Just two years ago, Olly, Dexter and Blaise knew little about K-pop beyond its biggest names. Now they are preparing to step onto the stage at SMTown Live London as members of dearAlice, the first British K-pop boy band.
Born out of a BBC reality-TV show and trained under K-pop giant SM Entertainment, the band is at the forefront of K-pop’s ambitious global expansion, blending Korean perfectionism with distinctly British charm.
Sitting down recently at the Korean Cultural Centre UK, three of the quintet’s members reflected on their journey. Members James and Reese were not able to attend the interview.
“It was quite secretive at the start. You didn’t really know what you were walking into,” Dexter said, recalling the early audition process. “It was just an audition to be in a boy band.
“We showed up not knowing much. But then once we found out the opportunity to go to Korea to train with SM, all of us realised it was quite a big opportunity, not something you’d ever want to miss. I’m so happy we made it.”
Through the reality series Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience, the five members trained for 100 days in Seoul, which ultimately led to their debut as dearAlice, named after their favourite restaurant in the South Korean capital’s Itaewon neighbourhood.