Trainee A
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Trainee A | |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Seoul, South Korea |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2021–2022 |
| Label | |
| Past members | |
Trainee A (Korean: 트레이니 A) was a South Korean pre-debut boy band formed in 2021 by Big Hit. At the time of the group's disbandment, the lineup consisted of Yorch, Jihoon, Woochan, James, Sangwon, and JJ; former members who had left earlier included Leo, Junil, and Inhyuk. Reported to be Big Hit's next major boy group following BTS and Tomorrow X Together, it was believed that they would debut in 2022.
The pre‑debut group remained active until December 2022, when the project was cancelled and all activities were suspended. Many former members subsequently pursued other opportunities, either competing on survival programs such as Boys II Planet or later debuting with groups including Pow, TWS, Alpha Drive One, AllDay Project, and Cortis, the latter of which Big Hit debuted in 2025.
Trainee A was the tentative name used by the project prior to the group's planned debut, with all of the group's social media accounts were branded under that name.[1] Big Hit registered the name Aloners Association on December 3, 2021, prompting media speculation that it might be the group's official debut name.[2][3] Fans were divided over the name, with some began speculating about a fandom name and possible abbreviations, such as ALAS, while others expressed dislike for it.[4][5]
History
2021: Formation and initial activities
In March 2021, several social media accounts under the name Trainee A began introducing six members, Leo, Sangwon, James, Jihoon, Junil, and Inhyuk, and attracted follows from multiple producers and executives at HYBE. The accounts left space for four additional names, suggesting either four open positions or unnamed trainees yet to be revealed. Trainee A released its first YouTube video on March 19, featuring Leo in a day in the life vlog. Later promotional material included a group photograph showing seven members, with some faces obscured by masks or emojis.[6] In August 2021, Junil left the group, with JJ later being revealed as a member.[7]
In December 2021, Leo drew criticism for lyrics in a video uploaded to the channel that were described as misogynistic and offensive.[8][9] The production team issued a formal apology, and Leo apologized for his language, saying he had used "provocative words and expressions in order to make an impact" in the context of a competition.[10][11]
2022: Formal debut plans, departure of Leo, and disbandment
In January 2022, it was announced that Woochan, a former contestant on Show Me the Money 6, would be added to Trainee A's lineup.[12][13] That same month, Inhyuk left the project, while Yorch joined the lineup.[14][15] In March 2022, Leo announced that the group would hold a street performance in Los Angeles.[16] In May 2022, Hybe confirmed the group's finalists, Leo, Sangwon, James, Jihoon, Inhyuk, JJ, and Woochan, with plans to debut later that year.[1][2] The group released their first song as a unit, titled "No Privacy", on YouTube and SoundCloud days after, directing the music video for the song themselves.[17]
On August 25, 2022, Leo announced his departure from the group in a video posted to the group's YouTube channel, thanking the company and apologizing to the other members and fans for his decision.[18][19] In December 2022, Trainee A's social media accounts announced that all accounts would be closed on December 23, effectively ending the project and disbanding the group.[14][20] Yorch later confirmed on his social media that Trainee A would not be debuting.[7]
