Two years ago, Olly, Dexter, and Blaise knew little about K-pop. Today, they are gearing up for their debut at SMTown Live London as part of dearAlice, the first British K-pop boy band. The group was formed through the BBC reality series Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience and trained under SM Entertainment, one of K-pop’s giants. The band represents a unique blend of Korean training and British charm, marking a significant step in K-pop’s global expansion.
The journey began with an audition that, at first, felt secretive and uncertain. Dexter recalls showing up not knowing much about what lay ahead, but upon learning that they would be trained in Korea by SM, they all realized the magnitude of the opportunity. The five members trained for 100 days in Seoul, which led to the formation of dearAlice, a name inspired by their favorite restaurant in Itaewon. While the band members had experience in musical theatre and dance, their prior exposure to K-pop was limited.
Olly, Dexter, and Blaise now express deep respect for the genre that has shaped their careers. Blaise admits that he wasn’t a huge fan of K-pop before but has since become a major admirer, with K-pop filling his social media feeds. Olly cites H.O.T., a first-generation K-pop group under SM, as a significant influence, appreciating their performance-driven style that paved the way for modern K-pop. Training in Korea was tough, as language barriers initially made communication challenging, but the shared experience bonded the group, teaching them the importance of teamwork, precision, and accountability.
Their hard work culminated in their debut at SMTown Live in Seoul, where they performed their first single, “Ariana.” Dexter and Olly describe the experience as surreal, particularly when they unexpectedly found themselves in the center of a group photo with major K-pop artists. Now, the group is focused on their next steps: recording more music, preparing for more performances, and gearing up for their first major UK show at SMTown Live London.
Their success highlights K-pop’s growing influence in the UK, a country with a rich musical legacy. dearAlice is determined to be a key part of this expansion, helping K-pop leave its mark on the Western music scene while continuing to explore and define their own unique identity as a group.
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