special to me. I want to visit many countries and regions to meet more fans, especially in the Philippines again,” he said.

Cravity last performed in Manila in August 2023 for their “Masterpiece” tour.

READ: Fans make Cravity’s first Manila concert ‘perfect’

Jungmo, on the other hand, looks forward to releasing new music and showcasing captivating performances on stage. “Just like we showcased diverse concepts and performances on ‘Road to Kingdom,’ I want to release great albums and show various impressive performances on stage,” he said.

“I hope our efforts can further inspire Luvity’s passion for supporting us,” Jungmo added.