ALPHA DRIVE ONE’s breakout didn’t just feel big—it stacked up in a way rookies almost never pull off. The group’s debut track “FREAK ALARM” delivered headline-making ALPHA DRIVE ONE Freak Alarm wins across Korea’s toughest stages, completing a rare “terrestrial triple crown” on KBS2’s Music Bank, MBC’s Show! Music Core, and SBS’s Inkigayo.
And they didn’t stop there. Add an extra trophy from MBC M’s Show Champion, and ALD1 turned a hot first month into a four-win “quadruple crown,” as detailed in coverage of their four music show trophies.
Breaking the “9-year curse”: why terrestrial wins still matter
Sure, we’re in a streaming-first era. But terrestrial music shows still hit different: the scoring tends to reflect broader reach and week-to-week visibility, not just who can mobilize the fastest. That’s why this sweep is being framed as the end of a “9-year curse,” with multiple outlets noting it’s the first rookie group to sweep all three major terrestrial shows since Wanna One.
For rookies, terrestrial No. 1s aren’t just trophies—they’re proof the buzz has crossed over.
What happened when: key dates and milestones
- Jan 12, 2026: Debut mini album “EUPHORIA” drops with title track “FREAK ALARM.”
- First 24 hours: Album sales pass 1.1 million, signaling instant mass demand.
- First week: 1.44 million first-week sales land as music show wins pile up.
Sales shockwave: where “EUPHORIA” lands among legendary debuts
Now the numbers. “EUPHORIA” moved 1.44 million copies in its first week, making it the second-highest debut first-week total in K-pop history, behind ZEROBASEONE, according to figures shared alongside their triple-crown record.
The pace was just as loud. Surpassing 1.1 million in 24 hours doesn’t happen by accident—it points to a tightly coordinated launch and a fanbase that showed up worldwide on day one. If you’re tracking K-pop monster rookies 2026, this is the kind of opening that moves a group from “promising” to “already here.”
Japan as the accelerant: Spotify viral + Oricon signals
While Korea watched the broadcast sweep, Japan added real fuel. “EUPHORIA” ranked No. 4 on Oricon’s weekly rankings for two straight weeks, per Oricon and Spotify Japan chart updates. At the same time, “FREAK ALARM” kept trending upward on Spotify Japan—exactly the kind of slow-burn momentum that extends a rookie era.
Still, the bigger point is what that combo usually leads to: wider discovery, steadier streams, and quicker touring demand. For ALD1, this debut isn’t reading like a single promo cycle. It’s starting to look like a runway.
