[INTERVIEW] A.C.E Opens Up on US Tour, Bond with CHOICE, and What’s Next

On stage, the five-member group A.C.E are live performance juggernauts. Since their debut in 2017 under Beat Interactive, the quintet has spent seven years perfecting their craft through sheer hard work, dedication, and passion for music. Their performances are often renowned for their impressive live vocals, razor-sharp choreography, and the members’ strong team synergy, which frequently leaves the public in awe and their fans, called CHOICE, proud. 

Off stage, they are just as impressive. CHOICE often praise A.C.E for their approachable, down-to-earth nature. Whether they are engaging in banter amongst each other or candidly sharing their personal thoughts and feelings on a live stream, their bond with their fans can be more akin to family. 

Situated on a quiet rooftop in Los Angeles, Park Junhee, Lee Donghun, WOW, Kim Byeongkwan, and Kang Yuchan sat down with the Kpopconcerts team and thoughtfully reflected on their U.S. tour, career journey, and their evolving relationship with CHOICE.

Tour Reflections

[RECAP] A.C.E and CHOICE Become One at Long-Awaited ‘REWIND US’ Tour in Los Angeles

After captivating L.Af. CHOICE with a standout concert at the Orpheum Theatre during their A.C.E 2024 US Tour “REWIND US,” A.C.E returned to the city for their highly anticipated appearance at KCON LA 2024, the world’s largest K-Pop fan and artist festival. While the quintet had previously participated in KCON 2019 JAPAN and the online KCON:TACT editions, this marked their first time performing on the KCON Stage in the City of Angels.

The REWIND US tour was particularly meaningful for A.C.E, marking their first overseas tour since completing military service and their return to the U.S. years. Despite their initial concerns about how the time apart might affect the turnout, Byeongkwan expressed their relief and gratitude. “We had quite a long hiatus and hadn’t been in the U.S. in five years, so I was honestly worried that not as many of our CHOICE would come out to see us this time around. But so many more CHOICE came to see us than we expected, so we were all really happy! We were reassured that we have a reason to continue to work hard in the future.”

The tour, which kicked off in Madison, WI on June 19 and wrapped up in Puerto Rico on July 18, spanned 14 cities in just one month. While the members were eager to be back on the road and showcase their new music, including the chart-topping hits “Supernatural” and “My Girl,”  the schedule presented its own set of challenges. Yuchan, who sat out a portion of the tour due to an ear infection, shared, “In addition to myself, there were also other members who were not in the best condition, so I would say it was the most challenging to recover our health while on tour. Despite it all, however, he expressed immense joy at being on stage and performing for their fans again. “The most enjoyable aspect for all of us was reuniting with our CHOICE after such a long time. It was also very fun for us to showcase music that we’ve released since our last U.S. tour, as we’ve released many albums since then.” 

A.C.E also made the most of their cross-country tour by diving into the country’s diverse food scene. Tacos emerged as a surprisingly enjoyable part of their tour diet. “We unexpectedly ate a lot of tacos,” Donghun laughed, followed by the other members. “I wouldn’t say it’s our favorite, but it became quite memorable.” 

Byeongkwan, however, begged to differ and named it as his favorite meal on tour. “Tacos have a lot of vegetables and seem like they could be considered a healthy food. Of course, tortillas have flour in them, but other than that, there’s nothing else unhealthy, and there’s a lot of meat,” he said. “I think eating tacos frequently helped me maintain my weight during the tour.”

Junhee, on the other hand, had a personal mission — to try Five Guys and In-N-Out and choose which one was better. The members explained that Five Guys recently entered the South Korean market but due to the long lines, they haven’t had a chance to try it. “So, I tried Five Guys when I was on the East Coast coast, and I tried In-N-Out on the West Coast, and I have to say that Five Guys—”

At this point, Byeongkwan interjected and whispered, reminding him of their current location. Junhee quickly adjusted his response, “Ah! The In-N-Out animal-style fries were amazing. But Five Guys is also a famous chain, so… They were both good!”

Meanwhile, WOW’s most memorable food on tour was cookies ‘n cream ice cream. “I had about three pints!” he confessed, much to his groupmates’ astonishment. Byeongkwan was quick to jump in, revealing that he once asked WOW to share his ice cream, but WOW had declined and taken his ice cream to his room instead.

Staying Grounded

[RECAP] A.C.E’s Pop-Up Event Draws K-Pop Fans to Culver City

Managing a hectic schedule can be challenging, but A.C.E developed strategies to take care of themselves and stay grounded. Donghun noted that as they’ve gotten older, everyone has become more disciplined about self-care and exercises regularly. “It kind of felt like we were starting fresh after we all got back from the army. It almost feels like we’re freshly debuted and pushing forward with that mentality. Even though things are sometimes busy and exhausting, we still find joy in those times,” he shared. “We want to keep working harder, and I think that’s how we’ve felt all year. We’ve been working nonstop this year, and we have been proud to look back on all of that hard work. We’re all grateful that we can continue to do this.”

Building off of Donghun’s comment, Yuchan chimed in and shared that both Donghun and WOW have a phone app for inspirational quotes to keep them motivated. “When you open the app, it shows you an inspirational quote, like ‘If you never stop, then your speed doesn’t matter.‘ I think they are finding some peace through this app.” All eyes turned to Donghun as he smiled and pulled out his phone to reveal the endless stream of notifications from the app, each carrying various quotes that he receives “every hour and a half.” As he scrolled through all the words of wisdom that he had at his disposal, even the other members couldn’t help but be in awe by the sheer volume. 

Seven Years with A.C.E

Reflecting on their career, the members shared their most cherished moments. “Looking back on the past seven years, I would say the day of our debut performance was the most memorable. It was the day that I was performing one of my life goals, so I would say that was the most memorable day for me,” Yuchan said.

WOW talked about the emotional reunion after his military service, “The most memorable day for me was when we all got together for the first time after I got out of the army. It was a time period when I was unsure about my future, but those worries disappeared when I saw my members. Seeing them made me feel like I can succeed.”

“I think the trainee period right before our debut was incredibly hard, but one of the most fun times,” Byeongkwan commented. “It is a very positive memory for me.”

For Junhee, their first-ever concert in Korea was his most cherished memory. “It was the first time that our parents had come to see us perform, and there were a lot of fans present at the time, too, so it was a chance for us to show everyone why we had been working so hard. It was also a moment that we were extremely grateful for our fans because we never would have gotten to that point without them.”

Donghun expressed his deepest appreciation for the steadfast bond they forged with one another. Their collective journey and mutual support for one another are what he deems as key to weathering through any storms that come their way. “All of the moments that I’ve shared with my members over the past seven years are always running through my head,” he reflected. “I’m here because of those moments and because the five of us were together. We each had moments when things were really tough, and we wanted to run away, and I think we actually would have if we didn’t have each other. We always had the other members to hold onto during those tough times, and I don’t think we would have made it here without each other. That’s why all of our moments together are special to me.”

His groupmates were touched and applauded his words. Despite the sweet moment, they didn’t miss an opportunity to tease him — insinuating that he got inspired by one of the many inspirational quotes that he has on his phone at his disposal.

Seven Years with CHOICE 

Their relationship with their fans, known as CHOICE, stands out as a significant aspect of their growth both as artists and individuals. To Junhee, A.C.E’s connection with CHOICE has evolved to something akin to family. “In the beginning, it felt like CHOICE were our friends. We were happy together, interested in each other, and we helped each other grow, just as we do now. It was a mutual support system where we could rely on one another,” he recalled. “Now that we’ve all gotten a bit older, it feels more like a family. While friendship is unconditional, the support we receive from CHOICE feels like the unconditional love that only family can provide. We want to make sure that we never take that love for granted and strive to give it back to CHOICE. They encourage and respect us, and their trust has been a crucial factor in our progress. Their consistent support, affirmations, and belief in us have been instrumental in our journey.”

Donghun adds a personal perspective on how the fans have impacted him. “When we first debuted, I thought our role was to give love to our fans, not necessarily the other way around. But I’ve realized recently that our fans actually take care of us,” he shared. “Even in moments when I am unsure of myself, their encouragement and support provide me with strength. It’s become clear that it’s our fans who take care of us and help us stay strong and keep moving forward.”

KCON

With their debut performance at KCON LA just days before this interview, A.C.E aimed to leave a lasting impression on the KCON audience. “We’re prepared to show off our live vocals, and we’ve prepared our most popular title songs,” Junhee emphasized. “Some people might think, ‘Oh, I’ve heard this song somewhere before!’ We’re going to bring a lot of energy to our performances, so I think it will be enjoyable for everyone to watch. We want people to look forward to our live vocals.”

Byeongkwan agreed with Junhee and added, “We’ve had this same goal since we debuted. We want people to think, ‘Wow, these guys are good at dancing. Wow—they’re good at singing live too!’ We put in our best effort to achieve this,” he said. “Our three vocalists will use hand microphones to ensure their voices are heard clearly, and our performance line members will work even harder to ensure we’re not overshadowed. “I believe fans will truly experience A.C.E’s charm through our performance.”

A.C.E consistently blows audiences away with their sheer talent, and their performance at KCON was no exception. For 30 minutes, they commanded the KCON Stage like it was an extension of their solo tour, performing their original songs like the fan favorites “SAVAGE” and “Under Cover” as well as their own cover renditions of Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” and Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” to appeal to their international audience. Those in the crowd who were seeing the group for the first time were dazzled and immediately joined CHOICE in singing along and cheering them on. Their set, amplified by KCON’s elaborate stage production, proved the quintet’s readiness to take on larger U.S. stages in the future. 

New Album

Following their U.S. tour and KCON performance, A.C.E shifted their focus to their next big projects. While preparing for their tour, they were also simultaneously preparing for their upcoming comeback, scheduled for release this fall. Byeongkwan elaborated, “We need to get back to preparing as soon as we return to Korea, so we were really busy filming the music video and recording the songs before we came on tour.” Their staff back in South Korea worked diligently to edit and put the finishing touches on the materials while the members were on tour. With KCON now behind them, the members were amped and ready to return to Korea and put their full intention into their comeback preparations. The quintet hinted that the new album would be “dynamic” and reflect dark themes, almost like a hybrid of “SAVAGE” and “Under Cover.” Byeongkwan confirmed, “It’s energetic with one spoonful of sexiness.”

REWIND US Tour in LATAM & Europe

A.C.E will continue their world tour in October with stops in Latin America and Europe. Byeongkwan expressed his excitement in showcasing their newest work to their LATAM and European CHOICE. “We hope everyone looks forward to it!” he said. “Honestly, it took us some time to readjust to performing after returning from military service. However, I believe we’ve now found our rhythm, possibly even more than we had before. We’re committed to giving our best for the remainder of the world tour and we hope that our LATAM and European CHOICE show us a lot of love and we hope many people come to see us!”

The LATAM leg of the tour kicks off in Mexico on October 3, with subsequent stops in Brazil, Peru, and Chile before concluding in Colombia on October 13. The tour then continues to Europe, starting with London on October 17. Afterward, the group will perform in Germany, Italy, and France, before wrapping up in Poland on October 29.

Thank you to A.C.E, Beat Interactive, and Oh!Shoot Photo Studio for this opportunity. Thank you to Dayi K. and Nahri L. for providing interpretation/translation assistance.